This document provides guidance on designing effective forms in Access. It discusses best practices such as using logical field organization and familiar labels. It also covers topics like bound versus unbound forms, using subforms, command buttons, and ensuring proper tab order. Tips are provided for changing queries dynamically and using aggregate functions. The document concludes with an overview of common programming objects and concepts in VBA.

2.  Provide meaningful title
 Organize fields logically
 Use appealing form layout
 Include familiar field labels
 Be consistent with terminology and
abbreviations

3.  Allow for convenient cursor movement
 Prevent and correct errors
 Include explanatory messages for fields

4.  Bound form has a Record Source
 Displays data from fields in record source
 Unbound forms
 Do not have record source
 Designed to help users navigate through database

5.  Subform is a form embedded in another form
 Primary form (called main form)
 Usually has one-to-many relationship with data in
subform
 Main form and subform linked
 Subform displays only records that related to
current record in main form

6.  Command buttons
 Users click to perform common tasks
 Can contain Text, Icons, Graphics
 Create
 Using Command Button Wizard
 By adding button to form then setting properties
 Beconsistent when creating command
buttons
 Location on form
 Order

7.  Formcreated with form tool or Form
Wizard
 Places fields in order they appear in table
design
 After fields are rearranged for more
logical data entry, correct tab order
 Test each form!

8.  Way to change query „on the fly‟
 Can use prompt for user
 Can get information from form controls
 Forms!FormName!ControlName

9.  List controls: set rowsource
 Listbox
 Combobox
 Forms: set recordsource
 Reports: set recordsource
 Remember to requery!
 Find right event to respond to

10.  Grouping: When RecordSource has all of the
data needed, and all needed records are
included
 Sub-reports: When need data that‟s not part
of RecordSource OR RecordSource wouldn‟t
include all records
 Use CanGrow, CanShrink

11.  Limitednumber
 Most deal with laying out and formatting
data
 Use NoData instead of showing an empty
report

12.  Also called Domain Aggregate Functions
 Allows creation of summary information
without a query
 DCount
 DSum
 DMax

13.  Need a field to work with
 Need to specify where the field is found
(table or query)
 Can optionally add a „where‟ clause to limit
the records included
DCount(“PatientID”,”Visits”,”Total<100”)

14.  Have to choose which event to respond to
 Events can be generated by the user or
changes in data or objects

15.  Many commands start with „DoCmd‟
 Code is organized into procedures
 Property Procedures
 Functions
 Subroutines
 Procedures can use arguments to pass data
 Use With … End With when referring to an object
several times

16.  Two methods to reference “owned” objects
 Use ! (bang) if referring to a control in a
query
 In code, can use both ! (bang) and . (dot)
 If referring to fields in a recordsource, use !
 If referring to controls can use either

17.  Scope: How long a variable lasts and where it
can be accessed
 Forcing declaration: Option Explicit
 Objects: Can represent more than just basic
data, can create object variables
 Need to create an instance – New keyword
 Use Set to make an assignment

18.  Most objects are members of some group
 A collection is a group of like objects
 Forms collection holds all forms
 A form‟s controls collection holds all controls
that belong to that form

19.  Branching (what‟s next?)
 If-Then
 Select Case
 Loops (repeating a task)
 For … Next
 For .. Each
 Do While
 Do Until

20.  Optional argument for many commands
 When opening a form or report, can limit the
records to be used, even if the recordsource
is a table
DoCmd.OpenForm “frmName”,,,”field=1”

21.  Logic errors
 Runs but doesn‟t give the right results
 Syntax errors
 Compiler can‟t process your code
 Run-time errors
 Problem happens during execution
 Use On Error to respond to

22.  ADO: ActiveX Data Objects
 For working with data
 Not hierarchical
 ADOX: ADO Extensions
 For working with database
 For security and database
 DAO: Data Access Objects
 For working with data
 Used in Forms, Reports by Access
 Hierarchical (must know how each item fits in
relation to others)

23.  Connection: „pipe‟ for moving data
 Command: what data to work with
 Recordset: local copy of data from a table or
query