Long criteria list

I have some data that I need to sort through and create labels with. I have the main source of the data linked, and I have a general group of items (based on 2 fields to narrow it down a bit).

My problem is that it's not "narrow" enough. So I am adding criteria to the query to narrow it down further. unfortunately it's a long list of "Not Like"s as well as a long list of "Like"s. The data will be changing on a monthly basis, which may mean that the criteria would have to be updated too.

Is it possible for the criteria to be based of a table of names? This would make like easier if someone else had to take over and make updates.

Thanks in advance.

I've done that before, and I'm ok with having the user input criteria from a form (actually, part of the database I have going does that for monthly queries on inventory items tracking lease returns).

I guess I should give an example. I will be checking through the data assigned to a specific GEN name. That's easy. But there are more types of items than I need listed under that GEN name. So to narrow it down I have started to make a list of Not Likes in the MODEL field of the query. It's getting a bit long, and there may be times when that criteria changes, as in when we get other eqiupment under that GEN name that do not need to be tracked in this way. I was wondering if I could make a table of the Not Likes, and have the criteria pulled from there. Something like:

Not Like [PrinterExcluder]![toExclude]

That way someone else can add to the PrinterExcluder table if new items don't need to be tracked.

I tried the in (select...) and that didn't work. ok I guess to give a bit of a sameple to see what I mean:

We are doing special tracking of our Imaging Equipment (This is the specific GEN name to find only these items), but this includes more than just printers (which is what I am try to track).

The information is fed from an ODBC source that tracks all our assests. The one field I can use to scrape away the non-print items is the model. Right now, here is my criteria for the model field:
Not Like "*STAPLER*" And Not Like "*PROJECTOR*" And Not Like "*POWERSHOT*" And Not Like "*CAMERA*" And Not Like "*FAX ACCESSORY*" And Not Like "*Precision*" And Not Like "*USB READER*" And Not Like "*SCANNER*" And Not Like "*CUTTER*" And Not Like "*FINISHER*"

For now that kind of covers it, and I created a similar (slightly longer) list of Like's, but this was shorter. I have also made a table with these exlude names (but stored as *STAPLER*, *PROJECTOR*, etc.

I would like to use this table instead of the Not Likes list that I currently have, incase changes need to be made.

ok, kind of there... here I have put in some sample data similar to what I am looking at.

the tbList table has samples of the names I have for equipment models, with both what I want and what I don't (full data). In tbInotlike, I have put in the key words I would like to exclude (as in criteria to cut items from the query) from the equipment list.

the query should output records that do not include the name strings in the Equipment field that are listed in tbInotlike.

I hope that is clear...

For example (using the data I posted), the first item (Laserjet M5035...) should be shown, but the second item (Powershot A40...) should culled.

I'll have to take a look tomorrow, but thanks for the help. Though I can't use your first idea in this job, I think I know another area I can put it to good use.

This is not an end-all situation, and the long criteria string will work. It's just the updating I'm worried about. This work has been passed to me, and I maybe passing it on aswell later on down the road. If nothing else, I'll work in some good documentation,

Thanks again for your time.