Office 97 - Access Tips

Access on the Net

Turn
Databases
into
Web Pages Access 97's new Publish to the Web Wizard lets you quickly create Web pages from tables, reports, and forms in your database. And if you use Microsoft's Internet Information Server on your network, you can even create Web pages that update themselves every time someone checks them out. For all the details, click the Office Assistant, and search for publishing to HTML.

Include
Live URLs
in
Tables Access 97 introduces a new field type that's custom-made for Internet and intranet applications. The Hyperlink field supports standard URL formats, so it can hold email addresses, as well as links to Web pages, gopher and FTP sites, and newsgroups. Even better, because Hyperlink fields are live, users simply click them to go to the proper location.
With the Hyperlink field in your table-building arsenal, you can build Internet- or intranet-linked databases for competitive intelligence (your competition's Web sites, newsgroups where customers congregate, and similar items), employee information (cataloging documents available through your intranet and tracking updates), and so on.
To learn more about building URLs into your tables, click the Office Assistant, and search for hyperlink fields.

Plug
a
Browser
into
your
Forms Give users direct access to Internet and intranet Web sites by building a browser right into your Access 97 forms. Thanks to Microsoft's ActiveX technology, it's relatively easy to integrate Internet Explorer into your forms. Learn the exact steps (and get some tips on how to size and place the browser window) by clicking the Office Assistant and searching for Web page on a form.

Editing

Right-Click
your way
to Happiness Microsoft has adjusted the menus that pop up when you right-click an object in a database. Although the changes aren't huge, they do make Access 97 easier to use. Look for new items (such as the Filter For option when you right-click a field in Table View) and helpful icons (see the Form Design View pop-up that appears when you right-click the form itself) scattered throughout the pop-up menus.

Work Fast
with
Keyboard Commands Access 97 is chock-full of keyboard shortcuts that make quick work of common data entry and editing tasks. For example:
When adding or changing date-oriented records, try Ctrl-; (hold down the Ctrl and semicolon keys) to insert the current date, and Ctrl-: (the Ctrl and colon keys) to insert the current time.Ctrl-+ (the Ctrl key and the plus sign) adds a new record to the current table, while Ctrl-- (Ctrl and the minus key) deletes a record.If you want to copy a field's value from the previous record to the current record, press Ctrl-' (the Ctrl key and the apostrophe key).To quickly use a field's default value (if there is a default value), click in the field, then press Ctrl-Alt-spacebar.When you're done with a record and are ready to save all of the changes, press Shift-Enter for an instant save.You can even control check boxes and option buttons from the keyboard. Just press Tab to highlight the check box or option button, then press the spacebar to toggle the control on and off.
To learn more keyboard shortcuts, click the Office Assistant, and search for keyboard shortcuts.

Change
the
Default
Field Type Every time you create a new field in a table, Access 97 assumes it will be a Text field. You can waste a lot of time if you use some other field type more often than Text in your tables. But Access 97 offers you a chance to change the default. To inflict your will upon the software, select Tools/Options from the menu bar, then click the Table/Query tab, and make your choice.

Build
Simple
Reports
and
Forms When you need a quick form or report for a single table in your database, don't wade through a bunch of windows trying to make forms or reports by hand. Instead, turn to Access 97's collection of automatic Wizards:

Open your database file, then click either the Reports or Forms tab, depending on what you want to create.

Click the New button to open the New Report or New Form dialog box.

Select the Auto Wizard of your choice from the list on the right. (Your report choices are AutoReport: Columnar and AutoReport: Tabular. In the forms department, choose between AutoForm: Columnar, AutoForm: Tabular, and AutoForm: Datasheet.)

From the drop-down menu below the list of Wizards, select the table on which to base your form or report.

Click OK to put the Wizard to work. When the Wizard is done, it displays the finished report or form.

Be sure to select File/Save from the menu bar before closing the new creation.

Find
Databases
Fast Everything in Windows 95 has property settings, and Access 97 databases are no exception. To open up the database properties window, simply right-click the title bar of the database window, then select Database Properties from the pop-up menu. The Properties window hops into action. The Summary and Custom tabs offer lots of documentation options, including basics such as Subject, Keywords, and Comments, as well as specialty choices such as Client, Destination, Document Number, Owner, and Project. Fill out these fields as completely as you wish.
Later, you'll be able to search for any of the following properties to find databases:

Select File/Open Database from the menu bar to bring up the Open dialog box.

Click the Advanced button. The Advanced Find dialog box appears.

Select the property you want to search for in the Property drop-down list. Select a condition (such as Includes, Ends With, or Begins With) from the Condition drop-down list, and type the text you want to match in the Value text box.

When you're done setting the options, click Add to List to include your criteria in the search.

Begin your search by clicking the Find Now button at the bottom of the window.

For more information about these properties and how to use them in searches, click the Office Assistant, and search for finding files.

