Creating your
own form from
scratch.
To create a custom form, you can modify an
existing form or design and create a form
from scratch. In either case, you create a
custom form working in the Form window
in Design view. A custom form can be
designed to match a paper form, to display
some fields side by side and others top to
bottom, to highlight certain sections with
color, or to add special buttons and list
boxes.
A multi-page form displays the form
on more than one page on a single
screen. Each page is labeled with a tab
like the tabs in the Database window.
By clicking a tab, you can display the
information on that page.
Whether the custom
form you want to
create is a simple or
complex from, it is
always best to plan
the form’s content
and appearance first.
The figure to the
right shows a design
for the custom form
that we will be
working with today.
Notice that the top of
the design on page
one indicates that a
title
and a
graphic image
are to be displayed.
Page 1 of the form
Below the title and
graphic image we see
that the
CustomerNum
and the
CustomerName
fields are indicated.
Page 1 of the form
Note also that the first page (shown above,
labeled “Customer Information” displays the
address information for the customer.
The second page,
labeled “Orders,”
displays order
information for the
customer. Each
field value from the
Page 2 of the form
Customer table will
appear in a text box and will be
preceded by a label. The label will be
the value of the field’s caption property
(if any) or the field name.
The locations and
lengths of each field
value are indicated
by a series of Xs in
the form design.
Page 2 of the form
For example, the three Xs that follow the
CustomerNum field label indicate that
the field value will be three characters
long. The Order table fields appear in a
subform on the second page.
With the design for the custom form
in place, you are ready to create it.
You could use an Autoform Wizard
to create a basic form and then
customize it in Design view.
However, you would need to make
many modifications to a basic form
to create the form shown in our
paper design, so you will design the
entire form directly in Design view.
You use the Form window in Design
view to create and modify forms. To
create our custom form you’ll create
a blank form based on the
Customer table and then add the
Order table fields in a subform
later.
The Form window in Design view
contains the tools necessary to
create a custom form. You create
the form by placing objects on the
blank form in the window. Each
object - such as a text box, list box,
rectangle, or command button - that
you place on the form is called a
control.
There are three kinks of controls
that you can place on a form.
A bound control is linked, or bound,
to a field in the underlying table or
query. You use a bound control to
display the table field values.
An unbound control is not linked to
a field in the underlying table or
query. You use an unbound control
to display text, such as a form title
or instructions, or to display
graphics and pictures from other
software programs. An unbound
control that displays text is called a
label.
A calculated control displays a value
calculated from data from one or
more fields by using an
“expression” (formula) as we saw in
queries.
Control source: =[InvoiceAmt] * .02
To create a bound control, you use
the Field List button on the Form
Design toolbar to display a list of
fields available from the underlying
table or query. Then you drag fields
from the field list box to the Form
window and place the bound
controls where you want them to
appear on the form
View Field List Tool on the Toolbar
Let’s take a look at the Form
window design view for a
moment and see some of the
elements that we will be working
with.
Rulers
Field List
Tool Box
The Detail Section of the form
The Detail Section of the form appears
as a light gray rectangle, in which you
place the fields, labels, and values for
your form. You can change the size of
the Detail section by dragging its edges.
The Form Selector Button is located in
the upper left corner of the design
window, where the rulers intersect. You
use this to select the form to view it’s
properties.
Demonstration
Viewing the Form’s Properties
The grid consists of the dots that appear in
the Detail section to help you position
controls precisely on a form. If the dots on
the grid appear to close together you can
increase the size by changing the grid X
and grid Y properties in the form’s
properties window.
Demonstration
Changing the Grid of a Form
Design Window.
Rulers
The rulers at the top and at the left edge
of the Detail section define the
horizontal and vertical dimensions of the
form and serve as a guide to the
placement of controls on the form.
There are two ways to view a Form
design Window
First, create a new form from scratch.
Second, view the design view from an
already existing form
Creating a new form from scratch
Click on the Forms
Button on the Left and
then Click on the New
Button on the top.
The New Form Dialog box will appear.
From this window select the Design View,
select the table
or query that
you wish the
form to b
bound to
(if any) and
then click OK.
The New Form will then appear in the design
view ready for you to add objects to it.
Adding Fields to a Form
There are two ways to add
fields to a form
Adding Fields to a Form
First by using the “View
Field List” button.
Using the field List
When you click the
Field List Button a list
of fields from the
underlying table or
query will appear.
Using the field List
When the field list is
visible, you can either
click on it’s title bar to
select all fields
Using the field List
When this is done all
fields in the list will be
selected. You can click
on any one of them and
drag them to the form.
Using the field List
Or you can click on one
field at a time, holding
the mouse down and
dragging that field to
the form.
Adding Fields to a Form
The second way to add a
field is by using the
ToolBox
To place a field or other controls
on a form, you use the tools on the
toolbox. The toolbox is a
specialized toolbar containing
buttons that represent the tools
you use to place controls on a form
or a report. Screen Tips are
available for each tool. If you
want to show or hide the toolbox,
click the Toolbox button on the
form Design toolbar.
