MS Access Inner Join On 3 Tables with the same field_name

Question

I'm doing an assignment for class, and I'm at my whits end. Basically, I need to write a query that uses INNER JOIN's to combine all the data in 4 tables, while avoiding having titles columns with identical names (Ie Table1.Master_Number and Table2.Master_Number). The literal instructions are as follows:

Step 1: Create a view of all the columns (only list the columns once if the columns are duplicated in the tables) in all the tables of the Lecture 5 database. Save this query as Lecture_5_View and us this query to build the following 3 queries. In the “FROM” clause, you MUST use an “INNER JOIN” in this query. Remember ACCESS does not support the “CREATE VIEW” command so you must create a select query. `

Here is a screenshot of the database, that shows all the headings and column headings.

Based on other posts like this, I thought that it would be pretty simple. I have this so far, but it does not want to run

(ie Syntax error(missing operator) in query expression 'Table1.Master_Number = Table2.Master_Number INNER JOIN Table4 ON Table1.Master_Number = Table4.Master_Number)

SELECT * 
FROM Table1
INNER JOIN Table2 ON Table1.Master_Number = Table2.Master_Number
INNER JOIN Table4 ON Table1.Master_Number = Table4.Master_Number

Where am I going wrong so far and how to I accomplish this query?

Much thanks, Josh

Answer 1

With Access you need to use parentheses when doing more than one join:

SELECT  * 
FROM    (Table1 
        INNER JOIN Table2 
            ON Table1.Master_Number = Table2.Master_Number)
        INNER JOIN Table4 
            ON Table1.Master_Number = Table4.Master_Number;

This is essentiall spliting down you query so you have at most one join per section, i.e. Your First query is:

SELECT  *
FROM    Table1
        INNER JOIN Table2
            ON Table1.Master_Number = Table2.Master_Number;

Then you have:

SELECT  *
FROM    YourFirstQuery
        INNER JOIN Table4 
            ON Table1.Master_Number = Table4.Master_Number;

This differs slightly from subqueries as you are still able to reference all fields from Table1 and Table2.

---

EDIT

To avoid duplicating columns you will need to explicitly list the columns you want (although you should be doing this anyway):

SELECT  Table1.Master_Number,
        Table1.Asset_Tag,
        Table1.Serial_Number,
        Table2.Last_Name,
        Table2.First_Name,
        Table4.Office_Number,
        Table4.Location,
        Table4.Department
FROM    (Table1 
        INNER JOIN Table2 
            ON Table1.Master_Number = Table2.Master_Number)
        INNER JOIN Table4 
            ON Table1.Master_Number = Table4.Master_Number;

Answer 2

Try this:

  SELECT * FROM ((Table1
  INNER JOIN Table2 
  ON Table1.Master_Number = Table2.Master_Number)
  INNER JOIN Table4 
  ON Table1.Master_Number = Table4.Master_Number)