Parts Database V1.04

Parts Database V2.01/97 (Dec 09, 2000)

Unzip the file in its original folder and click on Parts.mde or Contacts.mde. If you decide to unzip in a different folder then run first the CRS20a97.mde file. This will install the library in the same folder with MSAccess. A database saved as MDE file and referencing another MDE file as library is looking first in its original folder and then in the same folder where MSAccess is located. This version includes a powerful table linker and import/export utilities. The user can customize on forms the control's caption text which automatically changes the corresponding report's labels.

Bill of Materials

The bill of materials can contain both prototype items and parts having the part number assigned in the parts table. A prototype module includes a list of parts that will be subject to changes along the project development. Using parts from sample kits does not imply to create a part number for each component you intent to try to improve some parameters. In this case you will use temporary prototype part numbers. For the same category of parts, changes to a title structure in a Prototype list will be updated in the corresponding BOM list and will create a new P/N Request list. Once the proper part was found, use the latest P/N Request list to assign a part number in parts table, and replace the temporary prototype part number with a real one.

BOM header

The details you enter here will be visible on each page of the BOM report.
Use one of the following methods to add a new BOM:

1. Click on the New BOM button with the current record positioned on an existent BOM number. An input box displays the current revision (for example B) and prompts the user to enter the next revision (C) for that BOM number. The application copies the data from the previous BOM revision into the next revision level. The corresponding drawing number remains the same but in the background the application creates the next revision level for the drawing as well. Double-click on the Drawing ID text box to check this.
2. Click on the Access New Record button [*]. Now you can type in the BOM text box your own BOM number. The application set automatically the revision level as A, the current date as starting date, the computer's user name as originator and designer and creates the next available drawing number in the drawing table. The rest of the fields must be filled in manually.
3. Close this form and open the prototype form to create a new prototype number and implicitly a new BOM number with all the related stuff.

Table Selector

Button that allows you to change the record source when searching for a part (Search button). The Part Nr combo box record source is also determined by this button. You can choose between Parts, Prototype Header or Prototype List tables.

Search Panel

Helps to find a certain sequence of characters when looking for a part. There are five combo boxes where you can preset search criteria strings. You can use any combination between boxes to build a search criteria from left to right. Press Search button to start the search procedure, which will drop down the found part combo box. Select the desired part or click the Clear Search button and try another criteria. Once you have found the proper part, press the Add button. This will automatically add the selected part number, description and it's reference to the current BOM list. In case you want to modify an existent part in a BOM table, click on the Part No combo box.

Any string you type into one of the five search criteria boxes will be recorded in a separate table (Str1 to Str5). You can erase useless search presets by pressing the Delete search criteria button. The last selected search box contains the string that will be deleted, if exist, in all five boxes. If you want to delete all the records in all boxes, enter a "*" character as new search string and then delete that character. In case you delete Str1 to Str5 tables, the next time you start the BOM form they will be restored.

Combo Assembly Level Filter
This combo box capture assembly levels from all BOM lists. The level you select in combo list will filter the bill of materials.

Filter off button
This button is visible after you apply the assembly level filter. Click on this button to set the filter off and to make visible the assembly level combo box.

Assembly Level button

This button opens the Assembly Level form.
Each item in the BOM list is allocated to a certain assembly level using the assembly level combo box. The same item (part number) can be doubled only if is allocated to a different assembly level.

Reference Designator

This BOM form was designed to match electronics requirements. Reference designator is the name allocated to a part (electronic component) on a schematic. The field is memo type.

BOM Report

The BOM list is reported for all the assemblies levels or filtered by an assembly level (Filter button). Click on the report button (upper right corner). The report is opened in preview mode and the user is prompted to select the desired printer. The report title is the same as the text you enter in the form's description label and the report's field label copies the field label caption you set in the BOM form.

Changing the Label's Caption

The Parts Database V 2.0a let the user to customize most of the labels caption. Double-click on a label to replace its caption text with your own text. Right-click on a command button to change its caption. The value of the row source for some combo boxes can be also defined by the user and the control tip text in some forms is following the corresponding field label caption.

Note: When delete a prototype number within the prototype table, the corresponding BOM number and its details will be deleted automatically. Deleting a BOM number will delete the corresponding drawing number from the drawings tables (Drawings, DrawingsRev and DrawingsHist).

Parts Database V 2.01 has a powerful linked table manager that allows the user to connect to multiple back-end databases.

Access File Manager Utility

FTP Client utility.

Parts97All.zip (Acc97) content:

1. Parts.mde contains forms, VBA modules, local tables and linked tables. Edit from here Projects, Prototypes, Bill of Materials, Part Number Request, Drawings database, Parts status and Parts database.
2. Contacts.mde contains forms, VBA modules, local tables and linked tables. Edit from here Contacts, Employees, Customers, Suppliers and Company Info. Use Outlook.mde utility to import contacts.
3. SampleDat.mdb contains only tables linked to Parts.mde and Contacts.mde.
4. TestRep.mde is an engineering test report tool. Includes an equipment inventory, test specifications database and test planner.
5. IEMaster.mde is an import Excel add-on capable to transfer multiple spreadsheets.
6. FMNG.mde Access File Manager.
7. FTP.mde FTP Client application (requires comctl32.ocx version 6.0).
8. CRS20a97.mde is a library file referenced by all applications in this package.
9. Compact97.mde utility required for Access 97 version.
10. NewMDB.mde utility to generate a new back-end database file.
11. Parts.hlp, IEMAster.hlp, and TestRep.hlp are the application's help files.

Important:
The front-end has to find the CRS20a97.mde (December 09, 2000) in either C:\Parts97\ folder or in MSAccess folder. Unzip the package in its original folder. Run once the CRS20a97.mde library. This copies automatically the library in MSAccess folder. The user can run the front-end files Parts.mde and Contacts.mde from any other folder as long as the library file is located in MSAccess folder or its original folder. The library file and the front-end databases must be from the same package. There is no restriction for the back-end file. Note that is very important to have the CRS20a97.mde library file date December 09, 2000.

Double-click on Parts.mde (TestRep.mde, IEMaster.mde, FMNG.mde, FTP.mde, Contacts.mde, or Outllok.mde) to run this application. Parts.mde will try to find its back-end SampleDat.mdb in the last saved folder C:\Parts97\SampleDat\ for Acc97 or C:\Parts2k\SampleDat\ for Acc2k. A powerful linked table manager helps the user to connect tables from one or more back-end databases.