Hey guys, i am using access database 2007, and i am developing a dvd loan database. I am struggling with the the return date. In the LoanDate the default value is Date(), and what i am trying to do is have the return date default value the LoanDate + Customer RentLength field. I thought the expression i would put in the default value would be But every time i do this it says "Database engine does not recognise either the field 'LoanDate' in a validated expression or the default value in the table 'Loan'

And even if do it the other way It says "Could not find field 'Customer]![RentLength'"

Any help would be appreciated thanks

Are you trying to do this in a Form or directly in the Table?

A Default Value infers that you are storing the Return Date field, which you shouldn't be doing, since it is a calculated field.

This really should be done in the Control Source for the Return Date control, on the Form, and would simply be

=[LoanDate] + [RentLength]

Welcome to the forum!

Linq ;0)>

I am ideally trying to impliment it into the table, am I barking up the wrong tree with that? And should maybe let the form handle it with the way you suggested? And what I meant by ReturnDate is the expected return date sorry for the confusion because I have another field called ReturnedDate which is when the customer actually returned it.

You cannot set a Default Value in a Table that is dependent on another field in the Table, which is what your error message is telling you.

The Default Value for field is assigned when a New Record is first created, so if you stop and think about it, this really makes sense. How can you assign a value to a field, based on other fields, when the record is first created? The other fields haven't been populated yet!

This had to be done in the Form using the method I gave you, with the Textbox for the expected return date not being bound to a field in the underlying table. If you need the field calculated again, such as in a Report, you simply use the same expression as the Control Source for another unbound Textbox.

Linq ;0)>

When you put it like that it makes total sense, I didn't think that the default value is when a new record is created, I just thought it would somehow put a value there so and when the record is created it is just copied but you've showed me that this isn't the case! Thanks for clearing this up!

That's why we're here!