1 chapter 3 reviewing forms, reports, and data access pages

1Chapter 3Chapter 3

Reviewing Forms, Reports, and Data

Access Pages

Reviewing Forms, Reports, and Data

Access Pages

3Chapter ObjectivesChapter Objectives

• Design easy-to-use forms and data access pages that facilitate the entry of valid data

• Bind forms, reports, and data access pages to tables and queries

• Create expressions that display the result of calculations

• Create groups within the database window that contain related forms, reports, and data access pages

3 Reviewing Forms, Reports, and Data Access Pages

Reviewing Forms, Reports, and Data Access Pages

• In addition to table and query datasheets, Access offers three ways to display data: forms, reports and data access pages

• These objects contain: Sections

For example, header and detail sections in forms, page and group headers in reports, and captions and headers in pages

Controls For example, text boxes and check boxes

3 Reviewing Forms, Reports, and Data Access Pages

Reviewing Forms, Reports, and Data Access Pages

• Forms, reports, data access pages, and their corresponding sections and controls have properties Property sheet

A window in which you can modify the properties of an object

Used to specify the format of an object Used to specify valid input

3 Forms, Controls, and Properties

Forms, Controls, and Properties

• Professionally styled Access applications have users enter and view data through forms (or pages on the Web)

• Forms Can be customized to mirror other documents

in the work environment Help enforce data integrity by restricting the

data that the user may enter

3Components of a FormComponents of a Form

• A form control Refers to any object that is placed on the form

• Form Header Contains column headings for a form

• Form Footer Contains controls that summarizes values in Detail section

• Detail section Values displayed change depending upon the record that

is currently being viewed

3Components of a FormComponents of a Form

Figure 3-1 Design view of frmProspects

3Unbound and Bound FormsUnbound and Bound Forms

• Bound form Form that is tied to, or associated with, either a table or

query

• Record source Table or query with which the form is associated-that

is, the source of the data

• RecordSource property Listed in the Data tab of the form’s property sheet May contain the name of the table, the name of a query,

or an SQL statement

3Unbound and Bound FormsUnbound and Bound Forms

• Unbound form Form that is not tied to any table or query

• Splashscreen Displays one or more brief messages to the user that

automatically appear and disappear

• Switchboard Do not display data, but rather contain command

buttons that open reports or other forms

3ControlsControls

• ControlSource property Located in the Data tab of the control’s

property sheet

• Unbound controls Controls that do not have a value for their

control source property

3PropertiesProperties

• A property sheet contains five tabs

• Properties in: Data tab

Specify the record or control source

Format tab Control the aesthetics of the object

Event tab Used to link an object to a VBA procedure or macro

3PropertiesProperties

• A property sheet contains five tabs (cont.)

• Other tab Contains miscellaneous properties such as the

name of an object Name property

Used in VBA procedures and macros to refer to object

• All tab Displays all of the properties specified

3Form StyleForm Style

• Tips that facilitate good form style: Use a consistent color and formatting scheme Use a consistent button, menu, and toolbar

scheme across related forms Restrict the amount of text and pictures on a

form to a volume that a use can easily comprehend

Use a soft coloring scheme that is easy to look at for long periods of time


• Tips that facilitate good form style (cont.): Build an application that helps the user

remember valid data entries Test the user interface for understandability of

the graphics and for cultural sensitivity Determine the type of monitors that will be

used in conjunction with your application


• Tips that facilitate good form style (cont.): Use shortcut keys or access keys to allow the

selection of menus, toolbars, and command buttons through keystrokesA shortcut key is a keystroke that executes a menu

item or command immediatelyAn access key moves the focus to an item in the

menu

3Working with FormsWorking with Forms

• You can place a background image on a form by specifying the path to a picture in a form’s Picture property

• Background colors of controls and from sections are set through the BackColor property

• The text color of a control is set using a control’s ForeColor property


Table 3-1 Common form design tasks


• To remove the navigation buttons that appear on the bottom of the form: Select No in the form’s NavigationButtons

properties

• To remove the record selector that appears on the side of the form: Select No in the form’s RecordSelector

properties


Table 3-2 Form design wizards


Table 3-2 Form design wizards (continued)

3 Controls That Organize: Tab Controls and Subforms

Controls That Organize: Tab Controls and Subforms

• When you use a Tab Control control instance to organize controls on a form, the user can click a tab to display the controls that are located within the particular tab

• Subform control instance Allows a form (referred o as the main form) to

display the contents of another record source

3 Controls That Organize: Tab Controls and Subforms

Controls That Organize: Tab Controls and Subforms

• The property sheet of the subform identifies the fields that link the main form (Link Master Fields property) to the subform (Link Child Fields property)

