This example demonstrates the Attributes property of a Column. Setting it to adColNullable allows the user to set the value of a Recordset Field to an empty string. In this situation, the user can distinguish between a record where data is not known and a record where the data does not apply.
Sub AttributesX()
Dim cnn As New ADODB.Connection
Dim cat As New ADOX.Catalog
Dim colTemp As New ADOX.Column
Dim rstEmployees As New Recordset
Dim strMessage As String
Dim strInput As String
' Connect the catalog.
cnn.Open "Provider=Microsoft.Jet.OLEDB.4.0;data source=c:\" & _
"Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office\Samples\Northwind.mdb;"
Set cat.ActiveConnection = cnn
Set tblEmp = cat.Tables("Employees")
' Create a new Field object and append it to the Fields
' collection of the Employees table.
colTemp.Name = "FaxPhone"
colTemp.Type = adVarWChar
colTemp.DefinedSize = 24
colTemp.Attributes = adColNullable
cat.Tables("Employees").Columns.Append colTemp
' Open the Employees table for updating as a Recordset
rstEmployees.Open "Employees", cnn, adOpenKeyset, adLockOptimistic
With rstEmployees
' Get user input.
strMessage = "Enter fax number for " & _
!FirstName & " " & !LastName & "." & vbCr & _
"[? - unknown, X - has no fax]"
strInput = UCase(InputBox(strMessage))
If strInput <> "" Then
Select Case strInput
Case "?"
!FaxPhone = Null
Case "X"
!FaxPhone = ""
Case Else
!FaxPhone = strInput
End Select
.Update
' Print report.
Debug.Print "Name - Fax number"
Debug.Print !FirstName & " " & !LastName & " - ";
If IsNull(!FaxPhone) Then
Debug.Print "[Unknown]"
Else
If !FaxPhone = "" Then
Debug.Print "[Has no fax]"
Else
Debug.Print !FaxPhone
End If
End If
End If
.Close
End With
' Delete new field because this is a demonstration.
tblEmp.Columns.Delete colTemp.Name
cnn.Close
End Sub