2. Forms Design Properties in MS Access
The Forms Design view provides a way to alter all of the properties of form canvas and fields. While it is possible to create a form from scratch just by using the Design View, usually we can get a good start on a form by running through the Form Wizard. Then we can customize the form by playing around with the form properties in Design View. To get started, we will create a data entry for the Accounts table as discussed in the MS Access 2007/2010 Tutorial.
For this exercise, we will create a data entry form for the Accounts table.
- Click on the Create tab on the Access main screen and then click on the More Forms… button and the “Forms Wizard” to create a new form.
- Select the Accounts table and all of the available fields and click on the Next button.
- Choose a Tabular layout and click on the Next button.
- For Access 2007 only choose the Office style and click on the Next button.
- Name the form: AccountsDataEntry Then click on the Finish button to create, save and view the new form.
Note that if you had already created this form during the prior tutorial, you will be asked to over-write the form with this new one.
The new form is shown in the figure below:
2.1 Table Design and Forms Design
One quick item to call to your attention is the CustomerID and Account Type fields. In the Advanced Database Table Design in MS Access 2010 and 2013 tutorial we modified the Accounts table to make the CustomerID column display as a Combo Box. The Account Type field was then modified in the exercises to show a list of account types. The data entry form “inherits” these features and should have created the CustomerID fields as a Combo Box as shown in the above figure. If your form does not have combo box for CustomerID, you may wish to first go back to the Advanced Database Table Design in MS Access 2010 and 2013 tutorial and complete those steps.
Other table features that are also inherited from table design include the size of the text boxes [related to the size of the columns], default values and column validation rules.
2.2 Form Themes in Microsoft Access 2010 and 2013
Forms and reports can be customized with a wide range of themes. A Theme consists of a set of background and foreground colors and fonts that are applied to the forms. MS Access 2007 and earlier versions had a small selection of themes that could be selected during the Form Wizard. Access 2010 and later versions create the form first and then apply themes later on.
To change the theme of the current form, click on the Home tab on the ribbon bar, then click on the View menu and finallyDesign View. This will change the display of the current form to the Design View as shown below:
With the Forms Design View activated, the ribbon bar adds three new entries at the top under the heading Forms Design Tools:
- Design – Change colors and themes. Add buttons, fields, labels and other objects to the form.
- Arrange – Change layout and align objects on the form.
- Format – Change format of text, background images and drawing shapes.
The Design tab is shown below:
To change the theme of the form, click on the Design tab on the ribbon bar and pull down the Theme menu. select a theme from the list that drops down. In a similar fashion the color scheme of the form can be changed using the Colors menu and the font used for the labels and text boxes can be set using the fonts menu.
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How to Use Form Design View in Access
Don't let Design View scare you. It looks more complicated than it really is. Think of the form as your canvas and the control buttons as paintbrushes for adding fields, text boxes, and buttons to the form.
Parts of Design View
A | Form Selector: Click the Form Selector to select the entire form. Double-click it to display the form’s properties. | D | Form header: The form header appears at the top of the form. |
B | Controls group: The Controls group is where you can add controls to your form. Click a button in the Controls gallery to create a control on the form. | E | Add Existing Fields button: Click the Add Existing Fields button to display the Field List pane. |
C | Detail divider: To enlarge the form’s header, just click and drag the header down. | F | Property Sheet button: Click the Property Sheet button to display the form’s property sheet. |
Add a Control
Any graphic object that appears on forms and reports is called a control. A text box used to enter and display information, a text label, and a button you click to print a report would all be examples of controls. Let’s look at how to add controls in Design View.
- In Design View, click the control button you want to add from the Controls group. Some controls, such as buttons
or lists, have a wizard that helps you set them up.
- If the control you added opens the Control Wizard, navigate through it and specify the settings you want.
See the table below for a list of some of the controls you can add and what they do.
Select | Click this button and then click the control you want to select. To select multiple controls, click this button and hold down the Shift key as you click each control, or drag a rectangle around all controls you want to select. |
Text Box | Creates a text box that displays information from a table and query. You can also use text boxes to simply enter text. |
Label | Creates a static text label that is the same for every record, such as a heading. Most controls already have a text label attached. |
Button | Creates a button that runs a macro or Visual Basic function. |
Tab Control | Enables you to create tabs [like the ones found in some dialog boxes] to include more than one page of controls on the form. |
Hyperlink | Inserts a link to a webpage or file. |
Web Browser Control | Inserts a control that allows the database user to access the computer’s web browser. |
Navigation Control | Creates a control that allows the form to be navigated. |
Option Group | Creates a box around a group of option buttons so that the user is only allowed to make one selection from the group box. |
Insert Page Break | Inserts a page break. |
Combo Box | Creates a drop-down box that lets the user enter text or select an item from a list of options. |
Chart | Inserts a chart. |
Line | Enables you to draw a line. |
Toggle Button | Creates a toggle button that allows you to display and enter data from a Yes/No field. |
List Box | Creates a box that lets the user select an item from a list of options. |
Rectangle | Enables you to draw a rectangle. |
Check box | Creates a box that is checked or unchecked. Use to enter data from a Yes/No field. |
Unbound Object Frame | Inserts an OLE object that is not bound to a field in the current database. Use an Unbound Object Frame to display information from an external source or program, such as a spreadsheet, graphic, or other file. |
Attachment | Provides the option to include an attachment. |
Option Button | Creates an option button [or radio button] that allows the user to make a single selection from two or more choices. Option buttons are normally used with the Option Group control. |
Subform/Subreport | Inserts another form within the main form. Use when you want to show data from a one-to-many relationship. |
Bound Object Frame | Inserts an OLE object that is bound to a field in the database. Use Bound Object Frames to display pictures or other OLE information in the database. |
Image | Displays a picture or graphic file that you specify. |
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