Microsoft Access 2013® ®

Tutorial6UsingFormToolsandCreatingCustomForms

XPXPXPObjectives• Session6.1– ChangealookupfieldtoaShortTextfield– Viewandprintdatabasedocumentation– Createdatasheet,multipleitem,andsplitforms– ModifyaformandanchorformcontrolsinLayoutview

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XPXPXPObjectives(Cont.)• Session6.2– Plan,design,andcreateacustomforminDesignviewandinLayoutview

– Select,move,align,resize,delete,andrenamecontrolsinaform

– Addacomboboxtoaform– Addheadersandfooterstoaform

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XPXPXPObjectives(Cont.)• Session6.3– Addacomboboxtoaformtofindrecords– Addasubform toaform– Addcalculatedcontrolstoaformandasubform– Changethetaborderinaform– Improvetheappearanceofaform

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XPXPXPDesigningForms

• Case- ChathamCommunityHealthServicesCreatingFormsforChathamCommunityHealthServices

• UserwantstocreatenewformsforChathamCommunityHealthServicesusingmanyAccessformcustomizationfeatures,suchas:– Addingcontrolsandasubform toaform– Usingcomboboxesandcalculatedcontrols– Addingcolorandspecialeffectstoaform

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XPXPXPDesigningForms(Cont.)

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XPXPXPDesigningForms(Cont.)

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XPXPXPDesigningForms(Cont.)

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XPXPXPDesigningForms(Cont.)

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• ChangingaLookupFieldtoaShortTextfield– Atextboxisacontrolthatletsuserstypeanentry– Acomboboxisacontrolthatcombinesthefeaturesofatextboxandalistbox;itletsuserseitherchooseavaluefromalistortypeanentry

– Atextboxshouldbeusedwhenusersmustenterdata,whileacomboboxshouldbeusedwhenthereisafinitenumberofchoices

XPXPXPPrintingDatabaseRelationshipsandUsingtheDocumenter

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• TheDocumenterisusedtocreatedetaileddocumentationofall,orselected,objectsinadatabase

• Foreachselectedobject,theDocumenterletsyouprintdocumentation,suchastheobject’spropertiesandrelationships,andthenamesandpropertiesoffieldsusedbytheobject

XPXPXPPrintingDatabaseRelationshipsandUsingtheDocumenter(Cont.)

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XPXPXPPrintingDatabaseRelationshipsandUsingtheDocumenter(Cont.)

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XPXPXPPrintingDatabaseRelationshipsandUsingtheDocumenter(Cont.)

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XPXPXPCreatingFormsUsingFormTools

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CreatingaFormUsingtheDatasheetTool• TheDatasheettoolcreatesaforminadatasheetformatthat

containsallthefieldsinthesourcetableorquery

XPXPXPCreatingFormsUsingFormTools(Cont.)

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CreatingaFormUsingtheMultipleItemsTool• TheMultipleItemstoolcreatesacustomizableformthat

displaysmultiplerecordsfromasourcetableorqueryinadatasheetformat

XPXPXPCreatingFormsUsingFormTools(Cont.)

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CreatingaFormUsingtheSplitFormTool• TheSplitFormtoolcreatesacustomizableformthatdisplaysthedatainaforminbothFormviewandDatasheetviewatthesametime

• Thetwoviewsaresynchronizedwitheachotheratalltimes

• Selectingarecordinoneviewselectsthesamerecordintheotherview

• Youcanadd,change,ordeletedatafromeitherview• Typically,you’duseDatasheetviewtolocatearecord,andthenuseFormviewtoupdatetherecord

XPXPXPCreatingFormsUsingFormTools(Cont.)

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XPXPXPCreatingFormsUsingFormTools(Cont.)

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ModifyingaSplitForminLayoutView• UsetheoptionsontheDESIGNtabontheRibbontoaddcontrolsandmakeothermodificationstotheformbutnottothedatasheet

• YoucanalsomodifyformsusingoptionsontheFORMATtab

• OtherpowerfuloptionsareavailableontheARRANGEtab

XPXPXPCreatingFormsUsingFormTools(Cont.)

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XPXPXPCreatingFormsUsingFormTools(Cont.)

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XPXPXPCreatingFormsUsingFormTools(Cont.)

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XPXPXPCreatingFormsUsingFormTools(Cont.)

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AnchoringControlsinaForm• Youcandesignformsthatusethescreendimensions

effectivelywhenalltheusersofadatabasehavethesamesizedmonitorsandusethesamescreenresolution

• Ifyoudesignaformtofitonlargemonitorsusinghighscreenresolutions,thenonlyaportionofthecontrolsintheformfitonsmallermonitorswithlowerresolutions,forcinguserstoscrolltheform

• Ifyoudesignaformtofitonsmallermonitorswithlowscreenresolutions,thentheformdisplaysonlargermonitorsinasmallareaintheupper-leftcornerofthescreen,makingtheformlookunattractivelycramped

• Asacompromise,youcananchorthecontrolsintheform

XPXPXPCreatingFormsUsingFormTools(Cont.)

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XPXPXPPlanningandDesigningaCustomForm

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XPXPXPPlanningandDesigningaCustomForm(Cont.)

