Link to home
Start Free TrialLog in
Avatar of Everwulf
EverwulfFlag for United States of America

asked on

What would be the best way to set up Daily, Weekly, mothly tasks?

We currently have a database that lists all of our tasks each day. The database has worked so far but tasks are occurring at times that are more complex. 2nd Sunday, last Monday, 3rd Saturday and so on. I order to account for this we end up having the task show up all week. We also have to type in multiple tasks that cover the same thing. So if we have to check a website every hour then that is 24 entries instead of just 1.

So what we want to do is to redesign the database to account for the following:
- 2nd, 3rd, 4th, last day, etc of a month
- Enter one task with a reoccurrence
  - The task should also have the ability to have specific times exempt due to time during shift change over or other factors.
- Separation of Daily, Weekly, and Monthly tasks for easier viewing.
- Adding an administration form to edit the tasks.

The thing is I am not sure that MS Access 2007 is capable of achieving this. So I guess my questions would be what would be the best course of action for getting what we are looking for. What application would work best? Please be aware that our Supervisor likes everything in Access and so we only have the free version of VB.Net which will make it hard when it comes to reports.

I have attached what we currently use and an example of one of our shift task sheets.

Any suggestions on this would be very helpful.
Shift-Notebook-2k.mdb
Shift-Notebook-Tables.mdb
Shift-Duties-Report.pdf
Avatar of F. Dominicus
F. Dominicus
Flag of Germany image

Maybe this software would do work for you?
http://www.fmsinc.com/microsoftaccess/DatabaseCompact.html

Regards
Friedrich
I see no difference in poduct, where will be done your project. It is possible in Access also. Problem is only in shedule algorithm.
1. You can do this manual every month (week) selecting days for every task.
2. If you like to automate this process, at first you should describe all possible shedules:
Type - Monthly: FixedDay (15-th, for example); Fixed day from list (Last & Friday); Day and Week (1-st day, Last Week); Shift to selected day (+ 3 to determined date) etc.
Then you will be able to construct table with fields enough for all cases.
You can also describe exclusions for your shedule (holidays, for example) and actions for this cases.
I don't think you need VB.Net.  Access has a very rich/powerful VBA development environment.
Avatar of Everwulf

ASKER

Thank you everyone and I am glad the Access can be used. This will make my supervisor happy.

I know the coding would be difficult but would I need a table that lists all possible schedules. While I can list all possible schedules we have right now, the problem is schedules change and I want to make sure that the Database can adapt to that.

Thanks for the link Firdom but they are not looking to purchase software for this. They want someone to build it.
In the past, I've created a few routines that would populate a table or worksheet with dates according to some parameters.  The coding isn't complicated.
I would be greatful if someone could provide me with a start Code point.

I was working on what ALS315 suggested and I found a task that doesn't really reoccur equally throughout the day. It occurs three times: 1 am, 8 am, and 4:30 pm. I am not sure how this will affect the code.
Those are usually added as three separate daily schedules.

If you have to encapsulate (group) multiple schedules, then you could add some grouping data.
We are trying to keep tasks together as much as possible so that we do not have to hunt down the different record if they need updating. I guess for the ones that don't have a equal reoccurance we could change them so that they do. But I think there have been times where they want things done at specific times so then yes I guess I am going to have to concider grouping data.

So I am looking at two tables one to list the task and I second one for scheduling. So then to keep Daily weekly and monthly tasks separate I should make two tables for each, I am also thinking of adding a Misc one as well because they want a task to show up every 6 months unless that can be incorporated in the monthly.

Any thoughts?
I think you don't need many tables for task description. You can have a field with a list with all task shedule types: "6 month", "Month", "Week", "Day". When you shoul¿ work with different tables, basing on task sheduler type, it will be more difficult, then to have more colunns in one table/
You can also try to add Hour type for "1 am, 8 am, and 4:30 pm" task.
So if I am understand you I will only need two tables one to list the task and another for the type of task, But how would specifiy the details of the assigned task, If it is weekly what time and what day. If is imonthly what day of the month and if it is other which month or months and which day or days and what time. Maybe I am over thinking it...I do that some times.
You will need in your table separate column for each type of possible period. For example, monthly task can occur - last day of first week - you will need two columns - for week (with list - First, Second .... Last) and for day in the week (with the same list, but for all days)
Take a look to Windows sheduler - it can give good ideas
Ok I followed what you suggested and created a couple of tables. The main tables are Tasks and Schedule. Tasks are where tasks will be created and schedule is linked to tasks so if more than one schedule needs to be entered for a task then it will group easier. I did run into a bit of an issue. I wanted the give them only a certain range for month day (1-31) or day range (1- 365). Now I set up another table for month range for a lookup but I was wondering if there was a better to set up a range of number to select from than a lookup to another table.

But other than that is this along the lines of what you were suggesting?
Shift-Tasks.accdb
I don't suppose access has a numericupdown control like vb does?
ASKER CERTIFIED SOLUTION
Avatar of als315
als315
Flag of Russian Federation image

Link to home
membership
This solution is only available to members.
To access this solution, you must be a member of Experts Exchange.
Start Free Trial
I thought as much. Thanks on the suggestions I will try both and see what I can come up with.
Setting up the excel spreadsheet with the different calculations was a really good idea and was able to see how they should interface with each other. Now all I need to figure out how to apply it to access.
Here are the calculations I have come up with.
Calc.xlsx