Mastering Forms in Microsoft Access: Creation, Modification, and Database Optimization

1. INTRODUCTORY MICROSOFT ACCESSLesson 3 – Creating and Modifying Forms

2. Objectives • Create and use forms. • Modify forms. • Create a calculated control on a form. • Compact and repair a database.

3. Terms Used in This Lesson • Bound control • Calculated control • Detail • Form header • Form footer • Unbound control

4. See Figure 3-1 in student book, Forms can make entering and editing data easier Creating Forms • Form Wizard – makes the process easier by asking you detailed questions and then creates a form based on your answers. • AutoForm feature – automatically creates a form that displays all the fields and records of a database table.

5. See Figure 3-2 in student book, New Form dialog box Using the Form Wizard • Click the Forms button on the Objects bar. • Click New and the New Form dialog box appears. Choose Form Wizard. • Choose the fields you want to appear on the form. • Choose the layout and style for the form. • Name the form.

6. See Figure 3-2 in the book, New Form dialog box Using the AutoForm Feature • Click the Forms button on the Objects bar. • Click the New button and the New Form dialog box appears. • Choose one of the five AutoForm options which describes the layout you want for the form. • Specify the table to use for the form. • The form is automatically created and displayed in the selected layout.

7. Using Forms • Use the same navigation buttons as in Datasheet view. • To add a new record, click the New Record button and key the new data in the fields. • To edit a record, display the record and make the changes in the fields. • No need to save--changes are saved automatically. • To print, choose Print on the File menu and select the Print Range options.

8. See Figure 3-12 in student book, Design view Modifying Forms • Make changes to a form in Design view. • A form in Design view is divided into 3 sections: a Form header, Detail section, and Form footer.

9. See Figure 3-13 in student book, Toolbox. Modifying Forms • The Toolbox has controls you can use to modify and enhance the sections in a form: Bound control -connected to a field in a table and is used to display, enter, and update data. Unbound control -not connected to a field and is used to display information, lines, rectangles, and pictures.

10. See Figure 3-21 in student book, Text box properties dialog box Working with Calculated Controls • A calculated control on a form uses an expression to generate the data value for a field. • To create a calculated control, open the Properties dialog box. • In the Control Source text box, key the expression for calculating the field value. • Open the form and the value is calculated for each record.

11. Compacting and Repairing a Database • Compacting rearranges how the database is stored and optimizes the performance of the database. • Choose Database Utilities on the Tools menu. • Click Compact and Repair Database.

12. Summary • Forms can be created in Design view by placing fields on a blank form; using a Form Wizard, which makes the process easier by asking questions and creating the form from your answers; or using AutoForm, which automatically creates a form that displays all the fields and records of the database table. • You make changes to a form using Design view, which shows the structure of the form. • A form in Design view is divided into 3 sections: a Form header, Detail section, and Form footer.

13. Summary • The Toolbox has controls that you can use to modify and enhance the sections in a form. There are three types of controls: bound, unbound, and calculated. • A bound control is connected to a field in a table and is used to display, enter, and update data. • An unbound control is not connected to a field. • A calculated control on a form uses an expression to calculate the data value for a field. • Compacting rearranges how the database is stored and optimizes the performance of the database.