Chinese characters in Access SQL Query - sql

Question

After populating the recordsource the next action is clicking on one of the fields populated to "activate" the record. When clicking this, the goal is that the SEC_ID (A GUID, Number Data Type) is stored as a tempvar and used in future queries. This GUID is also placed in a text box just for a visual debug. However it doesn't put the GUID, it puts random Chinese characters. I've tried to place it into a MsgBox just to also see and it spits out "???????".
My code to populate the rowsource:
Dim componentListSQL As String
If FCSUtilities.AssessmentUoM = "Metric" Then
componentListSQL = "SELECT DISTINCT [100b_Working].SEC_SYS_COMP_ID, [100b_Working].SEC_ID, [110b_RO_Material_Category].MAT_CAT_DESC, [110b_RO_Component_Type].COMP_TYPE_DESC, [110b_RO_Material_Category].MAT_CAT_ID, [110b_RO_Component_Type].COMP_TYPE_ID, [100b_Working].ID_Number, [100b_Working].Model, [100b_Working].Serial_Number, [100b_Working].Capacity, [100b_Working].Manufacturer, [100b_Working].SEC_YEAR_BUILT, ROUND([100b_Working].SEC_QTY, 0) AS SEC_QTY, [100b_Working].UOM_MET_UNIT_ABBR, [100b_Working].UOM_ENG_UNIT_ABBR, [100b_Working].Equipment_Make, [100b_Working].UOM_CONV " _
& "FROM (110b_RO_Units_Conversion INNER JOIN (110b_RO_Component_Type INNER JOIN (110b_RO_Material_Category INNER JOIN 110b_RO_CMC ON [110b_RO_Material_Category].MAT_CAT_ID = [110b_RO_CMC].CMC_MCAT_LINK) ON [110b_RO_Component_Type].COMP_TYPE_ID = [110b_RO_CMC].CMC_CTYPE_LINK) ON [110b_RO_Units_Conversion].UOM_ID = [110b_RO_CMC].CMC_UoM) INNER JOIN 100b_Working ON [110b_RO_CMC].CMC_ID = [100b_Working].SEC_CMC_LINK " _
& "WHERE ((([100b_Working].SEC_SYS_COMP_ID) = [Forms]![200a_MainWindow]![txtDebugCompSysID]) And (([100b_Working].SEC_ID) Is Not Null)) " _
& "ORDER BY [110b_RO_Component_Type].COMP_TYPE_DESC;"
Me![210_ComponentList].Form.RecordSource = componentListSQL
End If
The OnClick event:
Private Sub txtMaterialCategory_Click()
Me.txtActiveSecID.Value = Me.txtSecID.Value
End Sub
The txtSecID appears as a GUID as it should but it's in the txtActiveSecID that it becomes Chinese characters even if I attempt to put it as a tempvar then set it into the txtActiveSecID.
I'm not exactly sure what is going on. Looking at different stacks, it points that it's due to long/memo field but as I said previously, the SEC_ID field data type is Number.

Answer 1

Per MS documentation https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/office/vba/api/Access.Application.StringFromGUID:
The Microsoft Access database engine stores GUIDs as arrays of type Byte. However, Access can't return Byte data from a control on a form or report. To return the value of a GUID from a control, you must convert it to a string. To convert a GUID to a string, use the StringFromGUID function. To convert a string back to a GUID, use the GUIDFromString function.
StringFromGUID(Me.txtSecID.Value)
However that results in output like:
{guid {2786C27B-CB7C-4DEA-8340-1338532742DE}}
That should still work as filter critera but could do further processing to extract GUID from that string. Use string manipulation functions to remove the {guid header and trailing }. Review Access - GUID value stored in textbox, can't be used in SELECT statements