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Access / Tables / Creating tables / Restrict

Restrict data
data input
input by
by using
using validation
validation rules
rules

Restrict data input by using validation

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You can vet or validate data in Access desktop databases as you enter it by using validation rules. You can Unlock now
use the expression builder to help you format the rule correctly. Validation rules can be set in either table
design or table datasheet view. There are three types of validation rules in Access:

1. Field Validation Rule You can use a field validation rule to specify a criterion that all valid field values
must meet. You should not have to specify the current field as a part of the rule unless you are using the
field in a function. Restrictions on types of characters to be entered in a field may be easier to do with an
Input Mask. For example, a date field might have a validation rule that disallows values in the past.

Quick examples:

Disallow date values in the past: >=Date()

Generally accepted email format: Is Null OR ((Like

"*?@?*.?*") AND (Not Like "*[ ,;]*"))

Number less than or qual to five: <=5

Currency field can't be negative: >=0

Restrict character length in string:

Len([StringFieldName])<100

2. Record Validation Rule You can use a record validation rule to specify a condition that all valid records
must satisfy. You can compare values across different fields using a record validation rule. For example, a
record with two date fields might require that values of one field always precede values of the other field
(e.g., StartDate is before EndDate).

Quick examples:

Ensure the end date doesn't come before the start

date: [End Date]>=[Start Date]

Enter a required date that occurs no more than 30

days after the order date: [RequiredDate]<=
[OrderDate]+30

3. Validation on a form You can use the Validation Rule property of a control on a form to specify a
criterion that all values input to that control must meet. The Validation Rule control property works like a
field validation rule. Typically, you use a form validation rule instead of a field validation rule if the rule was
specific only to that form and not to the table no matter where it was used.

In this article
Overview

Add a validation rule to a table

Test existing data against a new validation rule

Add a validation rule to a control on a form

Validation rule reference

Overview
This article explains how to use validation rules and validation text in table fields and form controls. A
validation rule is one way to restrict input in a table field or a control (such as a text box) on a form.
Validation text lets you provide a message to help users who input data that is not valid.

When data is entered, Access checks to see whether the input breaks a validation rule – if so, the input is not
accepted, and Access displays a message.

Access provides a number of ways to restrict input:

Data types Every table field has a data type that restricts what users can enter. For example, a
Date/Time field accepts only dates and times, a Currency field accepts only monetary data, and so
on.

Field properties Some field properties restrict data input. For example, the Field Size property of
a field restricts input by limiting the amount of data.

You can also use the Validation Rule property to require specific values, and the Validation Text
property to alert your users to any mistakes. For example, entering a rule such as >100 And <1000
in the Validation Rule property forces users to enter values between 100 and 1,000. A rule such as
[EndDate]>=[StartDate] forces users to enter an ending date that occurs on or after a starting
date. Entering text such as "Enter values between 100 and 1,000" or "Enter an ending date on or after
the start date" in the Validation Text property tells users when they have made a mistake and how
to fix the error.

Input masks You can use an input mask to validate data by forcing users to enter values in a
specific way. For example, an input mask can force users to enter dates in a European format, such as
2007.04.14.

You can use these methods of validating data alone or in combination with each other. Data types are not
optional, and provide the most basic type of data validation.

For more information about data types, field sizes, and input masks, see the article Introduction to data types
and field properties.

Types of validation rules

You can create two basic types of validation rules:

Field validation rules Use a field validation rule to check the value that you enter in a field when
you leave the field. For example, suppose you have a Date field, and you enter >=#01/01/2010# in
the Validation Rule property of that field. Your rule now requires users to enter dates on or after
January 1, 2010. If you enter a date earlier than 2010 and then try to place the focus on another field,
Access prevents you from leaving the current field until you fix the problem.

Record validation rules Use a record validation rule to control when you can save a record (a row
in a table). Unlike a field validation rule, a record validation rule refers to other fields in the same
table. You create record validation rules when you need to check the values in one field against the
values in another. For example, suppose your business requires you to ship products within 30 days
and, if you don't ship within that time, you must refund part of the purchase price to your customer.
You can define a record validation rule such as [RequiredDate]<=[OrderDate]+30 to ensure that
someone doesn't enter a ship date (the value in the RequiredDate field) too far into the future.

