Access Query parameter that uses a separate table to eliminate or include records - sql

Question

I have one table, Main, which is the main accounting table with all the transactions. I have a second table, Payments, which i keep track of payments and specifically which invoice a given payment has paid off.
I need a report that will be dynamic and flexible; really my accounting workhorse. The report i need will search between dates, customer Id's, record status, account1, account2, and pay status.
So i have a form built out to handle these inputs, but i am having trouble with "pay status" as in, how to form a parameter with it. My current code,
SELECT Main.Invo, Main.InvoDate, Main.Amt, Main.PartyId, Main.TboInvoRloc, Main.TboDocNo, Main.TboPax
FROM Main
WHERE Main.RecSrce<>"Accounts"
AND Main.InvoDate BETWEEN [Forms]![GeneralReport]![startDate] AND [Forms]![GeneralReport]![endDate]
AND Main.PartyId =IIF([Forms]![GeneralReport]![PartyID] IS NULL, PartyID, [Forms]![GeneralReport]![PartyID])
AND Main.Status = IIF([Forms]![GeneralReport]![Status] IS NULL, Status, [Forms]![GeneralReport]![Status])
AND Main.Ac1 = IIF([Forms]![GeneralReport]![Ac1] IS NULL, Ac1, [Forms]![GeneralReport]![Ac1])
AND Main.Ac2 = IIF([Forms]![GeneralReport]![Ac2] IS NULL, Ac2, [Forms]![GeneralReport]![Ac2])
;
covers everything but the "pay status." I wanted to do something like
If checkbox=true, then include paid items, else exclude items where Main.Invo = Payments.DueInvo
My other thought was to exclude the paid items in the initial query, and then include them in a subsequent union query if the checkbox is checked. Any help or thoughts would be appreciated.

Answer 1

Set unbound checkbox for TripleState Yes. Or use a combobox with 3 options (Paid, Unpaid, All) because users might be confused by a triple state checkbox.
Build an aggregate query on Payments table that totals the payments by invoice. Join that query to Main (this assumes invoice is unique in Main).
Calculate a field and set a parameter under that field.
If using checkbox:
IsNotPaid: Amt <> Nz(SumOfPayments,0)
LIKE Forms![GeneralReport]!checkboxname & "*"
If using combobox:
PaidStatus: IIf(Amt = Nz(SumOfPayments,0), "Paid", "Unpaid")
LIKE IIf(Forms![GeneralReport]!comboboxname = "All", "*", Forms![GeneralReport]!comboboxname)
An alternative to aggregate query is DSum() domain aggregate function but that will probably perform slower.

Answer 2

Consider setting payment detail columns to NULL depending on checkbox. Specifically, join the Payments table and run a logical condition on fields in SELECT assigning NULL or not.
SELECT m.Invo, m.InvoDate, m.Amt,
m.PartyId, m.TboInvoRloc,
m.TboDocNo, m.TboPax,
IIF(Forms]![GeneralReport]![myCheckBox] = True,
p.PaymentDetailColumn1, NULL) AS PayColumn1,
IIF(Forms]![GeneralReport]![myCheckBox] = True,
p.PaymentDetailColumn2, NULL) AS PayColumn2,
IIF(Forms]![GeneralReport]![myCheckBox] = True,
p.PaymentDetailColumne, NULL) AS PayColumn3
...
FROM Main m
LEFT JOIN Payments p ON m.Invo = p.DueInvo
WHERE m.RecSrce <> 'Accounts'
AND m.InvoDate BETWEEN [Forms]![GeneralReport]![startDate]
AND [Forms]![GeneralReport]![endDate]
AND m.PartyId = NZ([Forms]![GeneralReport]![PartyID], m.PartyID)
AND m.Status = NZ([Forms]![GeneralReport]![Status], m.Status)
AND m.Ac1 = NZ([Forms]![GeneralReport]![Ac1], m.Ac1)
AND m.Ac2 = NZ([Forms]![GeneralReport]![Ac2], m.Ac2);
If you want dynamic columns (i.e., payment details) to appear or not depending on condition, this cannot come directly from SQL but some connecting app layer code (VBA, Python, etc.) to building dynamic queries. Recall SQL is a declarative language and once identifiers are assigned they are immutable. However, if using reports, you do want all columns explicitly defined from recordsource query.