Summary of Tools Available in the
toolbox for a form or report
Button
Tool Name
Purpose
Select Objects
Select, move, size
and edit controls
Control Wizards
Label
Text Box
Activate Control
Wizards for certain
other toolbox tools
Display text, such
as title or
instructions; an
unbound control
Display a label
attached to a text
box that contains a
bound control or a
bound or
calculated control
Wizard
Available?
No
No
No
No
Summary of Tools Available
Button
Wizard
Available?
Tool Name
Purpose
Option Group
Display a group
frame containing
toggle buttons
Yes
Toggle Button
Display a toggle
button control
bound to a Yes/No
field
Yes
Option Button
Check Box
Display an option
button control
bound to a Yes/No
field
Display a check
box control bound
to a Yes/No field
Yes
Yes
Summary of Tools Available
Button
Tool Name
Purpose
Combo Box
(Similar to the
Lookup Field)
Display a control
that combines the
features of a list
box and a text box.
List Box
Command Button
Display a control
that contains a
scrollable list of
values
Display a control
button you can use
to link to a macro
Wizard
Available?
Yes
Yes
Yes
Display a graphic
Image
Image
Yes
Summary of Tools Available
Button
Tool Name
Purpose
Unbound Object
Frame
Display a frame for
enclosing an
unbound OLE
object, such as an
Excel Worksheet
Bound Object
Frame
Page Break
Tab Control
Display a frame for
enclosing a bound
OLE object stored
in an Access
database table
Begin a new
screen on a form
or a new page on a
report
Display a tab
control with
multiple pages
Wizard
Available?
Yes
Yes
No
No
Summary of Tools Available
Button
Tool Name
Sub form or
report
sub
Line
Purpose
Display data from
multiple tables
Wizard
Available?
Yes
Display a line
No
Rectangle
Display a rectangle
No
Display a list of all
available controls
More Controls
No
Before you can modify a control on
a form you first must select that
control. To select a control simply
click on it. When the control is
selected, handles will appear
around it’s
edges.
You can move a field-value text box and
its attached label box together. To move
them, place the pointer anywhere on the
border of the field-value text box, but not
on the move handle or a sizing handle.
When the pointer
changes to a hand
symbol, you can
drag the field and
its attached label
to a new location.
You can also move either the field-value
text box or its label box individually. If
you want to move the field-value text box
but not its label box, for example, place
the pointer on the text box’s move
handle. When the pointer changes to a
hand symbol with
a pointing finger,
drag the fieldvalue text box to a
new location.
You can also resize objects. Not just
fields and labels, but any object on
the form using a similar technique
but this time using the resizing
pointers
Adding Headers and Footers
The Form Header and Form Footer
sections allow you to add titles,
instructions, command buttons, and
other information to the top and or
botton of your form.
To add a Page Header/footer or Form
Header/Footer, Select View from the menu bar
and then select the Page Header/Footer or Form
Header/Footer Option.
Adding Labels
When you add a text box to
a field, a label will
automatically be placed
with it. If you delete the
label and need to add one
manually, or simply need to
add a stand alone label, you
can use the label tool on the
toolbox to accomplish this.
Changing Label Captions
To change the Caption of a label, rightclick the label, click Properties on the
shortcut menu, click the Format tab, edit
the existing label in the Caption text box
or double-click it to select the current
value, and then type a new caption.
Changing Label Captions
right-click
the label
Changing Label Captions
Left-Click
on
Properties
Changing Label Captions
click
the
Format
tab
Changing Label Captions
edit the existing label in
the Caption text box
Demonstration
Using the ToolBox to add a
Label Object to your form
Adding Images
You can use the Image tool
on the toolbox to insert a
piece of clip art or photo to
your form. This is used to
place images created by
other applications.
There are several other
ways as well to accomplish
this.
Demonstration
Adding Images to your form
Changing Background Colors of Objects
You can change the background color of a form or
of a specific section or
object on the form by using tools
available in Design View.
Demonstration
Changing Background Colors
Quick Check Review
Page AC 5.40
Quick Check Review
Let’s take a few
moments to break up
into discussion groups.
Each group will discuss
the quick check questions on page
AC 5.40 in your books. We will then
review the answers at the end of the
discussion.
Quick Check Review
Session 5.2
1) What is the difference between a bound
control and an unbound control?
Quick Check Review
Session 5.2
2) How do you move a control and its label
together?
Quick Check Review
Session 5.2
3) How do you change a label name?
Quick Check Review
Session 5.2
4) How do you resize a control?
Quick Check Review
Session 5.2
5) What is the Form Header section?
Quick Check Review
Session 5.2
6) How do you insert a picture,
created using another software program,
in a form?
Your task for this session is to
complete the exercises in Tutorial
#5 Page AC 5.25 through Page
AC 5.39
The disk is
Level 2
Disk 1