https://www.stl-training.co.uk/hints-tips-access-2.html Software application hints and tips from our Microsoft Qualified trainers en Mon, 06 Apr 2026 18:34:21 GMT Mon, 06 Apr 2026 18:34:21 GMT https://www.stl-training.co.uk/rss-feeds.php When you have related tables such as Customers and their Orders, the Customer table is the Primary table. Open the Customers table in datasheet view and go to the Home Tab and Records group. Click on the More option and choose Subdatasheet and then click on Subdatasheet again. Now choose the related table (Orders) and click ok. Now you can click the + symbol by each company to show the related orders. https://www.stl-training.co.uk/hints-tips-access-2.html#tip-700 Mon, 15 Oct 2012 00:00:00 GMT https://www.stl-training.co.uk/hints-tips-access-2.html#tip-700 a. In Access click on the File tab b. Select Options from left hand side c. Choose the Customize Ribbon section d. Click the New Tab button (below the list of tabs on the right hand side of the dialog box) e. Select the New Tab (Custom) and enter a name, by clicking the Rename button (below the list of tabs on the right hand side of the dialog box) f. Select the New Group (Custom) and enter a name, by clicking the Rename button (below the list of tabs on the right hand side of the dialog box) g. Add commands to your tab and group by locating them on the list on the right hand side (remembering that you can change the list using the drop down box at the top of the list of commands) and clicking the Add button between the two panes to add them to your tab and group h. You can rearrange the commands in your group, the groups on any tab or the tabs, using the up and down arrow buttons beside the list of tabs. i. Click OK to apply your changes https://www.stl-training.co.uk/hints-tips-access-2.html#tip-671 Sat, 15 Oct 2011 00:00:00 GMT https://www.stl-training.co.uk/hints-tips-access-2.html#tip-671 The Quick Access Toolbar is included in virtually every Office product, including Outlook 2010, Word 2010, Excel 2010, and PowerPoint 2010. You will find the Quick Access Toolbar in the top-left side of the window. To begin, click the Customize button (it's the little black arrow at the end of the toolbar). Simply click the commands you want to include. Virtually any command can be added to the Quick Access Toolbar. Click the More Commands option and a new window will open from where you can browse the commands including those not on the ribbon. https://www.stl-training.co.uk/hints-tips-access-2.html#tip-627 Thu, 06 Oct 2011 00:00:00 GMT https://www.stl-training.co.uk/hints-tips-access-2.html#tip-627 To duplicate the entry press CTRL+' (apostrophe)this will copy the contents of the previous entry in the same field. (Table view, line above) note this also works in Excel. https://www.stl-training.co.uk/hints-tips-access-2.html#tip-509 Wed, 31 Jan 2007 00:00:00 GMT https://www.stl-training.co.uk/hints-tips-access-2.html#tip-509 An option when you open your Access database that contains all of you tables, forms and queries is only the switchboard is displayed. To achieve this, select Tools click on Startup. On the right hand side of the Startup screen you are able to select which form you want to open when you open you Access Database. Once you have selected this, there is a check box just below that says "Display Database Window", you need to uncheck this option. Then click ok. Then when you close you Access database and re open it, the database should open with just the switchboard being shown https://www.stl-training.co.uk/hints-tips-access-2.html#tip-477 Fri, 01 Dec 2006 00:00:00 GMT https://www.stl-training.co.uk/hints-tips-access-2.html#tip-477 Not sure which data type to use for your Access fields? Here are some guidelines to help you choose a data type to assign to a field. - The Text data type can accept up to 255 characters. For information that will be recorded in paragraphs, use Memo. - Also use Text for numbers that aren't going to be used in calculations, e.g. phone numbers. - Use the Currency data type for monetary amounts. - Use Date/Time for dates. - Most other numbers can use the Number data type, but the Field Size property may have to be altered. - For fields that have only two alternatives (yes, no) use Yes/No data type. If there is likely to be a third entry option (e.g. maybe or don't know) use Text