Database Reference
In-Depth Information
Figure 7-22. You can include an Edit item in a drop-down list. When folks choose it, this little Edit
Value List box appears. From here, they can add new items, delete items, or edit items in the
list—all by typing directly in the text box. All of this assumes that your value list has “Use custom
values” turned on. You can't edit the items in a value list based on field values.
UP TO SPEED: DROP DOWN, POP UP, TURN ON
You may wonder how a drop-down list differs from a pop-up menu. They're similar in purpose but
have three differences:
▪ A pop-up menu requires you to make a choice when entering data—you can't type into the
field. With a drop-down list, on the other hand, you can always dismiss the list and type directly
into the field instead. When the list pops up, just click the field again to make the list go away
and then start typing. From the keyboard, press Enter (Return) to make the list go away, or press
Esc to toggle the list on and off.
▪ Drop-down lists work just fine with thousands of items in them. Since the list scrolls, it doesn't
much matter how long it is. Pop-up menus, by contrast, get very cumbersome with more than a
dozen or so items.
▪ Finally, folks can make selections from a drop-down list by using just the keyboard, while a
pop-up menu requires a trip to the mouse. The drop-down list's keyboard ability makes it
preferable in cases where speed of entry is the priority.
Pop-Up Menu
When you format a field as a pop-up menu, the look changes significantly, as shown for the
Status field in Figure 7-22 . Rather than type into the field, people have to click the menu and
make a choice. Like drop-down lists, pop-up menus let mere mortals edit value lists, plus
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