Length Check
This limits the number of characters that can be typed into a field. It is most useful for a field with a specific number of characters like telephone number. A telephone number always contains the same number of characters, so this facility allows you to ensure that no extra numbers are accidentally typed in. It can also be used for other fields without a specific number of characters. For example, it would be extremely unusual for a person to have more than four initials. So, on this field the length check would be four.
Character Type Check
This facility allows only certain types of characters to be typed into a field. It can be set to numbers or characters, so that only these types of characters can be typed into the fields. This would be useful in the telephone number field. A phone number always contains numbers; there wouldn’t be any letters. So you can apply a character type check to this to ensure that no letters are accidentally typed in.
Data type
In the design view of the table, there is a heading “Data Type”. This allows you to set many different types of validation checks to be performed. For example you can set it to “Yes/No”, which, instead of a field where you type in a word, there is a small box that you click on to specify whether it is “Yes” or “No”. There is also the option to set the field to a date, time or currency field, which is useful in my tables.
Verification
This is a manual form of validation. It is when a member of staff reads over any documents that they have written to ensure that they are correct. It is used for ensuring that there are no mistakes made that the computer cannot register. For example, if someone typed a sentence but accidentally left out a word, the computer would not spot this. Instead, a human would have to read over the document to spot this mistake.
Data and/or Processing Structures
Design of Specialised Features
Input Masks
I will be using an input mask in some fields including postcode, telephone number in the customer table and date/time of reservation in the reservation table. An input mask allows you to specify a pattern of letters that can be typed into a field. The characters that are used are:
Using these characters, the input masks will be:
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LL09 0LL for postcode
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(000) 0000 0000 for telephone number
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00:00, 00/00/00 for reservation time
Length Check
This allows you to set a maximum length for a field. For example, telephone numbers are all the same length – 15 characters including spaces and brackets. So if you set the length check to 15 on this field, then if you accidentally type in an extra character then it will say that you have made a mistake.
Key Field
If you set a field to a key field, this means that each record has to be unique in this field. This is used for customer ID. A customer ID is unique, so that you can quickly distinguish between people of the same surname. If two people have the same number, this would lead to confusion. Therefore, this is a key field.
Customer Table
Reservation Table
Queries
Qry Overdue Fee
When the query is run, a box comes up with the question “What is the date today?” A short hand date is typed in by the user, and all the members who have an earlier date that was typed by the user, and therefore need to renew their membership will be found.
Qry Customer Surname
When this query is run, a message box comes up with “What is the member’s surname?” The user types an answer, and any members with this surname will be found.
Qry Net Profit
This query automatically calculates the total profit of the gym, by subtracting the total expendature from the total income.
Qry Total Expendature
When run, this query automatically adds up the staff pay, the maintenance and the cost of all new facilities, which are found in the expenditure table, to calculate the total expenditure of the gym.
Qry Total Income
This query automatically adds up all the values in the amount paid field in the member table, and therefore finds the total income that the gym receives.
Qry Type of Membership
When this query is run, a message box should come up saying “Single, couple or family?” When the user types in one of these types of membership, all members who have paid for this type of membership are found and appear on the screen.
Macros
Blank Record – This is in the Reservation and member forms, assigned to a button. When the button is depressed, the form automatically goes to the last record in the form, which is black.
Close Form – This is also in the form of a button in the same forms as above. When it is pressed, the current form closes, and saves the file.
Memberfind – This is a macro that is connected to the “Find member” combo box found in the Member Table. It means that when a name is selected in the combo box, that the member’s details are automatically brought up and displayed in the relevant fields in the form.
OpenFrmCustomer/ OpenFrmReservation – These is assigned to a button in either the Reservation form or the Member form. When it is clicked, the other form opens ‘on top’ of the reservation form. This is useful if you want to switch easily between the two forms.
Open MSWord – This does exactly what it says on the tin. When the button to which it is assigned is clicked, Microsoft Word is automatically opened, from where you can open the mail merge letter. I would have liked it to automatically open the mail merge template, but I haven’t been able to do this.
OpenRptCustomer/OpenRptReservation – This opens up a report with a list of all the reservations or members on it. Again, this is assigned to a button in the relevant forms.
SaveCustomerFrm/SaveReservationFrm – This is assigned to a button, which, when pressed, saves the form.
Open Member Labels – This is assigned to a button in the Member Form. When it is clicked, it open up the ‘Customer Labels” report, which can then be printed onto labels and sent to members with relevant information.
Hardware and software
Hardware Recommended
PC with monitor, keyboard and printer – E.g. Emachines Intel Celeron 1.8GHz PC. Includes Monitor, PC, Keyboard, Mouse, Printer & Speakers. Also contains Windows XP
Price £599
Software Needed
Microsoft Office Professional. Licence for 1 computer only.
Price £519