Chapter 7: Creating Basic Access Forms
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l (^) By dragging a field from the Field List to add a bound control to the form: Access
automatically chooses a control appropriate for the field’s data type and binds the control
to the selected field.
l By double-clicking a field in the Field List to add a bound control to the form:
Double-clicking works just like dragging a field from the Field List to the form. The only
difference is that, when you add a control by double-clicking a field, Access decides where
to add the new control to the form. Usually the new control is added to the right of the
most-recently added control, and sometimes below it.
Using the Controls group
When you use the buttons in the Controls group to add a control, you decide which type of con-
trol to use for each field. The control you add is unbound (not attached to the data in a table field)
and has a default name such as Text21 or Combo11. After you create the control, you decide
what table field to bind the control to, enter text for the label, and set any properties. You’ll learn
more about setting properties later in this chapter.
You can add one control at a time using the Controls group. To create three different unbound
controls, perform these steps:
- With the form created earlier open in Design view, click the Text Box button (ab|) in the
Controls group. - Move the mouse pointer to the Form Design window, and click and drag the new control
onto the form’s surface in its initial size and position. - Click the Option button in the Controls group, click on the form’s surface, and drag the
Option button to its initial position and size on the form. - Click the Check Box button in the Controls group and add it to the form as you added
the other controls.
When you’re done, your screen should resemble Figure 7.14.
Tip
Clicking the Form Design window with a control selected creates a default-size control. If you want to add
multiple controls of the same type, double-click on the icon in the Controls group to lock it down, and then
draw as many controls as you want on the form. Click the selector control (the arrow) to unlock the control
and return to normal operation.