Using the Table designer

Topic group Related topics

To create a new table by using the Table designer,

1. Choose File|New|Table.

• In the New Table dialog box, click the Design button.

The Table designer appears showing a default template for the first field.

• Set the table type in the Inspector. You can select a BDE-standard table type or the table types of those databases for which you have created BDE aliases.

• In the Table designer, type a name in the Name field. (You have to name a field before you can specify any of its other attributes.) While the table designer may allow spaces to be entered, not all table types allow spaces in field names. dBASE Level 3, 4, and 5 tables do not allow spaces in field names. Level 7 tables permit spaces in field names. Paradox and many SQL tables also allow spaces.

• Specify values for the remaining attributes (Type, Width, Decimal, Index) by typing what you want, or by selecting a value from the drop-down list, or by clicking the spinbox arrows. You can tab through these to select the default values.

To create additional fields, press Return when you have finished specifying a field. Or press the Down arrow key. Or right-click and choose Add Field from the context menu.

You can generate new fields in rapid succession by naming each, then pressing the Down arrow key. After naming all the fields in your table design, you can go back and set or reset the attributes for each field.

Warning!

Later on in your work, do not use functions such as CHR( ), LTRIM( ), RTRIM( ), TRIM( ), or IIF( ) that vary the field width in the key expression.

Table designer tips

To add, insert, or delete fields, right-click in the Table designer window to display a context menu, and choose the appropriate command.

To reorder the sequence of fields, place the insertion point in the field number box—it becomes a hand—and move the field to the desired position in the list.

For information on .DBF field types, see Field types.