building a user interface with forms

Building a User Interface with Forms Creating Simple Forms  Creates a readymade form based on a table or query: − In the navigation pane, select the table or query use to generate the form. − Choose Create Forms Form. ➝ ➝ Using Forms  Finding and Editing a Record  Adding a Record  Deleting a Record  Printing Records  Sorting and Filtering in a Form − Quick filter − Filter by selection − Filter by condition − Advanced filters More Useful Form Properties  The Property Sheet to change the view of your form, letting an ordinary form show multiple items or a split view.  However, the Property Sheet is packed with many more settings. (reference to Table 12-2, Page 396) The Form Wizard  The Form wizard asks you a series of questions and then builds a form to match. − Choose Create Forms Form Wizard.➝ ➝ − From the drop-down list, choose the table you want to use. − Add the fields you want to include, click Next. − Choose a layout option for your form. The Form Wizard  Layout options include: − Columnar similar to clicking Create Forms ➝ ➝ Form on the ribbon. − Tabular similar to clicking Create Forms ➝ ➝ More Forms Multiple Items in the ribbon.➝ − Datasheet creates a datasheet form. It’s similar to selecting Create Forms More Forms ➝ ➝ ➝ Datasheet in the ribbon. Designing Advanced Forms  Customizing Forms in Design View: − Create a form in Layout view: Choose Create Forms  Blank Form. − Drag the fields from the Field List pane into form. − Create a form in Design view. Choose Create  Forms Form Design. Start with a blank form in the design window. − Drag fields from the Field List pane into form. Form Sections  Newly created forms start with only one section: the Details section, which defines the content for each record. Form Sections  To add a title or logo at the top of form, or some sort of summary information or message at the bottom, must include a header and footer section.  To add these elements to form, right-click anywhere on the form’s surface, and then choose Page Header/Footer. Adding Controls to Your Form  To add a control, follow these steps: − Head to the ribbon’s Form Design Tools Design Controls section. − Optionally, switch on the Use Control Wizards button. − Click the icon for the control you want. − To place your control on the form, drag the mouse cursor to draw the control on the form. − If control has a Control wizard and use Control Wizards, the wizard appears now. [...]... a navigation button for one of forms, click the form in navigation pane, and drag it into the navigation control − If want to change the navigation button caption, double-click the caption and type name the new Navigation Forms  Creating a Two-Level Navigation Form: − To create navigation form, pick one of the bottom three options from the Create ➝ Forms ➝ Navigation menu Navigation Forms − Add a. .. Optionally, apply formatting Organizing with Tab Controls  Tab control is used: − Present large amounts of content in a limited space Organize this content into separate pages At a time, can see only one page − In forms that are primarily designed for editing or reviewing data, data can be subdivided into logical groups, and editing tasks often involve just one group Organizing with Tab Controls  To use a. .. | Arrange ➝ Sizing & Ordering ➝Size /Space menu − Select the commands to adjust the spacing between controls:  Equal Horizontal  Equal Vertical  Increase Horizontal and Increase Vertical  Decrease Horizontal and Decrease Vertical Anchoring: Automatically Resizing Controls  Normally, the controls have a fixed, unchanging size Fixed size controls make for easy design, but they’re inflexible  Anchoring... that the value must meet to be considered valid − Validation Text − Input Mask − Default Value Performing Calculations with Expressions  To create an expression on form: − Add a text box control to your form − In the Property Sheet, choose the Data tab Place expression in the Control Source setting − Optionally, set Enabled to No to hammer home the point that this value can’t be edited − Optionally,... Add a heading for your top-level menu by click “[Add New]” and type in a new caption − To add the submenu for this heading, drag a form from the navigation pane into the submenu Linking to Related Data  Showing Linked Records in Separate Forms: By adding a button to form that pops open another form with the linked records − Open the parent form in Design view − Click the Button icon, and draw the... To use a tab control, follow these steps:  In the ribbon’s Form Design Tools  Design Controls section , click the Tab Control  Draw the tab control onto form  Every new tab control starts with two pages − To create a new page, right-click any tab and choose Insert Page − To remove an existing page, right-click it and choose Delete Page  Place controls on the different pages Navigating with Lists... what the sub form control shows: − The Source Object property identifies the object in the database that has the related records − Link Master Fields: is the field in the form − Link Child Fields: is the field in the source object Navigation Forms  Creating a Single-Level Navigation Form: − To create navigation form, pick one of the top three options from the Create ➝ Forms ➝ Navigation menu − To add... are two list controls in Access forms: the list box and the combo box  There are two ways to use list controls: − Use to edit a field Access automatically creates a combo box control when there’s a lookup defined for the field − Use to navigate to the record, the list shows the field value for every record in the table When choose one of the values, Access jumps to the corresponding record Navigating... lets you create controls that can grow to fill extra space when the Access window is resized Anchoring: Automatically Resizing Controls  Making controls as wide as the form − In Design view, shrink the width of the Details section so it’s just wide enough to fit controls − Choose the controls that you want to expand along with the window’s size − Choose Form Design Tools Arrange  Position  Anchoring... then draw it in the right place − Move a control: Just click and drag it You can also move several controls at Once − Resize a control: Drag the edges of the rectangle that surrounds it − Modify a control: Select control and set property in the Property Sheet − Delete a control: Select it  press Delete Arranging Controls on Form  Aligning controls: − Select the control, right-click − Choose an option . Building a User Interface with Forms Creating Simple Forms  Creates a readymade form based on a table or query: − In the navigation pane, select the table or query use to generate the. Vertical.  Increase Horizontal and Increase Vertical.  Decrease Horizontal and Decrease Vertical. Anchoring: Automatically Resizing Controls  Normally, the controls have a fixed, unchanging size you can make changes in a field. − Enabled lets you deactivate a control altogether. Taking Control of Controls  Prevent Errors with Validation: − Validation Rule sets an expression that the