QBE Queries Like in Access

[kiwibruce]

Hi,

I am trying to get started with V10 of A5 and having a hard time getting my brain out of Access mode (well it has been 15 years so it is not surprising!)

In A5 I see Tables, Reports, Forms... but where are Queries?
A lot of what I do in Access is build up my business logic by layering queries over queries and then finally a report over the last query.
Or say in Importing data I import it , Clean it and that can take ... in one case 12 queries so from Dode I am doing a lot of this...
DoCmd.OpenQuery "qryImportCustData1"
DoCmd.OpenQuery "qryImportCustData2FixZipCode"
etc
etc

In most cases this is because the logic is too much to have in one query, some time it is because I have built it in baby steps so the process is clear and adaptable.

So my question is how do I do this in Alpha Five???

Thanks in advance

Bruce

[Tom Cone Jr]

Re: QBE Queries Like in Access

Bruce, I'm no Access guy but others coming here from Access have struggled with differences concerning "queries". Apparently the term means something different here.

In Alpha Five each field object you drop into your layout is automatically bound to the underlying data table. when you run an Alpha query you are filtering records in the table or tables supporting your layout (form).

Suggest you open Alpha Five Help, and spend some time reviewing the Alpha Five User Guide. There's a good section on "ordering and selecting records" in the chapter called "Alpha Five Basics". You'll find this in the list on the "Contents" tab of the Helps.

Alpha offers many different ways to "query" your data.

-- tom

ps Welcome to the message board!

[GGandhi]

Re: QBE Queries Like in Access

not an expert in access nor in alpha five but..
I think the way query works in access is to join few tables and select the fields into a new "item" called query and base the forms reports etc., on that item. much like a joins in sql. the "item" is not really there but there when you need it.
The way one will do something like that in alpha will be to create a "set" combining two or more tables into an "item" called set and then base your forms, reports etc. on that entity.

hope this is correct.

gandhi

[Rich Merritt]

Re: QBE Queries Like in Access

Hi Bruce,
I'm no expert in either Alpha or Access, but I think I've done the kinds of queries you're talking about for one or two Access apps I've made.
The way I'd do it in Alpha is to use the various operations on the 'Operations' tab (Copy records, Crosstab, Delete records, Summarise records etc). Most can have filters applied at runtime (via user input or in the query itself).
I create all my actions first (eg, use Delete records to empty a transaction table, then one of the other operations to add data to it, then run a report against the transaction table.
I've used the Update operation to 'fix' records imported from other datasources, after using the Import operation to import the data from .csv etc.
I've then typically fired the sequence of the various operations off from a button placed on a form or menu choice,
For example, drop a button on a form, then use the 'Action Scripting' option to add all the operations, reports etc. (Action scripting -> Add new action -> Operations -> Run saved operation, then just choose the operation you've already created. Then add another action to the action script for the next operation.

It might not be the most elegant way, but it works for me.

Hope it helps,

Rich

[forskare]

Re: QBE Queries Like in Access

Ah Ha! Another 'Access soul" has come home. This is what I did. Although it was a struggle, I gad to wipe Access from my thinking. Allowing it to remain cause numerous headaches. To do that, I researched what I wanted to to by searching Alpha's Help, searching the message board and asking questions. In no time at all, Access was a figment of my imagination.

There are numerous ways to create Queries in A5. The best way to get to them is to click the 'Query' menu item while viewing a table, a form or a browse. You will be pleasantly surprised.