A TableDef object represents the stored definition of a base table or a linked table (Microsoft Jet workspaces only).
Remarks
You manipulate a table definition using a TableDef object and its methods and properties. For example, you can:
| ? | Examine the field and index structure of any local, linked, or external table in a database. |
| ? | Use the Connect and SourceTableName properties to set or return information about linked tables, and use the RefreshLink method to update connections to linked tables. |
| ? | Use the ValidationRule and ValidationText properties to set or return validation conditions. |
| ? | Use the OpenRecordset method to create a table-, dynaset-, dynamic-, snapshot-, or forward-only–type Recordset object, based on the table definition. |
For base tables, the RecordCount property contains the number of records in the specified database table. For linked tables, the RecordCount property setting is always -1.
To create a new TableDef object, use the CreateTableDef method.
To add a field to a table
| 1. | Make sure any Recordset objects based on the table are all closed. |
| 2. | Use the CreateField method to create a Field object variable and set its properties. |
| 3. | Use the Append method to add the Field object to the Fields collection of the TableDef object. |
You can delete a Field object from a TableDefs collection if it doesn't have any indexes assigned to it, but you will lose the field's data.
To create a table that is ready for new records in a database
| 4. | Use the CreateTableDef method to create a TableDef object. |
| 5. | Set its properties. |
| 6. | For each field in the table, use the CreateField method to create a Field object variable and set its properties. |
| 7. | Use the Append method to add the fields to the Fields collection of the TableDef object. |
| 8. | Use the Append method to add the new TableDef object to the TableDefs collection of the Database object. |
A linked table is connected to the database by the SourceTableName and Connect properties of the TableDef object.
To link a table to a database
| 9. | Use the CreateTableDef method to create a TableDef object. |
| 10. | Set its Connect and SourceTableName properties (and optionally, its Attributes property). |
| 11. | Use the Append method to add it to the TableDefs collection of a Database. |
To refer to a TableDef object in a collection by its ordinal number or by its Name property setting, use any of the following syntax forms:
TableDefs(0)
TableDefs("name")
TableDefs![name]