i have to guestions:
i'm totally new to this access and vba stuff so i would really aprecialte a detailed answer.
1.my first question is: i have a report that inludes a feild that starts with numbers and ends with characters (say "1111test") and i need to get only the numbers how do i do this? i know this is done using vba and some function called "val" but i wasn't able to make the thing work.
2.my second question is: after i'm done with this report i want to export it to a flat file. and no i can't got to file>export. i want it to have no format just raw data. i also know that this is done thru vba and functions like open(), write() but can you add more intfo

thank you very much
and i would apreciate a quick response

If you can count on the field always having the same number of digits, you can set the textbox’s contents to =Left$(FieldNameHere, 4)

It is probably best to use a query to send the data to a file. You can use Access’ Export routines to export queries just like tables.
Alternately, you can add a printer driver for Generic Text, then print using that driver, and check the box for Print to File. (Access will add line-feeds and such to line up what the print would have been to accomodate page boundaries, and so on, but this method can be useful...)