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Subject:Question about MS Access 97 From:Barbara Srour <bsrour -at- WOVEN -dot- COM> Date:Mon, 16 Nov 1998 13:34:28 -0500
This is not strictly "tech writing related", but I thought maybe someone
has experienced this problem and could help me.
We have a database application developed in Access for tracking specific
information for my company. One of the features of this application is to
provide summary information to middle and senior management on a weekly
basis. For some reason, one of the fields is read by Crystal Reports as a
negative number, but the absolute value of the number is correct (for
example, at the end of the week, it tells you that -208 applications were
processed, when in reality 208 were processed). No other field in this
report does this. (There are a lot of different pieces of information that
are summarized on this report, and each field is summarized on a daily
basis, and then totaled for a weekly summary). Only ONE of the fields is
giving us problems (out of several dozen).
What we have done to find a solution:
1. Tried designing the report in Access, which is where we initially
encountered this problem.
2. Double checked the field and its properties in the table, nothing wrong
there.
3. Checked the field properties on the form (it is a checkbox), all
properties are set correctly.
4. Re-designed the report in Crystal reports, got the same results.
5. Tried copying this field and its properties from other areas that are
producing correct results, yet we still got the negative number.
6. Tried to subtract the summary values from zero (to give a positive
number). What happens in this scenario is that both Access and Crystal
Reports sum all the information for the whole week, and put the same number
in all areas of the report (doing this seems to overwrite all other values
used in the report), and there is no longer a breakdown by days.
The only "fix" we have found is generating the report, then re-creating the
report in Excel to correct the negative number. (Management will not accept
the report from Access /Crystal Reports as it is). Not exactly a very
efficient solution.
I have searched the MS knowledge base, and two programmer/analysts have
looked at this for me (both "had no clue"). I need to finish the
documentation for this application, and because I am also responsible for
the Quality Control and Testing of the app, I have been told to "find the
solution."
ANY ASSISTANCE WOULD BE GREATLY APPRECIATED!!!
Please respond off the list.
Thanks
Barbara Srour
Documentation Specialist/Training Administrator
