Chapter 8: Access Keyboard Shortcuts

Access provides a large number of keyboard shortcuts for working in its various different features. Many of Access s features use either standard Windows and Office shortcuts or slight variations on them, so you ll probably notice some overlap in the different sections of this chapter. You ll also notice some subtle differences between the same shortcuts in different contexts, so be careful when you use them.

Notes on the Standard Shortcuts

Access supports the standard Office keyboard shortcuts discussed in Shared Keyboard Shortcuts in Chapter 3. The following exceptions are worth noting.

Shortcuts for Minimizing and Navigating Among Windows

Access lets you open only one database at once, but you can have many windows on that database open at the same time. Access keeps all the open database windows inside the same application window. When you minimize a database window, it s minimized within the Access window rather than minimized to a separate button on the Windows taskbar. Access provides shortcuts for navigating among minimized windows.

Bring the database window to the front

[F11]

Access 2000 In Access 2000, you can also press [Alt] - [F1] to bring the database window to the front.

Select the next database window

[Ctrl] - [F6]

Select the previous database window

[Ctrl] - [Shift] - [F6]

Restore the selected minimized window

[Enter]

This shortcut works only when all the windows are minimized.

Restore or maximize the selected minimized window

[Ctrl] - [F10] , then [Enter]

Use [Ctrl] - [F6] or [Ctrl] - [Shift] - [F6] to select a window using the keyboard so that you can restore or maximize it using either of these shortcuts.

Shortcuts for Saving Databases and Creating New Databases

Access has slight differences in the shortcuts for saving databases and creating new databases.

Display the Save As dialog box

[F12] , [Alt] - [F12]

You can use [Alt] - [F2] instead of the standard [F12] to display the Save As dialog box for saving the active object under a different name , in a different location, or both.

Create a new database

[Ctrl] - [N]

Access 2003 and Access XP display the New File task pane so that you can choose the type of database to create. Access 2000 Access 2000 displays the New dialog box.

Shortcuts for Finding and Replacing Items

Access also has some differences in the shortcuts for finding and replacing items.

Display the Find tab of the Find and Replace dialog box

[Ctrl] - [F]

This shortcut works only in Datasheet view and Form view.

Display the Replace tab of the Find and Replace dialog box

[Ctrl] - [H]

This shortcut works only in Datasheet view and Form view.

Find the next instance of the search text

[Shift] - [F4]

This shortcut works only in Datasheet view and Form view.

Shortcuts for Editing Text and Data

Access supports most standard Office shortcuts for editing text. For example, you can use , ’ , ‘ , and “ to navigate through text, press [Ctrl] - [C] to copy the selection, and press [Ctrl] - [V] to paste an item from the Clipboard. The main constraint is that you need to press [F2] to make a field editable. You can tell easily enough if you need to press [F2] : press it if the selected field isn t displaying the insertion point.

Move the insertion point to the beginning of a single-line field

[Home]

Move the insertion point to the end of a single-line field

[End]

Move the insertion point to the beginning of a multiline field

[Ctrl] - [Home]

Move the insertion point to the end of a multiline field

[Ctrl] - [End]

Delete all characters from the insertion point to the end of the field

[Ctrl] - [Delete]

Undo changes in the current field or current record

[Esc]

Press [Esc] once to undo changes in the current field, and again to undo changes in the current record.