Objective 1. Create an AutoForm

Table of contents:

A form is an Access object used to enter records into a database or to view one record at a time. In the form, the fields are laid out in a visually appealing format on the screen.

Because a form is usually designed to display only one record in the database at a time, a form is useful not only to the individual who performs the data entrytyping in the actual recordsbut also to anyone who has the job of viewing information in a database. For example, when you visit the Records office at your college to obtain a transcript, someone displays your record on a screen. For the viewer, it is much easier to look at one record at a time, using a form, than to look at all the student records in the database table.

Activity 3.1. Creating an AutoForm

There are various ways to create a form in Access, but the fastest and easiest is to use AutoForm. AutoForm incorporates all the information, both the field names and the individual records, from an existing table or query and then instantly creates the form for you. Records that you edit or create using a form automatically update the underlying table(s). In this activity, you will create an AutoForm and then use it to add new club members to the database.

1.	Using the technique you practiced in Chapter 1, open My Computer, and then navigate to the location where you will store your projects for this chapter. Create a new folder named Access Chapter 3
2.	Locate the file a03A_Fundraiser from the student files that accompany this text. Copy and then paste the file to the Access Chapter 3 folder you created in Step 1. Rename the file as 3A_Fundraiser_Firstname_Lastname Close My Computer, start Access, and then open your 3A_Fundraiser database.

3.	Open the Club Members table in Datasheet view, and notice the five fieldsStudent#, First Name, Last Name, Phone, and Email Address. Close the table. Be sure the Club Members table is still selected, and then on the Database toolbar, click the New Object: AutoForm button . Compare your screen with Figure 3.2. Figure 3.2. (This item is displayed on page 1053 in the print version) Access instantly creates a form based on the currently selected objectthe Club Members table. AutoForm creates a form in a simple top-to-bottom layout, with all the fields in the table lined up in a single column. The data for the first record in the table displays in the fields.
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4.	In the navigation area, click the Next Record button three times. The fourth recordfor Quan Nguyendisplays. Use the navigation buttons to scroll among the records to select any single record you need to display.
5.	In the navigation area, click the Last Record button to display the record for Justin Hill, and then click the First Record button to display the record for Ranjan Biswas.
6.	On the Form View toolbar, click the Save button . In the displayed Save As dialog box, accept the default nameClub Membersby clicking OK. Club Members will display on the Forms object list and also on the title bar on the form.