If the syntax for validation rules looks cryptic, see the section What you can put in a validation rule for an
explanation of the syntax and some example validation rules.

Where you can use validation rules

You can define validation rules for table fields and for controls on forms. When you define rules for tables,
those rules apply when you import data. To add validation rules to a table, you open the table and use
commands on the Table Fields tab of the ribbon. To add validation rules to a form, you open the form in
Layout view and add rules to the properties of individual controls.

The steps in the section Add a validation rule to a table explain how to add validation rules to table fields.
The steps in the section Add a validation rule to a control on a form, later in this article, explain how to add
rules to the properties in individual controls.

What you can put in a validation rule

Your validation rules can contain expressions — functions that return a single value. You can use an
expression to perform calculations, manipulate characters, or test data. A validation rule expression tests
data. For example, an expression can check for one of a series of values, such as "Tokyo" Or "Moscow" Or
"Paris" Or "Helsinki"
"Helsinki". Expressions can also perform mathematical operations. For example, the expression
<100 forces users to enter values that are less than 100. The expression ([OrderDate] - [ShipDate])
calculates the number of days that elapsed between the time an order was placed and the time it shipped.

For more information about expressions, see the article Build an expression.

Top of Page

Add a validation rule to a table

You can add a field validation rule and/or a record validation rule. A field validation rule checks input to a
field, and is applied when the focus leaves the field. A record validation rule checks input to one or more
fields is applied when the focus leaves the record. Usually, a record validation rule compares the values of
two or more fields.

Notes:
Notes: The following field types do not support validation rules:

AutoNumber

OLE Object

Attachment

ReplicationID

Create a field validation rule

1. Select the field that you want to validate.

2. On the Table Fields tab, in the Field Validation group, click Validation
Validation, and then click Field
Validation Rule
Rule.

3. Use the Expression Builder to create the rule. For more information about using the Expression
Builder, see the article Use the Expression Builder.

Create a message to display for field input that is not valid

1. Select the field that needs a message for input that is not valid. The field should already have a
validation rule.

2. On the Table Fields tab, in the Field Validation group, click Validation
Validation, and then click Field
Validation Message
Message.

3. Enter an appropriate message. For example, if the validation rule is >10

>10, the message might be
“Enter a value that is less than 10.”

For some examples of field validation rules and messages, see the section Validation rule reference.

Create a record validation rule

1. Open the table for which you want to validate records.

2. On the Table Fields tab, in the Field Validation group, click Validation
Validation, and then click
Validation Rule
Rule.

3. Use the Expression Builder to create the rule. For more information about using the Expression
Builder, see the article Use the Expression Builder.

Create a message to display for record input that is not valid

1. Open the table that needs a message for input that is not valid. The table should already have a
record validation rule.

2. On the Table Fields tab, in the Field Validation group, click Validation
Validation, and then click
Validation Message
Message.

3. Enter an appropriate message. For example, if the validation rule is [StartDate]<[EndDate]

[StartDate]<[EndDate], the
message might be “StartDate must precede EndDate.”

Top of Page

Test existing data against a new validation rule

If you add a validation rule to an existing table, you might want to test the rule to see whether any existing
data is not valid.

1. Open the table that you want to test in Design View.

On the Table Design tab, in the Tools group, click Test Validation Rules
Rules.

2. Click Yes to close the alert message and start the test.

3. If prompted to save your table, Click Yes

Yes.

4. You might see a variety of other alert messages as you proceed. Read the instructions in each
message, and then click Yes or No
No, as appropriate, to complete or stop the testing.

Top of Page

Add a validation rule to a control on a form

You can use the Validation Rule property and the Validation Text property of a form control to validate
data that is input to that control and to help users who input data that is not valid.

Tip:
Tip: If you create a form automatically from a table by using one of the Form commands on the ribbon, any
validation for fields in the underlying table are inherited by the corresponding controls on the form.

A control can have a different validation rule from the table field to which the control is bound. This is useful
if you want the form to be more restrictive than the table. The form rule is applied, and then the table rule is
applied. If the table is more restrictive than the form, the rule defined for the table field takes precedence. If
the rules are mutually exclusive, they prevent you from entering any data at all.

