Working in Design View

The following sections discuss the keyboard shortcuts that Access provides for navigating in Design view and for editing, moving, and resizing controls.

Shortcuts for Navigating in Design View

Toggle between Navigation mode and Edit mode

[F2]

In Navigation mode, you can move the selection from field to field by using the arrow keys. In Edit mode, Access displays an insertion point, and the arrow keys move the insertion point from character to character in the field.

Display the property sheet

[F4] , [Alt] - [Enter]

This shortcut works for forms and reports in Design view, and for Access projects. Once you ve selected a tab, you can move from tab to tab in the property sheet by pressing ’ (to display the next tab) or 1 (to display the previous tab). Access 2000 The [F4] shortcut to display the property sheet doesn t work in Access 2000. Use [Alt] - [Enter] instead.

Switch a form from Design view to Form view

[F5]

Switch between the upper part and lower part of a window

[F6]

This shortcut works in Design view for tables, macros, and queries, and in the Advanced Filter/Sort window.

Switch to the Code Builder from Design view

[F7]

Use this shortcut from Design view for a form or a report.

Access 2000 The [F7] shortcut doesn t work in Access 2000.

Switch to Design view from the Visual Basic Editor

Use this shortcut from Design view for a form or report. If a control s property sheet is selected in [Shift] - [F7]

Design view for a form or report, pressing this shortcut moves the focus to the design surface. Access 2000 The [Shift] - [F7] shortcut doesn t work in Access 2000.

Display the field list in a form, a report, or a data access page

[F8]

If the field list is already displayed, pressing [F8] selects the field list.

Shortcuts for Editing Controls in Design View

You can use the following keyboard shortcuts to edit controls in Design view for forms and reports. Access provides shortcuts for moving the control either along the page s grid (which is useful for aligning controls with minimal effort) or independently of the page s grid.

Add a control to the active section

[Shift] - [Enter]

Use this shortcut when accessing the field list in a form, a report, or a data access page.

Move the selected control left one pixel along the page s grid

[ ]

Move the selected control left one pixel, ignoring the grid

[Ctrl] - [ ]

Move the selected control right one pixel along the page s grid

[ ’ ]

Move the selected control right one pixel, ignoring the grid

[Ctrl] - [ ’ ]

Move the selected control up one pixel along the page s grid

[ ‘ ]

Move the selected control up one pixel, ignoring the grid

[Ctrl] - [ ‘ ]

Move the selected control down one pixel along the page s grid

[ “ ]

Move the selected control down one pixel, ignoring the page s grid

[Ctrl] - [ “ ]

Decrease the width of the selected control by one pixel

[Shift] - [ ]

Increase the width of the selected control by one pixel

[Shift] - [ ’ ]

Decrease the height of the selected control by one pixel

[Shift] - [ ‘ ]

Increase the height of the selected control by one pixel

[Shift] - [ “ ]