Dawn Squires

When viewing a table in Access, all of the records are visible simultaneously.

Sometimes that can be confusing. To view only one record at a time, but see

all of the fields, use Form View. The neat part is that a form can also be

used to input data.

There are two ways. In your objects window, merely highlight the

table that you want the form based on. Click on the Create tab and click the form

button. Voila! A form has been created that

contains all of the fields in the table that were highlighted!

This standards says that you should be able to design, create, and modify data forms utilizing advanced features.

Now we will examine creating forms with advanced features.

This can be done by creating a split form. A split form combines a datasheet and a

form. Using our nursing home database, follow

these steps to create a split view. Select the Employee table in the navigation

pane. If not already there, click on the “create”

tab on the ribbon.

Click the Split Form button to create a split form.

A form is created and the datasheet (table) is also shown in the window.

A form can also be created based on more than one table.

A form can also be created that only shows some of the fields in the datasheet (table).

Click on the Create tab. In the Forms section, click the More Forms

drop down arrow and select Form Wizard. A wizard windows opens. Click the drop-down arrow by under the

heading Tables/Queries and select the Employee Table.

All of the fields that are available to be inserted in the form are shown in the left section.

Select the fields SSN, First Name, Last Name, Street Address, City, State, Zip – press the greater than sign to select the fields.

Click Next Explore the various layouts – select Columnar Click Next Explore the various styles – Select Module Click Next Type the Name you want the form to have – Employee Dawn

Squires (Append your name to the end of the Form) Click Finish. Your completed form should appear. You can advance through the fields by pressing the tab key. To advance to the next record, click the right arrow button in

the record section at the bottom of the screen.

If the table you based your form on contained combo boxes, radio button, drop-down boxes, etc., these are automatically included in your form.

Forms should be visually appealing. The data should be logically arranged and

clear. A well designed form will increase the speed

of entering data in the form and will also increase accuracy of data.

Don’t clutter the form. When you select a style, consistently use the

same style throughout the database design. Uniformity!

Form view◦ Shows the form on the screen

Layout view◦ Simialr to Form view – shows the form on the

screen.◦ Data cannot be updated in layout view◦ Can make changes to layout of form on the screen

Design view◦ Allows you to make changes, but doesn’t show the

actual form.◦ Most useful when changes need are especially

complex.

Open the Form Employee – Your Name. Click the View drop-down arrow, and select

Layout view. Click the Format tab on the ribbon, if not

selected. Click a field in the form to select it. Click the Gridlines button on the Format tab

to display the Gridlines menu. Select Both to display horizontal and

vertical gridlines.

You can add special items to forms, such as a logo or title.

You can also add the date/time. To add these items, simply use the correct

button in the Controls group of the Format tab. Click in the Form header outside of the title to

select the Form header. Click the Date and Time button on the Format

tab to display the Date and Time dialog box. Click on the Date and Time Format of your

choosing. Click Okay – The date and time are displayed in

the Form header.

To Change the Format of a Control◦ Click the Date control to select it.◦ Be sure the Format tab appears.◦ Click the Font Color arrow on the Format tab to

display a color palette.◦ Click the White color in the upper-left corner of

the Standard Colors section to change the font color for the date to white.

◦ Remember, if you are using a style that is dark, use a light font color, and vice versa.

Let’s move a control Point to the Date control so that the mouse

pointer changes to a four-headed arrow and then drag the Date control to the lower boundary of the form heading.

Remember, a double headed arrow will resize the control; a four headed arrow will simply move the control.

Controls for fields are arranged in control layouts.

There are two types of control layouts:◦ Stacked – arranged with the controls vertically with

labels to the left of the control.◦ Tabular – arranges controls horizontally with the labels

across the top, typically in the form header section.◦ Which type of control layout is being used in our form

currently? (Stacked) A control within a control layout can be moved

by dragging the control to the new location.

Let’s move the City and State controls above the social security number to practice.

Click on the City label, hold down the shift, click in the data field, click state and in the state field (field containing data); move the mouse around until you have a 4 headed arrow.

Click and drag the controls above the SSN control.

Click the City and State controls and move them back below the Street Address.

After a form has been created, a field can be added to it.

To add a field to our Employee-Your Name table, click on the Format tab.

Click the Add Existing Field button in the Controls grouping. A field list opens in a new window.

Click the Status field and drag to the location you want in the form. Drag beneath Zip.

Click on Form view. Note the dropdown arrow can be selected and the appropriate classification chosen.

Changes made in form view will be shown in the table on which the form was created.

You can filter and sort a form just like a datasheet (table).

Use the Advanced Filter/Sort on the Advanced menu.

Open your Employee –Your Name form. You may be either in Form view or Layout

view. Click on the Home tab and click on the

Advanced drop-down arrow in the Sort & Filter grouping.

Select “Advanced Filter/Sort”

The table that the form is based on opens in a window at the top of the Filter/Sort page. Note all of the fields in the table are in the table.

You can double click any of the fields in the table to place them in the filtering/sorting portion of the form.

Let’s double-click on Last Name. In the Sort, click the drop-down arrow and select

“Ascending.” On the Criteria row, type “S*” (without the quotation

marks). The * acts as a wild card and will pull up any last names

beginning with the letter S. Click on the Toggle Filter button in the Filter & Sort

grouping on the Home tab.

You will note that now only 7 forms are shown, all of the last names begin with the letter S.

To show all of the records again, merely select the Advanced drop-down arrow again and select Clear All Filters to remove all filters.

Practice creating forms and filters in your Resort Rentals database and in your Technical Services database by placing filters on a form that you create in each of these databases. Be sure to print include your name in the title of the Form. Print for your instructor.