• Source Object property Contains the name of the form displayed by the

subform

3 Controls That Display and Update Data

Controls That Display and Update Data

• When you modify a form or create an unbound form, you can place controls on a form by: Clicking a control on the toolbox and then dragging

the mouse on the form to indicate the location and size of the control

If the toolbox is not displayed, click the Toolbox button in the toolbar

• Field list Contains a list of fields in a form’s record source



Table 3-3 Data entry and display controls in Access



• Calculated control A control with an expression

• RowSource property Contains an SQL statement or the name of a

table or query that contains the values to be displayed in the combo box

May return more than one field



• BoundColumn property Identifies the field that will become the value of

the combo box after the user selects an item Contains an integer that corresponds to the

order of the column

• ColumnWidths property Indicates the size of the fields to be displayed

within the combo box Occasionally, a width is set equal to zero

3ActiveX ControlsActiveX Controls

• ActiveX controls Similar to Access controls, except they have

been developed for other applications

• Clicking More Controls in the toolbox Displays a list of ActiveX controls

3ActiveX ControlsActiveX Controls

• Spin button Allows a user to click on an arrow to increase

or decrease the value of a field Amount of the increase is set up in the control’s

SmallChange property Contains the Maximum and Minimum

properties that restrict the valid values that can be entered

3Option GroupsOption Groups

• Option group Displays a group frame containing toggle

buttons, option buttons, or check boxes Ensures that the user will select a valid value

3 Working with Property Sheets to Enforce Data Validity

Working with Property Sheets to Enforce Data Validity

• To allow users to change the data on a form, you must set the form’s AllowEdits property to Yes Set AllowDeletions to Yes to allow users to

delete records Set AllowAdditions to Yes to allow users to

add new records



• To change the value displayed through a control, set the Locked property to No and the Enabled property to Yes

• A way to distinguish controls is to change the BackStyle property to transparent



• Input Mask, Validation Rule, Validation Text, and Default Value are important properties in the Data tab of a control Similar to the field properties with the same

names found in the table’s Design view Access automatically uses them when these

values are set as field properties within the control’s ControlSource property

3Creating Conditional FormatsCreating Conditional Formats

• Conditional Formatting dialog box Opened from the Format menu Specifies the conditional formats

• Field Value Is condition Sets the format when the value of the

corresponding control meets certain conditions

3Creating Conditional FormatsCreating Conditional Formats

• Expression Is condition Allows you to change the properties of one control

while testing the values of different controls

• Field Has Focus condition Allows you to change properties when the user places

the cursor in the control

• ForeColor, BackColor, and Enabled properties Can be changed when the condition is True

3 Form Design Considerations That Influence MaintenanceForm Design Considerations That Influence Maintenance

• Organization and standards are half the battle when creating easy-to-maintain systems

• One standard that facilitates programming and maintenance is consistent use of object naming conventions

• These naming conventions require tags to appear in front of all object names

3Creating ReportsCreating Reports

• Reports Provide access to data in tables and queries Read-only access

Means that the report cannot modify data in its record source

Normally, reports are printed on paper

3Report SectionsReport Sections

• Controls in the Report Header appear once at the beginning of the report

• Controls in the Report Footer appear at the end of the report

• Page Headers and Page Footers display controls at the beginning and end of the page, respectively


• Report group Set of records that share a common value for a

particular field

• Controls in a Group Header appear at the beginning of a report group

• Controls in the Group Footer appear at the end of a report group


Figure 3-10 rptEmployer


Figure 3-11 rptEmployer in Design View

3Report WizardsReport Wizards

• Simplest way to create a report is through report wizards Similar to form wizards Available from the shortcut menu prompts for

the tables and queries for the record source

3Data Access PagesData Access Pages

• Data access pages Special Web interface supported by Access Stored as an HTML file

• HTML files do not physically reside inside an Access mdb file Icons within the Page tab of the Database window point

to the HTML file The HTML file contains a reference back to the

database

3Creating a Data Access PageCreating a Data Access Page

• Header sections Display records from a table or query

• RecordSource property Identifies table or query used to supply data to section

• Bound HTML control Similar to a locked text box, but is preferred because it

displays data more efficiently

• Controls that display or update data have a ControlSource property


• You can add bound controls to a section by dragging a field from the Field List window

Figure 3-13 Field list window of a data access page


Figure 3-14 Page view of pagCitizenships


Figure 3-15 Design view of pagCitizenship


• Footer Displayed at the end of a group

• Caption Contains labels that appear prior to the data in

the Header

• Navigation section Contains controls that allow the user to

navigate through various displayed records


• Sorting and Grouping window Specifies whether these sections are created

• Data Page Size text box Located in the Sorting and Grouping window Indicates the number of records that should be

displayed at one time


Figure 3-16 Sorting and Grouping window


• To create a new group, click the control to promote it and then: Click Promote or Click Group by Table in the toolbar

Creates a section that will contain all of the fields in the table

• Clicking Demote removes a section

3Chapter SummaryChapter Summary

• Forms, reports, and data access pages are the system from an end user’s point of view

• Forms Principal interface of an application Display data and allow the user to update data Should be designed to help the user enter valid data

• Reports support printed reports• Data access pages support interaction through the

Web

3Chapter SummaryChapter Summary

• Most forms, reports, and data access pages are bound to a table or query through the RecordSource property

• Wizards are frequently used to create an initial version of a form, report, and data access page

• Forms, reports, and data access pages should obey proper design characteristics

1 chapter 3 reviewing forms, reports, and data access pages

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data access pages slide

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