Sheesh, woman, DO try to learn to read a bit more constructively -- everybody has been talking about the NUMBER datatype as an alternative. You just enter a number that happens to ALSO BE a date, seewhatimean?

When I change the datatype to number, it bunches all the numbers up and it no longer looks like a date, plus it takes away the whole year and only gives me the last two digits.

Then you preferably add a constraint (look up that word in the help; if it isn't there, it's the help file that sucks, not my advice; then you'll have to think of all the synonyms for "constraint" that you can imagine, and try those) that says the value in this number field has to be between, say, 19000000 (nineteen million) and 21000000 (twenty-one million). Your choice as to whether the constraint is on the data table itself, the editing window, or wherever else Access lets you put it... But "your choice" doesn't necessarily mean that it's unimportant; think a little about which would be the most logical and sensible place to put it.

I found constraint, but can't seem to locate the Query tab which is what it's telling me to use. I'm looking for it now.

And if you go that way, for all that is good and holy in the world, DO follow Ben's suggestion to use the YYYMMDD format, NOT the idiotic American MMDDYYY one. (In case you're wondering why, think about sorting.) (*)

I would LOVE to change the format like you are suggesting, but that was my original problem, I can't find anywhere to change the date format to something else. That is what I'm looking for.

On balance, though, I tend to agree with Ben that the single-number model is easier and better.

I do too, and I would rather go with it.

My biggest problem is that I wanted the database to sort by date, (date and year), and this is causing the 1974's not to follow that sort pattern, well, it won't even take them without some date. Grrr.

So why on Earth hasn't it occurred to you to just use some fake date?!? Preferably one that isn't too likely to be an actual true date... Like, how often do you finish a book on Christmas Day? Or, say, New Year's Day? (Even if you DO occassionally do that, just lie and pretend that you finished those ones on the second of January.)

Edit: I was thinking about making up dates, but really didn't want to.

If you go with the number-as-fake-date idea, you can of course say 'YYYY0000' where you can remember only the year, or 'YYYYMM00' where you have the month but lack the day.

I'm hoping that will work if I can get the format changed to YYYYMMDD. That's what I can't seem to find, is an option to select that format.

Sheesh, ever tried just BROWSING a book; flip a few pages at a time and skim, until you get to something that looks like it could be approximately what you're after, then slow down and flip somewhat fewer pages at a time and skim somewhat more thoroughly, until you're actually reading a page that is actually about what you were after? If not, it's high time you started; knowing how to do that is really the least that can be expected of anybody over, say, twelve.

Yes, I've been browsing it, but I'm not sure what the thing I want to do is called, so I'm not locating much. I"m still browsing it though.

I'm still trying to solve the problem, of course, I don't know for sure that Access can accomplish it, but I believe it probably can. I'm still learning what Access can do.

Thanks for your input.

Nightowl >8#