Access Screen Components and their Usage:

Component

Description and usage
.The Access standard menu bar

This is the Access/Windows menu bar providing windows standard functionality together with access-specific features. While there are facilities here not provided elsewhere on the screen, they are not used as often as the toolbar buttons. To get help on menu items and sub-items, click on Help then click on    then navigate the menu to the item you want help on. Clicking on it will show you a small amount of textual help.

NOTE:

  • Clicking on File then Save does not save records! It just saves the design of the current object!

  • Edit then Cut WILL DELETE records if one or more are selected as explained below.
The Access Toolbar Click the link for more information.
The Record Selector:

 

On some forms this bar goes the full height of the form and on others is very short and opposite each of a list of records.
The bar is used to:

  • Save new and changed records. You know a record is 'Dirty' (needs saving because it has been changed) when you see the Pen in the selector bar as shown. Click on the bar to save the record.

  • Select a whole record for deletion, copying or moving. The whole bar turns BLACK when a record is selected.

  • Delete records with the delete key. Confirmation will be required.

  • Cut, Copy and Paste. This works well with selected records. Careful!! Cut deletes records!!

  • Select multiple records in a multi-record display, more than one record may be selected by clicking and dragging over the selector bars for those records to be handled collectively. The selector bars will all turn BLACK. Deletion will delete all selected records.

 
The Record Navigator:

This bar:

  • is used to move through a set of records.

  • shows the current record's relative position in the record set (1). NOTE: These numbers do not always refer to the same record. 

  • shows the total number of records in the set (191).

See the Access Toolbar for a description of the small button functions. They are the same as those found in that toolbar.
Combo Boxes

 

A Combo Box:

  • Displays one value from a list.

  • The displayed value is stored with the current record.

Usage:

  • To select a value from the list use the mouse and click on the down arrow.

  • Click on the value you require. The list will disappear and leave the selected value as part of the record. Save the record.

  • You can also preemptively select a value by starting to type its value and then popping the list to make final selection. The list will display the list starting at the nearest value to what you have typed. In very short lists, typing one or two characters is enough to get exactly the value you want without opening the full list.
Option Groups

 

 

An Option Group:

  • Provides multiple selections for an item of data.

  • Only One option can be selected for any given record.

  • The mouse is normally used to click on the option of choice. The left and right arrow keys can also be used.
Check Boxes

 

A Check Box:

  • Asks the user a question (eg: Children:- 'Does the employee have children?')

  • Gives the user an On (or True or Yes) as opposed to an Off (or False or No) selection.

  • With a tick indicates On. No tick indicates Off.

  • is set using the mouse or the space bar.
Continuous Sub-Forms

 

 

 

 

 

 

In a Continuous Sub Form:

  • Many records are displayed - line below line - associated with the current Main Form's record.

  • Each new record is created in the line starting with the 'Star'. If the star is not visible then use the sub-form's navigator bar to start a new record.

  • Each record has a mini record selector at the left end. All the usual record status symbols are displayed in the mini record selector.

  • Saving of records is automated. If you move from changes in one record directly to another record using the mouse, the system will auto-save the changed record you just left.

  • Inaccessible columns of data normally imply automated calculation of that column's data - sample the childrens 'Age at Christmas' column.

  • Audit Trail data is also maintained by the system.

  • If many record are displayed then use the PgUp/PgDn keys to navigate to the records you need to see. A scroll bar up the side of the sub-form should also appear when more records exist than can fit on the sub-form.
Large Text Boxes

 

In a Large Text Box:

  • You can type a LOT of text!

  • If you keep typing to the right margin the text will auto-wrap.

  • If you must have a new line then press Ctrl-Enter.

  • Move to the next data entry box using the Tab key.