For example, suppose you apply the following rule to a date field in a table:

<#01/01/2010#

But you then apply this rule to the form control that is bound to the date field:

>=#01/01/2010#

The date field now requires values earlier than the year 2010, but the form control requires dates have that
year or later, thus preventing you from entering any data at all.

Create a validation rule for a control

1. Right-click the form that you want to change, and then click Layout View
View.

2. Right-click the control that you want to change, and then click Properties to open the property
sheet for the control.

3. Click the All tab, and then enter your validation rule in the Validation Rule property box.

Tip:
Tip: Click the Build
Build button to start the Expression Builder.

For more information about using the Expression Builder, see the article Use the Expression Builder.

4. Enter a message in the Validation Text property box.

Top of Page

Validation rule reference

Validation rules use Access expression syntax. For more information about expressions, see the article
Introduction to expressions.

Validation rule and validation text examples

Validation rule Validation text

<>0 Enter a nonzero value.

>=0 Value must be zero or greater.

-or-

You must enter a positive number.

0 or >100 Value must be either 0 or greater than 100.

BETWEEN 0 AND 1 Enter a value with a percent sign. (For use with a field that
stores number values as percentages).

<#01/01/2007# Enter a date before 2007.

>=#01/01/2007# AND <#01/01/2008# Date must occur in 2007.

<Date() Birth date cannot be in the future.

StrComp(UCase([LastName]), Data in a field named LastName must be uppercase.

[LastName],0) = 0

>=Int(Now()) Enter today's date.

M Or F Enter M for male or F for female.

LIKE "[A-Z]*@[A-Z].com" OR "[A-Z]*@[A- Enter a valid .com, .net, or .org e-mail address.
Z].net" OR "[A-Z]*@[A-Z].org"

[RequiredDate]<=[OrderDate]+30 Enter a required date that occurs no more than 30 days

after the order date.

[EndDate]>=[StartDate] Enter an ending date on or after the start date.

Syntax examples for common validation rule operators

Operator Function Example

NOT Tests for converse values. Use before any comparison NOT > 10 (the same as
operator except IS NOT NULL. <=10
<=10).

IN
N Tests for values equal to existing members in a list. IN
Comparison value must be a comma-separated list ("Tokyo","Paris","Moscow")
enclosed in parentheses.

BETWEEN Tests for a range of values. You must use two comparison BETWEEN 100 AND 1000
values — low and high — and you must separate those (the same as >=100 AND
values with the AND separator. <=1000
<=1000)

LIKE Matches pattern strings in Text and Memo fields. LIKE "Geo*"

IS
IS NOT
NOT Forces users to enter values in the field. This is the same as IS
IS NOT
NOT NULL
NULL
NULL
NULL setting the Required
Required field property to YesYes. However,
when you enable the Required
Required property and a user fails
to enter a value, Access displays a somewhat unfriendly
error message. Typically, your database is easier to use if
you use IS NOT NULL and enter a friendly message in the
Validation
Validation Text
Text property.

AND
AND Specifies that all parts of the validation rule must be true. >=
>= #01/01/2007#
#01/01/2007# AND
AND
<=#03/06/2008#
<=#03/06/2008#

Note:
Note: You can also use AND
AND to
combine validation rules. For
example: NOT
NOT "UK"
"UK" AND
AND LIKE
LIKE
"U*"
"U*".

OR
OR Specifies that some but not all parts of the validation rule January
January OR
OR February
February
must be true.

<
< Less than.

<=
<= Less than or equal to.

>
> Greater than.

>=
>= Greater than or equal to.

=
= Equal to.

<>
<> Not equal to.

Using wildcard characters in validation rules

You can use wildcard characters in your validation rules. Keep in mind that Access supports two sets of
wildcard characters: ANSI-89 and ANSI-92. Each of those standards uses a different set of wildcard
characters.

By default, all .accdb and .mdb files use the ANSI-89 standard.

You can change the ANSI standard for a database to ANSI-92 by using the following procedure:

1. On the File
File tab, click Options
Options.

2. In the Access
Access Options
Options dialog box, click Object
Object Designers
Designers.

3. In the Query
Query design
design section, under SQL
SQL Server
Server Compatible
Compatible Syntax
Syntax (ANSI-92)
(ANSI-92), select This
This
database
database.

For more information about using wildcard characters and the ANSI standards for SQL, see the article Access
wildcard character reference.

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