Chapter 8 - Using Design Tools

3 4

As you learned in earlier chapters, Microsoft Access 2002 provides form and report wizards that automate the process of creating simple reports. You can use the form and report wizards to generate a good first draft of most forms and reports. However, the wizards seldom supply a final solution. Most of the time, you’ll need to tweak the results a little. The design environment (Design view) offers a number of tools and formatting options for modifying both forms and reports, including the following:

• The Toolbox
• Selection methods for working with multiple controls
• The grid and the Snap To Grid feature
• Formats for sizing, grouping, and aligning controls

Whether you’re new to Access, a power user, or a developer, you’ll probably find yourself working in Design view more often than you initially expected. Fortunately, rearranging and grouping controls, adding design elements such as lines and rectangles, inserting unbound and calculated controls, and more can be an efficient use of your time and of the design tools. Just a few enhancements can make a form easier to use or a report more effective.

note

---

Throughout this chapter, you’ll work mostly with forms, but remember that you can also apply these techniques to reports. When it comes to controls, keep in mind that the text box is the control of choice for displaying data in reports. You can insert almost any control into a report, but it will probably lose its unique functionality in the report environment. Other than the occasional chart or image control, reports usually contain only text box controls and labels.