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In this week's article we have two hints and tips for Access (database), Excel (Spreadsheet) and Word (Word Processor). - 6 of the best!
If you have ever designed a database in Access you have probably found that the "standard" screen combinations of backgrounds, data labels and fields are a bit boring. You have probably changed the colours to suit and this is where a real chore can begin. You have a screen with 20 - 30 fields and you want to change the font, font size or colour of a label or data field. You have to select each one and change the properties (even if you select each one as a group you still have to set each property), right? Wrong! You can use the format painter. This icon (resembling a paintbrush with a yellow line coming from it) will change the format of a label, field etc to a set format. To use the painter, change the properties of ONE field/label then select it (so that it has the selection boxes on it). Now double click the format painter icon. Now click on each field/label and it will change to the format of the original field. This can save you hours if you have a lot of screens and fields to do. By the way - this also works in Word and Excel! Access Reports Once you have all your data stored safely in Access you will want some way of looking at multiple records - usually though records that fit certain criteria. Things like "Give me a list of every client who bought a particular product" or "print the address of everyone in a certain area". You will usually use reports to do this. You can go straight the report option of Access, select your table and produce your report. However, I don't do this. I use queries to get the data and then use a report based on the query, not the original table. Here's why... · You can always amend a query to include additional data from another table (you can't do this in reports). · You can apply more complex selection criteria in a query. · You can test the query before creating the report to check you are getting the correct records. Why spend ages messing around with the format of a report when it won't work? · You can later create screens based on your query if you want to see the report data in a screen.
The copyright of the article 6 of the Best! in PC Support is owned by Chris Cruickshank. Permission to republish 6 of the Best! in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
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