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XPXPXPCreatingaCustomForminDesignView

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• CreatingformsinDesignviewallowsyoumorecontrolandprecision,andprovidesmoreoptionsthancreatingformsinLayoutview

• SwitchbetweenDesignviewandLayoutviewbecausesomedesignmodificationsareeasiertomakeinoneofthetwoviewsthanintheotherview

TheFormWindowinDesignView• UsetheFormwindowinDesignviewtocreateandmodifyforms

XPXPXPCreatingaCustomForminDesignView(Cont.)

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• Aboundformisaformthathasatableorqueryasitsrecordsource– Useboundformsformaintaininganddisplayingtabledata

• Unboundformsareformsthatdonothavearecordsourceandareusuallyformsthathelpusersnavigateamongtheobjectsinadatabase

XPXPXPCreatingaCustomForminDesignView(Cont.)

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XPXPXP

• Threekindsofcontrolsinaform:– Aboundcontrolisconnected,orbound,toafieldinthedatabase• Useboundcontrolstodisplayandmaintaintablefieldvalues

– Anunboundcontrolisnotconnectedtoafieldinthedatabase• Useunboundcontrolstodisplaytext,lines,rectangles,etc.• Anunboundcontrolthatdisplaystextiscalledalabel.

– Acalculatedcontroldisplaysavaluethatistheresultofanexpression• Theexpressionusuallycontainsoneormorefields,andthecalculatedcontrolisrecalculatedeachtimeanyvalueintheexpressionchanges

CreatingaCustomForminDesignView(Cont.)

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XPXPXPSelecting,Moving,andAligningControls

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XPXPXPSelecting,Moving,andAligningControls(Cont.)

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XPXPXPSelecting,Moving,andAligningControls(Cont.)

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XPXPXPSelecting,Moving,andAligningControls(Cont.)

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XPXPXPResizingandDeletingControls

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XPXPXPResizingandDeletingControls(Cont.)

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XPXPXPAddingaComboBoxtoaForm

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• UsetheComboBoxtoolinDesignviewtoaddacomboboxtoaform

• AControlWizardhelpsbyaskingaseriesofquestionsandthenusesyouranswerstocreateacontrolinaformorreport

• AccessoffersControlWizardsfortheComboBox,ListBox,OptionGroup,CommandButton,Subform/Subreport,andothercontroltools

XPXPXPAddingaComboBoxtoaForm(Cont.)

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XPXPXPAddingaComboBoxtoaForm(Cont.)

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XPXPXPAddingaComboBoxtoaForm(Cont.)

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XPXPXPAddingaComboBoxtoaForm(Cont.)

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XPXPXPUsingFormHeadersandFormFooters

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• TheFormHeaderandFormFootersectionsletyouaddtitles,instructions,commandbuttons,andothercontrolstothetopandbottomofyourform,respectively

• TheVisiblepropertydeterminesifAccessdisplaysacontrolorsection

XPXPXPAddingaTitletoaForm

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XPXPXPAddingaComboBoxtoFindRecords

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XPXPXPAddingaComboBoxtoFindRecords(Cont.)

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XPXPXPAddingaComboBoxtoFindRecords(Cont.)

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XPXPXPAddingaComboBoxtoFindRecords(Cont.)

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XPXPXPAddingaComboBoxtoFindRecords(Cont.)

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AddingaSubform toaForm• UsetheSubform/Subreport toolinDesignviewtoaddasubform toaform

XPXPXPAddingaComboBoxtoFindRecords(Cont.)

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XPXPXPAddingaComboBoxtoFindRecords(Cont.)

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XPXPXPDisplayingaSubform’s CalculatedControlsintheMainForm

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• TodisplaycalculatedcontrolsinaformorreportusetheCountandSumfunctions– TheCountfunctiondeterminesthenumberofoccurrencesofanexpression• =Count(expression)

– TheSumfunctioncalculatesthetotalofanexpression• =Sum(expression)

XPXPXPDisplayingaSubform’s CalculatedControlsintheMainForm(Cont.)

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AddingCalculatedControlstoaSubform’s FormFooterSection

XPXPXPDisplayingaSubform’s CalculatedControlsintheMainForm(Cont.)

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XPXPXPDisplayingaSubform’s CalculatedControlsintheMainForm(Cont.)

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AddingCalculatedControlstoaMainForm

XPXPXPDisplayingaSubform’s CalculatedControlsintheMainForm(Cont.)

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Resizing,Moving,andFormattingCalculatedControls

XPXPXPDisplayingaSubform’s CalculatedControlsintheMainForm(Cont.)

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XPXPXPDisplayingaSubform’s CalculatedControlsintheMainForm(Cont.)

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XPXPXPChangingtheTabOrderinaForm

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• PressingtheTabkeyinFormviewmovesthefocusfromonecontroltoanother– Acontrolissaidtohavefocuswhenitisactiveandawaitinguseraction

– TheorderinwhichthefocusmovesfromcontroltocontrolwhenauserpressestheTabkeyiscalledthetaborder

– Settingtabstopsenablestheusertokeephisorherhandsonthekeyboardwithoutreachingforthemouseandspeedsuptheprocessofdataentryinaform

XPXPXPChangingtheTabOrderinaForm(Cont.)

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XPXPXPChangingtheTabOrderinaForm(Cont.)

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XPXPXPImprovingaForm’sAppearance

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AddingaLinetoaForm

XPXPXPImprovingaForm’sAppearance(Cont.)

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AddingaRectangletoaForm

XPXPXPImprovingaForm’sAppearance(Cont.)

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ModifyingtheVisualEffectsoftheControlsinaForm