Access-setting up a Query: question / problem

I have this access tbl [which was already created a while ago] that has customer information (name, address, city state,etc.. on it along with different types of steel operations.
I.E. miter cut , precision cutting, punch,etc.. Total of 40 different cuts & bends.

When the user adds a customer information in, they place an 'x' in the field of the cut or bend that this customer has.
I.E. AcmeCo. 'x' miter cuts

For the query, I want it to prompt the user select what type of cuts they want to look for and them show it on a report.

I can create a criteria for each prompt. which is 40 in all. I.e. Like [Enter 'x' for cutting or press ENTER for next selection] Or is Null

MY Question is, Is there a way to not have the user get prompted 40 total times with prompts. BUT to have a screen pop up(drop down box)that will show all of the choices to choose from and then have the user select how many they want. OR have a drop down box and have them select one out of the 40.
This will save them time.

The report will just show what they are looking for from their selection.
Not sure how to set this up.

 

First thing to note is the report does not have to use any part of items selected in the query. It can but certainly isn't necessary.

Next thing - I'm confused on how the data is stored which will make a great deal of difference for the query.

From what I read, I THINK you have each cut as a data field and a particular record will have an "x" as the value of any cut field that was used/ordered/whatever at a particular time.

So that the lookup would be for cases:

miter = x
miter = x and punch = x
or something similar.

The other option would pretty much be having data fields cut1, cut2, cut3, etc. and the values something like

cut1 = miter
cut2 = punch
etc.

 

w.young - I am certainly not trying to run you off the forum.

But your problems and questions right now are very Access-specific and technical. Probably beyond any level of expertise we have posting on here right now. I can muddle thru Access and make it do to suit me usually - but only when I've set the dB up myself.

Your job in trying to take one started by a basically non-dB literate person and force it to perform is much harder.

I think you might do well to post on one or more forums that are Access oriented rather than a very general Windows forum like this one is.

Take a look Here (Brit and good. If you had to talk, it might be different with the accents and all but writing should work pretty well. )

Or at this one
which seems to be pretty active.

And lots of Access links (including more forums)Here.