Using Online Help

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Access 2002 includes several ways to get help. One method is to type a question directly into the new Ask A Question box on the right side of the main Access menu bar. (You can type any word or phrase—you don’t have to style it as a question.) For example, typing datasheet in the Ask A Question box displays a list of topics to choose from, as shown in Figure 2-17. You can select one of the listed topics or click the See More selection at the bottom of the list to display additional topics.

Figure 2-17. You can get help from the Ask A Question box on the Access menu bar.

You can also get help by clicking the Help button on the Access toolbar, which opens an Office Assistant balloon in which you can enter a search phrase. You’ll get the same list that the Ask A Question box displayed. (You can open the same balloon by choosing Help, Microsoft Access Help.)

If you prefer not to use the Office Assistant, right-click the Assistant, choose Options from the shortcut menu, and on the Options tab in the Office Assistant dialog box, clear the Use The Office Assistant check box.

After you turn off the Assistant, clicking the Help button or choosing Help from the Help menu will open the Microsoft Access Help window. Double-clicking a book icon in the left pane displays a list of Help topics. You can select a topic to display its contents in the right pane, as shown in Figure 2-18.

Figure 2-18. Selecting a Help topic displays its contents in the right pane of the Microsoft Access Help window.

You can display definitions for the terms in blue by clicking them, as shown in Figure 2-19. (The definition will appear in green directly following the term you selected.) To display all the definitions in a Help topic, click Show All in the upper right corner of the Help page.

Figure 2-19. Clicking a word displays its definition.

Some Help topics include the prefix WEB. These Help topics aren’t part of the Access Help system, but they are available on the Internet. When you select one of these topics, you’ll be connected to the Internet (if you aren’t already connected), and the appropriate Help topic will appear.