Database Reference
In-Depth Information
Exploring forms
Access tables are dense lists of raw information. Working directly with tables in a database
you have created might be quite simple for you, but it might be overwhelming for people
who don't know much about databases in general or about this database in particular. To
make it easier to enter, display, and print information, you can design forms.
1
A form acts as a friendly interface for a table. Through a form, you can display and edit the
records of the underlying table, or create new records. Most forms provide an interface
to only one table. However, by embedding subforms within a main form, you can use one
form to interact with multiple tables that are related through one or more common fields.
Forms are essentially collections of controls that either accept information or display infor-
mation. You can create forms by using a wizard, or you can create them from scratch by
manually selecting and placing the controls. Access provides the types of controls that are
standard in Windows dialog boxes, such as labels, text boxes, option buttons, and check
boxes. With a little ingenuity, you can create forms that look and work much like the dialog
boxes in all Windows programs.
As with tables, you can display forms in several views. The following are the three most
common views:
▪
Form
In this view, you can display and enter data.
▪
Layout
In this view, you can work with the elements of the form to refine its appear-
ance and functionality while also displaying the data from the underlying table.
▪
Design
In this view, you have more precise control over the appearance, placement,
and functionality of form elements, but you cannot display the underlying data.
SEE ALSO
For more information about forms, see Chapter 3, “Create simple forms,” and
Chapter 8, “Create custom forms.”
