Getting to Know Microsoft Access, Part 7: Forms
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In the seventh article in our series covering Microsoft Access, we take an in-depth look at forms.
We’ve mentioned forms briefly in previous lessons but haven’t discussed them at length; in this lesson we’ll finally be able to do just that. So, what are forms? Forms, in Access, are essentially pretty data entry and data viewing objects that seem, to the user, similar to HTML-based forms, but much more advanced.
You can start developing your own forms in Access by simply clicking on the Forms object tab in the database window and clicking New in the database window toolbar. This will pop open a dialog box that gives you several options for creating different types of forms including: Design View, Form Wizard, various AutoForms, Chart Wizard, and PivotTable Wizard. I’ll discuss these options in just a few moments, but first I want to give you a brief overview of the form design elements in general.
Forms are composed of such things as record sources, controls, and properties for manipulating both form behavior and appearance. A record source is the form’s data source. Controls are objects used in forms to show data, perform certain actions, and improve appearance. Controls can be bound, unbound, or calculated. Bound controls are tied to the underlying data while unbound controls are not. Calculated controls by contrast, get their values from expressions that use the underlying data.
Next: Creating Your First Form >>
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