Re: Can't get more than 255 chars out of memo field in Acc

11/27/2002 3:08:35 PM, Jeff Eckermann  wrote:

>
>--- Tom Lane  wrote:

>> I wonder whether we could/should hack our ODBC
>> driver to report "text"
>> columns as "varchar(n)" (and if so, what n should we
>> use)?  Seems like
>> enough people want to use Access that this would be
>> a useful option.

	Access only allows text FieldSize properties to be between 0 and 255 so this would be of 
limited or no use.


>> 
>> 			regards, tom lane
>
>The problem lies in the Access distinction between
>"text" type, which is fully functional but limited in
>size (the OP's problem), and "memo", which allows much
>more storage, but is limited in functionality: "memo"
>fields cannot be indexed, sorted, grouped by, joined
>against etc.  
>
>The driver can presently render text as "text" or as
>"memo", depending on the chosen configuration.  I
>don't see how it could reasonably distinguish between
>two text fields so as to call one "text" and the other
>"memo".

	It can?!?!? I can't seem to get this to work then. Event with 'Text as LongVarChar' turned 
off it still insists on treating my (formerlly) memo field as a text field with resulting limitations. I don't 
want this data indexed or anything - just a plain old free form text memo field. I can't seem to figure 
out what settings are necessary to get Access to recognize this as a memo field.

create table "Table-MCMProgram 2000" ( 
"ID" serial unique not null , 
"Date Opened" date null , 
"Name" varchar ( 50 ) not null , 
"Account#" integer not null , 
"Date of Birth" varchar ( 50 ) null , 
"Attending MD" varchar ( 50 ) null , 
"Health  Plan Category" varchar ( 50 ) not null , 
"County" varchar ( 50 ) null , 
"Case Status" varchar ( 50 ) not null , 
"UR Notes" text null )

	Access treats all the varchar and text fields as text in my ODBC link. I just need "UR 
Notes" to act like a good old memo field once again so I can get more than 255 chars in it.

	thanx & later,

		Ben Scherrey

PS: I dislike the table/attribute names as well but it is outside of my scope of work to alter the 
Access forms significantly so we're using the old names.