Chapter 5: Forms

1
Chapter 5 Forms
2
Objectives

• How to Create a Form
• Single table forms
• Form Properties
• Understand Form Controls
• Control Properties
• Bound, Unbound, Calculated Controls
• Command Button Wizards

3
Uses of Forms

• Data Entry (focus of this chapter!)
• Display and edit data
• Application Flow
• Navigate through the application
• Custom Dialog Boxes
• Messages to user
• Printing Information
• Hard copies of data-entry information

4
Using the Form Wizard

• Open Chap5.mdb (from your textbook CD)
• Create form by using Wizard
• Select table (Table tblClients)
• Select ALL fields (gtgt)
• Select default Form Style (Standard)
• Form title / form name
• Naming Convention (Table B.1, Page 1264)
• Begins with frm (e.g., frmClientsPractice)
• No spaces in form name

5
Result of Using Wizard

• Table set in Forms Record Source
• E.g., tblClients
• Form name shown in Database Window
• Forms Caption (i.e., title) can be changed
• Fields are added to Detail section as Text Boxes
  Note missing txt prefix

6
Building a Form from Scratch

• Create a blank form
• Set the forms Record Source
• Use drop list for tables/ queries
• Add fields to Detail section
• Add header/footer section
• Add controls to Header section
• And more

7
Anatomy of a Form

• Header and Footer sections
• Doesnt change from record to record
• Controls such as a lookup list
• Command buttons, etc.
• Detail section
• Main section of form
• Shows data from each record of the table or query
• Controls such as Text boxes

8
Forms Design View
Form Selector
Header
Detail
9
Changing the Form Properties

• Click Form Selector
• Option Click gray area to the right of form
• Display the Property Sheet
• Shortcut F4
• Set the Record Source
• Set the Caption (for the Form Title)
• Other properties Record Selectors Yes/No
• Set to No for custom menu (ADO/Chapter 14)
• More form properties Pages 169 - 176

10
Bound Controls (Text Box)

• To get information from the user
• Example ClientID field (in the detail section of
  frmClients)
• Textbox Name txtClientID
• Has a Control Source ClientID
• i.e., txtClientID control is BOUND to the
  database changes to txtClientID will be saved to
  the database (tblClients.ClientID)

11
Bound Controls (Combo Box)

• Example cboTermType
• In the detail section of frmClients
• Has a Control Source TermTypeID (fk)
• Has a Row Source
• Select TermTypeID from tblTerms

12
Other Controls

• List Boxes
• Similar to Combo box (Chapter 9)
• Check Boxes
• For Yes/No fields
• Option Groups
• For Option buttons (radio group)
• Option Group Wizard
• Details Pages 159 - 167
• More Control Properties Pages 176 - 182

13
Adding Fields to Forms

• Activate Field List
• Drag and drop a field
• Default Label attached to a Text Box
• Typical changes
• Other tab, set Name property
• Change the name (prefix with txt, cbo, lst, etc.)
• Morph foreign keys to Combo Box (Page 168)
• Right-click, Change To, Combo Box
• Data tab, set Row Source property, Bound column,
  Column Count, Column Width

14
Unbound Controls

• Example cboSelectClient (Combo Box without a
  Control Source)
• In the header section of frmClients
• Does not have a Control Source
• Data selected is not saved to Database

15
Adding an Unbound Control

• Activate Toolbox (in Form Design Toolbar)
• Activate Control Wizard (in Toolbox)
• Add Combo Box (drag and drop to form)
• Follow the Wizard
• Set Name Property (e.g., cboSelectClient)
• Set the sort order, etc.
• Details in Page 198
• Note Unbound control can also use expressions
  (See pages 183-184)

16
Finding a Record By Value

• In cbos After Update event, click ellipsis
• Copy the code to find the client record using the
  Value of cboSelectClient
• Private Sub cboSelectClient_AfterUpdate()
• ' Find the record that matches the control.
• Dim rs As Recordset
• Set rs Me.Recordset.Clone
• rs.FindFirst "ClientID "
  Me.cboSelectClient.Value
• If Not rs.EOF Then Me.Bookmark rs.Bookmark
• End Sub

17
Adding a Command Button

• Add Button (drag and drop to form)
• Follow the Wizard
• Form Operations, Open Form
• Find Specific Data to Display
• tblClients.ClientID tblProjects.ClientID
• Details in Page 201
• Notes
• frmProjectss record source query has a parameter
  linked to frmClients
• Note Code automatically generated by Wizard

18
Moving and Aligning Objects

• Moving the controls
• Use pointing finger to move textbox from label
• Use hand cursor to move a control to another
  section
• Menu Format Align Right
• Also Tools Customize, Toolbar tab, check
  Alignment Sizing
• Snap to Grid
• To ignore feature CTRL Arrow Keys or Drag with
  Mouse

19
Selecting and Sizing, etc.

• Multiple select SHIFT Left-Click
• Useful to move a group of objects
• Menu View Tab Order
• Menu Format Size
• To Fit, etc.
• Details See Pages 153 - 158

20
Next Steps

• Practice (Chap5.mdb solution in CD)
• Designing the Clients Form
• Designing the Projects Form
• Adding a Command button
• Link Clients and Project Forms
• Textbook Pages 196 201
• If youre new to Access, this is not easy.
• You must try this exercise to understand this
  chapter!