I’ve been working on a database for a rental company, on and off, for quite a few years. Some of the answers to my previous queries here have been really useful in moving things along.
The volume of orders has increased to the point where we need to track things more carefully. The crucial bit is spotting shortages/overbooking, but it would also be useful to generate proper reports on hire volumes for each item, rather than relying on anecdotal evidence.
However, the actual "line items” on each order are just text fields that users can freely enter. We try and impose some discipline with consistent names for popular items, but there’s always a fair bit of deviation. (The difference between, say, “8ft ladder”, “Eight foot ladder”, and “Ladder - 8ft”) This starts to get messy when we are trying to conduct searches to check availability.
What I’m hoping to implement is a list of autocomplete options that appear as users type in their line items. The autocomplete recommendations would ideally be sourced from a different table, which is essentially an inventory list.
I can get a “live” autocomplete by using a drop-down list, and selecting “autocomplete using value list”, but this doesn’t seem to be selectable when I’m using a list based on a field in a related table. I also need to filter the list, based on what the user is typing.
Unfortunately there are enough custom entries required that I can’t restrict user’s ability to enter any text. The autocomplete should hopefully be a nudge in the right direction, without being so restrictive that it frustrates them.
I’ve had a good read through the many topics on Value Lists, and I’m still not quite sure if what I’m aiming for here is possible or not. I’m also wary of what sort of overhead it’ll introduce. Speed is critical, because users are often taking down orders with customers on the phone. If something’s convoluted enough to cause a noticeable slowdown, that’d be bad news.