Setting Control Properties

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Controls (especially those that display text, such as text box controls) have an enormous number of properties. For the most part, you won't need to change control properties except for those related to size, position, font, and color. See Appendix F, "Control Properties," for a list of the control properties and the controls they apply to. Some properties significant for various types of controls are discussed in this chapter, and the most commonly used properties are described in the next section. For more information about a control property (including some obscure properties not described in detail in this book), position the insertion point in the property box of the properties sheet and press F1 to open context-specific Help.

Commonly Used Properties

As you gain experience working with controls, you'll notice that you use some properties more than others. The following list introduces a number of the most common control properties, with a brief description of their function.

• Back Color. Sets the control's background color.
• Back Style. Specifies whether a control is opaque or transparent.
• Border Color. Sets the color of the control's border.
• Border Style. Sets the style of the control's border.
• Border Width. Sets the width of the control's border.
• Bottom Margin, Left Margin, Right Margin, Top Margin. Set the amount of space between the bottom, left, right, or top edge of the control and the text it displays.
• Bound Column. Sets the column of a combo box or list box that is bound to a data field.
• Caption. Sets the text displayed on a control.
• Column Count. Sets the number of columns in a combo box or list box.
• Column Heads. Specifies whether to show column headings in a combo box or list box.
• Column Widths. Sets the width of columns in a combo box or list box.
• Control Source. Sets the field to which a control is bound.
• ControlTip Text. Specifies the text displayed in a control's control tip.
• Decimal Places. Sets the number of decimal places (for a numeric field).
• Default Value. Sets default value for the field.
• Enabled. Specifies whether the control is available for use. The control is unavailable if Enabled is set to No.
• Font Name, Font Size, Font Weight, Font Italic, Font Underline. Specify the properties of the font used for text displayed in the control.
• Fore Color. Sets the color of text displayed in a control.
• Format. Sets the format to apply to text displayed in a control.
• Height, Width. Set the width or height of a control.
• Hyperlink Address, Hyperlink SubAddress. Specify hyperlink address components.
• Left, Top. Set the left or top position of a control.
• Line Spacing. Sets the spacing between lines of text displayed in a control.
• Option Value. Sets the numeric value to save to the option group's bound field when an option button is selected.
• Picture. Sets the image to display on a control.
• Row Source. Sets the source of data for rows in a combo box or list box.
• Row Source Type. Sets the type of row source.
• Source Object. Sets the source document to display in a subform control.
• Special Effect. Sets the style for a control (Raised, Sunken, and so on).
• Text Align. Sets the alignment (Left, Center, Right) of text displayed in a control.
• Vertical. Controls whether text in a control is displayed vertically.
• Visible. Controls whether a control is visible.