1. Microsoft Access 2007 – Level 2
Chapter 4
CREATING AND USING CUSTOM FORMS

2. Performance Objectives
Create a custom form in Design view using all three form sections
Add fields individually and as a group
Move, size, and format control objects
Change the tab order of fields
Create tabbed pages in a form and insert a subform on each page
Add and format a calculation to a custom form
Group and ungroup multiple controls
Adjust the alignment and spacing of controls
Add graphics to a form
Anchor a control to a position in the form
Create a datasheet form
Modify form properties to restrict actions allowed in records
Sort records in a form and locate a record using a wildcard character

3. A form provides an interface for efficient data entry and maintenance
Why Use a Form?
A form provides an interface for efficient data entry and maintenance
Use screen space more effectively
Update multiple tables when entering data
Restrict access to fields and tables to protect the structure and integrity of the database
Flexibility in types of forms

4. Creating Custom Forms Using Design View
Click
Guides for placing fields – Rulers and gridlines
Place here titles, logos, dates, etc.
Detail section: Place here the fields from the table or query on which the form is based
Form header & footer are optional
Place here dates, company name, etc.

5. Click a button to add its type of control to the form
Form Control Objects
Click a button to add its type of control to the form
Label control
Text box control
Formatting buttons
Logo, form title, page numbers, date/time controls
Specialized controls
Fields from tables or queries
Button control

6. Form Control Types Bound control
Classifications of Control Objects
Control Object Type
Description
Bound control
Uses data in a field of the table associated with the form
Unbound control
Holds text, graphics, or other data not associated with any table Example: Title on a form
Calculated control
Displays the result of a mathematical formula

7. Adding a Title Click the Title button Type desired Title Before After
Form header shows; label control added

8. Adding a Label Object Click the Label button and draw a box
Before
Click the Label button and draw a box
After
Type desired text
Blinking cursor appears

9. Binding a table to the form
Adding Fields to a Form
Binding a table to the form
In Form Design view, double-click the Form Selector button to show the Form Properties
Click the Record Source down-arrow then click the desired table

10. Adding Fields to a Form../2
Adding a field to the form
In Form Design view, click the Add Existing Fields button to show the Field List pane
Click and drag a field to the desired location on the form

11. Adding Fields to a Form../3
Adding a group of fields to the form
In Form Design view, click the Add Existing Fields button to show the Field List pane
Click and drag the group to the desired location on the form
Press the Shift or Ctrl key as you click desired fields

12. Moving and Resizing Controls
Click a control to select it, then hover the mouse pointer over part of the control; the shape of the mouse pointer determines the drag-drop action
On the orange border – Move both boxes
On an orange square – Resize the box in the direction of the arrows
On the large black square (move handle) in the top left– Move a single box

13. Switching Form Views
To switch views during design of a form, click the desired button at the lower right of the window
Form view
Layout view
Datasheet view
Design view

14. AutoFormat overrides individual formatting
Formatting Controls
In Form Design view, select a control or group of controls and click one or more formatting buttons
Font size
Font color
Font
Alignment
Background color
AutoFormat overrides individual formatting

15. Selecting Multiple Controls
Select by drawing a rectangle (click and drag) OR
Press the Shift key while clicking multiple controls OR
Click the Select All button OR Ctrl +A

16. Changing the Tab Order of Fields
The order of active fields in Form view when pressing the Tab key
Click
Select a field by clicking its gray field selector; release the mouse button
Resets order to top-to-bottom, left-to-right order, based on locations in the form
then, click the selection and drag up or down to desired order

17. Adding a Tab Control to a Form
Click
Desired result
Then draw a rectangle

18. Formatting a Tab Control
With a Tab selected, click
to display its Properties
Click and type the desired name
In Form view, the user can click a tab to display its contents
Right-click a Tab to delete it or to insert a new page

19. Creating a SubForm To display records from another related table
Click to turn on SubForm Wizard
Click the SubForm button
then in the grid, draw a rectangle to contain the subform

20. Creating a SubForm …/2
SubForm Wizard – step 1
Choose
Click Next

21. Move desired fields over
Creating a SubForm …/3
SubForm Wizard – step 2
Move desired fields over
Click Next

22. Creating a SubForm …/4
SubForm Wizard – step 3
Click Next

23. Type a name for the subform
Creating a SubForm …/5
SubForm Wizard – step 4
Type a name for the subform
Click Finish

24. Creating a SubForm …/6 SubForm Wizard – Result
Design view (shows as a Form object in the navigation pane)
Form view

25. Adding a Calculation to a Form
Enter an expression into an empty text box
in the Form Design grid
Click to create a text box, then drag a rectangle
Text box – click in the box and enter an equal = sign, followed by expression
Label box – click in the box and enter descriptive text
Click the text box and change its Format property

26. Grouping Multiple Objects
Select multiple control objects, then click
Group button
Grouped controls
To ungroup, select the group, then click
Ungroup button
Apply formatting to all in the group at once

27. Alignment-Size-Spacing
After selecting multiple controls …
Horizontal
Vertical
Align all at once
Position all at once
Spacing
Size all at once OR
Right-click the selection and choose Align, Size, or Position

28. Add Graphics to a Form
Logo button* – places picture in left side of the Form header section
Clip Art – use MS Word to insert ClipArt, then copy/ paste into Form Design
grid
Image button* – supports .bmp, .gif, .jpeg, .jpg, and .png files
*Opens a dialog box to locate the image

29. Anchoring Controls to a Form
Tie a control to a section or other control so that it moves or resizes with the parent
Select the control(s), then click the Anchor button and click the desired option
Anchored controls will remain in the relative position regardless of the window size

30. Creating a Datasheet Form
Select a table or query in the navigation pane, then click
Datasheet form is created automatically, but has not been saved

31. Preventing Record Deletions
With a form open in Design view, show its property sheet
Change Allow Deletions from Yes to No
Prevents record deletion only when using this form

32. Sorting Records in Forms
Click any field in the form
Then click a Sort button
Sort Ascending
Sort Descending
Clear Sorts

33. Finding Records in Forms
Click any field in the form
then click the Find button
Enter what to find and where to look, then click Find Next

34. Features Summary How do you add a logo to a form?
In Form Design view Click the Logo button

35. Features Summary How do you add a calculated field to a form?
In Form Design view, Design tab, Click the Text Box button
And draw a rectangle
In the Unbound box type the equal = sign followed by the expression to be calculated

36. Features Summary How do you change the Tab order of fields in a form?
In Form Design view in the Arrange tab, click the Tab Order button
Change the order in the Tab Order dialog box

37. Features Summary
How do you select a control? How do you select multiple controls?
In Form Design view, click on a single control to select it; press the Shift key and click additional controls OR draw a rectangle around a group of controls to select all of them

38. Features Summary How can you add a picture to a form?
In Form Design view, click the Logo button OR click the Image button OR copy/paste clipart from another application

39. Features Summary How do you create a form that looks like a datasheet?
Select the table or query on which to base the form, then in the Create tab click the More Forms button and choose datasheet

40. Features Summary How do you sort records in a form?
In Form view - click on the field to sort by, then click the Sort Ascending button (A-Z)

41. Features Summary
How do you find the record for a particular last name in a form?
In Form view - click on the last name field, then click the Find button; type the desired last name into the Find what: box and click Find Next

42. CREATING AND USING CUSTOM REPORTS
Coming Next
Chapter 5
CREATING AND USING CUSTOM REPORTS