Introduction

There are several ways you can customize Microsoft Office Access 2003 to meet your needs and the needs of those who will use the databases you create. You can:

• Edit Access's menus and toolbars , adding new commands and subtracting unused ones

• Create new menus and toolbars

• Design a complete custom application with menu bars and toolbars tailored to a specific database

Access also allows you to create macros, stored collections of actions that perform a specific task. Macros allow you to create new commands designed to work with a particular database. You can attach macros to menus, toolbars, and form controls. You can write a macro so that it executes its actions only if a particular condition is met.

If you have a microphone installed on your computer, you can use the Office Language bar to dictate text directly into your database and also to control buttons , menus, and toolbar functions by using the Voice Command option. For those of you with an electronic stylus, an ink device, or a handwriting tablet, such as Tablet PC attached to your computer, you can can insert handwritten text into an Access database.