Create
Instant
Tables If you're in a hurry or don't have time to learn the ins and outs of database design, you can get your information slotted into a basic table very quickly. Click the Tables tab in the Database dialog box, and click New. Then select the Datasheet View in the New Table dialog box, and click OK. A blank table is automatically created, ready for your information.

Extras

Create
a
Splash Screen In the world of commercial software, splash screens are the graphics that appear while the program is busy trying to pull its act together and start running. Now you can add the same professional touch to your databases:

Create an image with the Paint applet built into Windows 95 or with your favorite graphics program. You can even grab images from CD-ROMs or Web-based clip art libraries. (Remember to observe copyright laws, though--you don't want to tangle with a bunch of lawyers by illegally using someone else's artwork.)

Save the picture as a Windows bitmap file (BMP). Name the image file to match your database (for example, if your database is named medicine, your splash screen file should be called medicine.bmp). Be sure to save the image in the same folder as your database.

The next time anyone opens the database, the splash screen will hop into action first.

Add Reminders ToolTips are those little bits of text that pop up when you point the mouse at a button or menu item inside many Windows 95 programs. They take the worry out of remembering all of Access 97's arcane controls. Now you can attach these helpful items to fields, buttons, or other items on your forms:

Open the form in Design View, then right-click the item you want to work with.

From the pop-up menu, select Properties to open the dialog box.

Click the Other tab in the dialog box, then type your ToolTip text in the ControlTip Text area.

When you're done, close the Properties dialog box, and save your form.

Offer
Status Bar
Suggestions No matter how easy a task, it always seems that people can use a little help along the way. That's why Microsoft displays so many helpful notes in the status bar along the bottom of the screen. Access 97 puts this technology in your hands with the Status Bar Text property.
To include your own Status Bar message for a field, button, or other control on a form:

Open the form in Design View.

Right-click the item you want to work with, then select Properties from the pop-up menu.

When the Properties dialog box appears, click the Other tab.

Enter your message into the Status Bar Text area.

Close the dialog box, and save your form.

Take Notes Few things are more important than documenting the inner workings of your database system. Unfortunately, many things in life are more fun. Make the task a little easier with the Access 97 Database Documentor. This handy tool writes simple but comprehensive documentation about your tables, reports, forms, and more. To take a look at the Documentor, open a database file, then select Tools/Analyze/Documentor from the menu bar.

Share Data The links between Access 97 and its Office buddies offer more publishing and analysis opportunities than ever before. Whether you want to make a bulk mailing by feeding your Access 97 address database to Word's mail-merge system or to discover hidden sales trends by sifting an Access database with Excel's powerful tools, the Office 97 programs have you covered. There are more details in Microsoft's Office 97 Resource Kit.

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Access on the Net
Turn Databases into Web Pages	Access 97's new Publish to the Web Wizard lets you quickly create Web pages from tables, reports, and forms in your database. And if you use Microsoft's Internet Information Server on your network, you can even create Web pages that update themselves every time someone checks them out. For all the details, click the Office Assistant, and search for publishing to HTML.
Include Live URLs in Tables	Access 97 introduces a new field type that's custom-made for Internet and intranet applications. The Hyperlink field supports standard URL formats, so it can hold email addresses, as well as links to Web pages, gopher and FTP sites, and newsgroups. Even better, because Hyperlink fields are live, users simply click them to go to the proper location. With the Hyperlink field in your table-building arsenal, you can build Internet- or intranet-linked databases for competitive intelligence (your competition's Web sites, newsgroups where customers congregate, and similar items), employee information (cataloging documents available through your intranet and tracking updates), and so on. To learn more about building URLs into your tables, click the Office Assistant, and search for hyperlink fields.
Plug a Browser into your Forms	Give users direct access to Internet and intranet Web sites by building a browser right into your Access 97 forms. Thanks to Microsoft's ActiveX technology, it's relatively easy to integrate Internet Explorer into your forms. Learn the exact steps (and get some tips on how to size and place the browser window) by clicking the Office Assistant and searching for Web page on a form.