instead. https://www.stl-training.co.uk/hints-tips-access-2.html#tip-442 Sat, 25 Nov 2006 00:00:00 GMT https://www.stl-training.co.uk/hints-tips-access-2.html#tip-442 If you wish to calculate the time between two date fields, this can be done in a number of ways: 1. As a calculated field in a query 2. As a calculated control in a form or report 3. As a calculation in a VBA procedure. The basic syntax to get the number of days between two dates is: [b]=[One Date Field] - [Another Date Field] [/b] You can also use one of the following functions: [b]=Month([One Date Field] - [Another Date Field])[/b] which calculates the number of months between the two fields [b]=Year([One Date Field] - [Another Date Field])[/b] which calculates the number of years between the two fields. Another function is the [b]DateDiff()[/b] function. It uses an argument to determine how the time interval is measured. For example: [b]=DateDiff("q",[One Date Field] - [Another Date Field])[/b] returns the number of [b]quarters[/b] between the two fields. Other intervals that can be used in this expression are as follows: [b]"yyyy" - Years "m" - Months "d" - Days "w" - Weekdays "ww" - Weeks "h" - Hours "n" - Minutes "s" - Seconds[/b] https://www.stl-training.co.uk/hints-tips-access-2.html#tip-392 Fri, 24 Nov 2006 00:00:00 GMT https://www.stl-training.co.uk/hints-tips-access-2.html#tip-392 To have your label display a sentence with an [b]&(ampersand)[/b] in it, like [b]Fox & Hound[/b] simply type it as: [b]Fox && Hound[/b] https://www.stl-training.co.uk/hints-tips-access-2.html#tip-398 Fri, 24 Nov 2006 00:00:00 GMT https://www.stl-training.co.uk/hints-tips-access-2.html#tip-398 To Undo any entries or changes in records: [b] Hit the ESC key once for the current field And ESC twice for current record[/b] https://www.stl-training.co.uk/hints-tips-access-2.html#tip-399 Fri, 24 Nov 2006 00:00:00 GMT https://www.stl-training.co.uk/hints-tips-access-2.html#tip-399 To insert the current date into a Table field or Form Text box use: [b]Ctrl+Semi-Colon(;)[/b] https://www.stl-training.co.uk/hints-tips-access-2.html#tip-401 Fri, 24 Nov 2006 00:00:00 GMT https://www.stl-training.co.uk/hints-tips-access-2.html#tip-401 To insert the current time into a Table field or Form textbox use: [b]Ctrl+Colon(:)[/b] https://www.stl-training.co.uk/hints-tips-access-2.html#tip-403 Fri, 24 Nov 2006 00:00:00 GMT https://www.stl-training.co.uk/hints-tips-access-2.html#tip-403 One method of stopping your Access tables appearing in Database window, is to rename the table(s) with the prefix usys. This converts the table into a system object, which cannot be viewed in the Database window. You can show system objects in the Database window by the following: Step 1: On the Tools menu, click Options. Step 2: Click the View tab. Under Show, select the System Objects check box. Click OK. https://www.stl-training.co.uk/hints-tips-access-2.html#tip-342 Mon, 13 Nov 2006 00:00:00 GMT https://www.stl-training.co.uk/hints-tips-access-2.html#tip-342 If you want to hide non-adjacent Access table columns. In Datasheet view, open the table that contains the columns you want to hide. On the Format menu, click Unhide Columns. In the Unhide Columns dialog box, clear the check box next to the name of each column you want to hide. Click Close. This method makes having to use the Hide Columns command repeatedly unnecessary https://www.stl-training.co.uk/hints-tips-access-2.html#tip-343 Mon, 13 Nov 2006 00:00:00 GMT https://www.stl-training.co.uk/hints-tips-access-2.html#tip-343 A handy way to increase or decrease the size of text in Microsoft Word, Microsoft PowerPoint, Microsoft FrontPage, or Microsoft Publisher, first, select the text you want to resize. Then, to increase the font size, press CTRL+SHIFT+>. To decrease the font size, press CTRL+SHIFT+<. https://www.stl-training.co.uk/hints-tips-access-2.html#tip-345 Mon, 13 Nov 2006 00:00:00 GMT https://www.stl-training.co.uk/hints-tips-access-2.html#tip-345 If you often enter the same value in one field of a table, there are two methods to save re-typing the data. 1. Use [b]Ctrl+' (apostrophe)[/b] to repeat the value input in the previous record. 2. Change the field's DefaultValue property in Design View to the most commonly used value. https://www.stl-training.co.uk/hints-tips-access-2.html#tip-308 Wed, 25 Oct 2006 00:00:00 GMT https://www.stl-training.co.uk/hints-tips-access-2.html#tip-308