Overview: The end user sees the database through its forms and reports. Thinking back on the last

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Overview: The end user sees the database through its forms and reports. Thinking back on the last chapter, queries and tables can be somewhat confusing (understatement?).

1 Overview: The end user sees the database through its forms and reports. Thinking back on the last chapter, queries and tables can be somewhat confusing (understatement?). The form serves as a buffer between the end user and the raw data found in queries and tables. In this chapter, you ll have the opportunity to take a closer look at what s behind forms and how to manipulate the objects that make up a form (textboxes, labels, radio buttons, check boxes, combo boxes, etc). Form Design: When creating a custom form, you will be working with the form in either layout or design view. Once the form is attached to a data source (either a table or query), you ll be able drop the datafields on to the blank form. In the screenshots below, the one on the left shows the options available under the property sheet view (it will allow you to connect the form to a record source) and the field list view (once a record source has been selected, the list of fields associated with the record source will be available for use on the form). Record source (in this example, it s a query) Click on Add Existing Field button to view all available fields from record source (Field List) The form can be created by selecting the field from the field list and dragging it over to the blank from. As you design the form, you ll want to pay attention to the order in which people will be entering the data into the form and the proximity of fields is very important (While potentially amusing... it would not be the best idea to have the end user jump from first name to zip code to last name to city.)

2 Make sure that your forms are consistent (documentation, organization, structure, font, background colors etc.), it is amazing how subtle differences can really throw the end user! Combo Box and List Box: A database is only as good as the data that it contains. If you want to control what a user can enter into a database, use a combo box or list box control to force the user to select from a predefined list. Using either of these controls, the combo box or list box, can significantly reduce the number of data entry errors. The only difference between the two controls is the way in which they appear on the form. A combo box takes up much less room on the form and requires that the user click on the arrow to see the items included in the list. The list box takes up more room in that all of the user options are visible to the user. Combo Box: User needs to click on drop down to see options (automatically expands) List Box: User options are always visible (so it take up a bit more room on the form) As part of the exercise for this chapter, you will be asked to convert a Lookup Field to a Combo Box. Relationship Window: Databases can contain many table and queries that are joined in interesting ways. The Relationship window presents you with a visual representation of the relationships between objects in a database. 1) You can edit the relationship between two tables by right clicking on the relationship line (Database Tools tab on the Microsoft Ribbon, Relationships button). It s OK to click on Yes at the prompt and close the relationship window (save the changes)

3 2) To create a relationship, select the related field from the first table and drag it to the related field in the second table. You have options: To enforce referential integrity; or to Cascade Update Related Fields (check the appropriate checkbox!) Documenter: Access has a built in documentation feature. I will often use Access as a databasemodeling tool. Since it easy integrates forms, reports, tables and queries, people are able to see how their database will function (Data entry, organization and reporting). The built in documenter may be accessed by clicking on the Database Documenter (Office Ribbon, Database Tools tab, Analyze group) Once the documenter is visible, select the objects to be documented and click OK. Word of caution: if you print out all the documentation, you will go through a lot of paper! So that you do not waste paper, always print a specific range rather than blindly print out a whole document. Creating Forms: There are a number of ways to create forms in Access. At this point, you have used the Form Wizard (builds the form for you) and the Form Design (you build the form from scratch). There are other options as well that are worth exploring:

4 Multiple Items vs. Datasheet Forms: These forms present data in a table format (fields in columns, records in rows). The primary difference between the Multiple Items Form and the Datasheet Form is in the height of the rows. The Multiple Items forms have higher row to accommodate multiple lines of text within a field. In the image below, the same data may be seen in both views: Multiple Items Form (left) Datasheet Form (right). T Datasheet View Multiple Items View Split Forms: Sometimes, it is helpful for the end user to view the same data presented in two different ways. The Split Form displays the same data in both columnar and datasheet view. The columnar view allows the user to focus on the fields for a selected record. The Datasheet view allows the user to navigate the records. The split form option may be found under the create tab, Forms group, under the More Forms Button. Columnar View Datasheet View

5 Creating Custom Forms: The purpose of the data entry forms is to help the end user with the data entry process. Some objects, such as the combo box, assist the user with selecting the correct information (it s easier and less error prone to select an item from a list than to type it in). Other objects, such as a running total, provide the user with dynamic feedback. In addition, forms can be cleaned up by using form headers and footers to provide structure and organization (it is important to know where one record ends and the next begins!) Subforms: Data is often linked by a common ID (PrimaryID and ForiegnID). In the example of customer, contract and bill, each customer has a contract (perhaps more than one?), Each contract has a monthly invoice. The relationship would look like this: In this example, the form is based on the customer table, and contains subforms for contracts and monthly invoices. The data from the contract table is linked to the data from customer table through the CustomerID (In the customer table it is a primary id, in the contract table, it is a foreign id. Form based on tblcustomer Subform based on tblcontract The screenshot below, shows the relationship between the subform and the form. From design view, the relationship between tables (Customer table is master table, Contract table is child)

6 Calculated Controls: There are times that it would be helpful to have a running tally as part of a data entry form (for example: running totals). This is very straight forward and there are a couple things to keep in mind: 1) The total of a form must appear in either the form header or footer (with that in mind, you can t use a datasheet view because headers and footers are not visible when a form is in a data sheet view). 2) If you use the expression builder, it s hard to go wrong! Here s the general form: =sum[(fieldname)] =count[fieldname)] Note: unlike Excel, which uses parenthesis () to define arguments, Access use brackets [] 3) You can access the form header and footer from a form s design view (right click on the word detail)

Simple Invoicing Desktop Database with MS Access 2013. c 2015 by David W. Gerbing School of Business Administration Portland State University

Simple Invoicing Desktop Database with MS Access 2013 c 2015 by David W. Gerbing School of Business Administration Portland State University July 2, 2015 CONTENTS 1 Contents 1 Create a New Database 1 2