Editing
Right-Click your way to Happiness	Microsoft has adjusted the menus that pop up when you right-click an object in a database. Although the changes aren't huge, they do make Access 97 easier to use. Look for new items (such as the Filter For option when you right-click a field in Table View) and helpful icons (see the Form Design View pop-up that appears when you right-click the form itself) scattered throughout the pop-up menus.
Work Fast with Keyboard Commands	Access 97 is chock-full of keyboard shortcuts that make quick work of common data entry and editing tasks. For example: When adding or changing date-oriented records, try Ctrl-; (hold down the Ctrl and semicolon keys) to insert the current date, and Ctrl-: (the Ctrl and colon keys) to insert the current time.Ctrl-+ (the Ctrl key and the plus sign) adds a new record to the current table, while Ctrl-- (Ctrl and the minus key) deletes a record.If you want to copy a field's value from the previous record to the current record, press Ctrl-' (the Ctrl key and the apostrophe key).To quickly use a field's default value (if there is a default value), click in the field, then press Ctrl-Alt-spacebar.When you're done with a record and are ready to save all of the changes, press Shift-Enter for an instant save.You can even control check boxes and option buttons from the keyboard. Just press Tab to highlight the check box or option button, then press the spacebar to toggle the control on and off. To learn more keyboard shortcuts, click the Office Assistant, and search for keyboard shortcuts.
Change the Default Field Type	Every time you create a new field in a table, Access 97 assumes it will be a Text field. You can waste a lot of time if you use some other field type more often than Text in your tables. But Access 97 offers you a chance to change the default. To inflict your will upon the software, select Tools/Options from the menu bar, then click the Table/Query tab, and make your choice.
Build Simple Reports and Forms	When you need a quick form or report for a single table in your database, don't wade through a bunch of windows trying to make forms or reports by hand. Instead, turn to Access 97's collection of automatic Wizards: Open your database file, then click either the Reports or Forms tab, depending on what you want to create. Click the New button to open the New Report or New Form dialog box. Select the Auto Wizard of your choice from the list on the right. (Your report choices are AutoReport: Columnar and AutoReport: Tabular. In the forms department, choose between AutoForm: Columnar, AutoForm: Tabular, and AutoForm: Datasheet.) From the drop-down menu below the list of Wizards, select the table on which to base your form or report. Click OK to put the Wizard to work. When the Wizard is done, it displays the finished report or form. Be sure to select File/Save from the menu bar before closing the new creation.
Find Databases Fast	Everything in Windows 95 has property settings, and Access 97 databases are no exception. To open up the database properties window, simply right-click the title bar of the database window, then select Database Properties from the pop-up menu. The Properties window hops into action. The Summary and Custom tabs offer lots of documentation options, including basics such as Subject, Keywords, and Comments, as well as specialty choices such as Client, Destination, Document Number, Owner, and Project. Fill out these fields as completely as you wish. Later, you'll be able to search for any of the following properties to find databases: Select File/Open Database from the menu bar to bring up the Open dialog box. Click the Advanced button. The Advanced Find dialog box appears. Select the property you want to search for in the Property drop-down list. Select a condition (such as Includes, Ends With, or Begins With) from the Condition drop-down list, and type the text you want to match in the Value text box. When you're done setting the options, click Add to List to include your criteria in the search. Begin your search by clicking the Find Now button at the bottom of the window. For more information about these properties and how to use them in searches, click the Office Assistant, and search for finding files.
Create Instant Tables	If you're in a hurry or don't have time to learn the ins and outs of database design, you can get your information slotted into a basic table very quickly. Click the Tables tab in the Database dialog box, and click New. Then select the Datasheet View in the New Table dialog box, and click OK. A blank table is automatically created, ready for your information.

Extras
Create a Splash Screen	In the world of commercial software, splash screens are the graphics that appear while the program is busy trying to pull its act together and start running. Now you can add the same professional touch to your databases: Create an image with the Paint applet built into Windows 95 or with your favorite graphics program. You can even grab images from CD-ROMs or Web-based clip art libraries. (Remember to observe copyright laws, though--you don't want to tangle with a bunch of lawyers by illegally using someone else's artwork.) Save the picture as a Windows bitmap file (BMP). Name the image file to match your database (for example, if your database is named medicine, your splash screen file should be called medicine.bmp). Be sure to save the image in the same folder as your database. The next time anyone opens the database, the splash screen will hop into action first.
Add Reminders	ToolTips are those little bits of text that pop up when you point the mouse at a button or menu item inside many Windows 95 programs. They take the worry out of remembering all of Access 97's arcane controls. Now you can attach these helpful items to fields, buttons, or other items on your forms: Open the form in Design View, then right-click the item you want to work with. From the pop-up menu, select Properties to open the dialog box. Click the Other tab in the dialog box, then type your ToolTip text in the ControlTip Text area. When you're done, close the Properties dialog box, and save your form.
Offer Status Bar Suggestions	No matter how easy a task, it always seems that people can use a little help along the way. That's why Microsoft displays so many helpful notes in the status bar along the bottom of the screen. Access 97 puts this technology in your hands with the Status Bar Text property. To include your own Status Bar message for a field, button, or other control on a form: Open the form in Design View. Right-click the item you want to work with, then select Properties from the pop-up menu. When the Properties dialog box appears, click the Other tab. Enter your message into the Status Bar Text area. Close the dialog box, and save your form.
Take Notes	Few things are more important than documenting the inner workings of your database system. Unfortunately, many things in life are more fun. Make the task a little easier with the Access 97 Database Documentor. This handy tool writes simple but comprehensive documentation about your tables, reports, forms, and more. To take a look at the Documentor, open a database file, then select Tools/Analyze/Documentor from the menu bar.
Share Data	The links between Access 97 and its Office buddies offer more publishing and analysis opportunities than ever before. Whether you want to make a bulk mailing by feeding your Access 97 address database to Word's mail-merge system or to discover hidden sales trends by sifting an Access database with Excel's powerful tools, the Office 97 programs have you covered. There are more details in Microsoft's Office 97 Resource Kit.