Knowledge Base

ACC: Update Query on More Than One Table Gives Unexpected Data

Article ID: 103990

Article Last Modified on 1/18/2007

APPLIES TO

Microsoft Access 1.0 Standard Edition
Microsoft Access 1.1 Standard Edition
Microsoft Access 2.0 Standard Edition
Microsoft Access 95 Standard Edition
Microsoft Access 97 Standard Edition

This article was previously published under Q103990

Novice: Requires knowledge of the user interface on single-user computers.

SYMPTOMS

An update query that tries to update more than one table may yield unexpected results.

RESOLUTION

You should not update more than one table in an update query.

STATUS

This behavior is by design.

MORE INFORMATION

If an update query in Microsoft Access is used to update two (or more) tables on the "many" side of a relationship, the resulting updated fields will be multiples of the updated value. Each value will be updated one time for each updated record in the corresponding table.

Steps to Reproduce Behavior

Create the following three tables:

      Table: Vendors
      -----------------
      Field Name: Name
         Data Type: Text

      Table: New Parts
      --------------------
      Field Name: Item
         Data Type: Text
      Field Name: Vendor
         Data Type: Text
      Field Name: Cost
         Data Type: Number

      Table: Rebuilt Parts
      --------------------
      Field Name: Item
         Data Type: Text
      Field Name: Vendor
         Data Type: Text
      Field Name: Cost
         Data Type: Number

Add the following two records to the Vendors table:

      Name
      ----
      Bob
      Jill

Enter the following three records to the New Parts table:

     Item       Vendor       Cost
     -----------------------------
     fender      Bob        100.00
     hood        Jill        50.00
     trunk       Bob        100.00

Enter the following four records in the Rebuilt Parts table:

     Item       Vendor      Cost
     ----------------------------
     Pump        Bob        10.00
     Fan         Jill       45.00
     Pulley      Bob        20.00
     Piston      Bob        30.00

Create the following query based on the three tables that you created above:

      Query:  Example Query
      ---------------------------------------------------
      Type: Update Query
      Join: [New Parts].[Vendor] <-> [Vendors].[Name]
      Join: [Rebuilt Parts].[Vendor] <-> [Vendors].[Name]
      Field: Name
         Table: Vendors
         Criteria: "Bob"
      Field: Cost
         Table: New Parts
         Update To: [New Parts].[Cost] * 2.0
      Field: Cost
         Table: Rebuilt Parts
         Update To: [Rebuilt Parts].[Cost] * 2.0

Run the query, and then save and close it.
Open the Rebuilt Parts table.

Note that the costs for items listing Bob as the vendor have been updated to four times their original values, rather than to two times as specified in the update query. Each updated record in the Rebuilt Parts table has been updated once for each updated record in the New Parts table.
Open the New Parts table.

Note that the costs for items listing Bob as the vendor have been updated to eight times their original values, rather than to two times as specified in the update query. Each updated record in the New Parts table has been updated once for each updated record in the Rebuilt Parts table.

This effect is called a cross product (or Cartesian product), in which the values in Table B are updated one time for each item meeting the same criteria in Table A.

REFERENCES

For more information about update queries, search the Help Index for "update queries," or ask the Microsoft Access 97 Office Assistant.

Additional query words: action

Keywords: kbprb KB103990

Microsoft KB Archive/103990

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