However, when the record source has many records, this can become tedious. If the form
is displayed as a datasheet view, it will show the records in a columnar format, almost as if
the user was looking at a table or spreadsheet of the data. See Figure 9-5 to see how this
appears.
To make your form display as a datasheet, set the Default View property to Datasheet.
There is also scope for preventing users seeing other views by setting properties like “Allow
Form View” to No.
This format allows the user to see many records at once and to easily scroll through them.
A further advantage is that the user can select all the records and copy and paste them into
another application such as a spreadsheet.
If using a datasheet view, there is no need to align the text boxes and other controls on the
form. The datasheet view uses the caption of the label control for each column heading. If the
label control has been deleted, it will then use the name of the control itself.
The datasheet view uses the Tab Index property to order the columns. If you want to
change the order, alter the Tab Index property to the number position. This will automatically
renumber the other controls.
Chapter 9: Forms and Reports 105
Figure 9-4 Form View of the Orders form with the Order Details subform shown as a datasheet