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Entering data & using a form (Access 97)

Next, you will need to enter your mock student information into the table.  Make up student profiles for 10 students and fill in data for each field in the table.

There are a couple of ways in which to enter data.  One is to simply enter data into the table you just created.  The other is to create a form in which you would enter data.  For your assignment, you will need to create a form.  Both methods will be described below, but you must use the second method with a form for your assignment.

Entering data directly into the table

To enter data directly into the table, you need to open the "Student Information" database table you just created. When you created a new table in the previous section, you were in the "design" view.  To return there again, you would select the table and click on the "Design" button. To enter data, either double-click on the table name or select the table name and click "Open." This will bring you to the "datasheet" view of the table. Next, type in the data for each student.  Remember that each row represents one record (or student).   To move between cells, press the Tab or Enter key. You may also go to a new cell by clicking on it.

Entering data using a form

A form allows users to access a nicely formatted graphical interface in which to enter data. For your assignment, you will need to create your own form.  To do this, click on the "Form" tab or section, then click on the "New" button. You will get to choose an option for how you want to create your form.  Design view allows you to create the interface yourself, whereas Form Wizard will provide shortcuts for setting up a form quickly.  For now, select "Form Wizard" to make your form. You will get the following window:

From the drop-down menu, you will need to select the "Student Info" table you created. The fields from that table will appear in the "Available Fields" screen on the left.  Since you will want all form fields appearing in your new form, you could select each field one at a time and click the ">" button to move them to the right screen for "Selected Fields."  A faster method is to press the ">>" button, which will move all the fields over.  When this is done click the "Next" button.

You now need to choose the layout for your form. You can choose from columnar, tabular, datasheet, and justified.  When you click on each one, an image of the layout will appear.  Select the "columnar" layout, unless you prefer a different one, and click the "Next" button.

In the next window, you need to choose the style for your form.  Click on each of the style options to preview them.  Make your selection then click the "Next" button.

In the final screen of the Form Wizard, you need to name your form.  The default name is the same as the name of the table you selected.  Keep the default name.   On this window, you are also asked whether you want to modify the design of the form or to open the form to view or enter information.  Choose to open the form to view or enter information, then click the "Finish" button.  Your new form will be open in the Access window.  The sample form for this lesson uses a "columnar" layout and "standard" style and looks like the following:

To open this form from the main menu, you would click on the "Form" tab or section of the main Access window, select the form name, then click "Open."   Once open, the form is ready for you to view the currently entered records or for you to enter new data.  As you can see, only one record is displayed in the above form. The buttons at the bottom of the form allow you to scroll through the records.   The buttons are described below:

	View first record
	View previous record
	View next record
	View last record
	Add new record

Please continue onto the next section on Modifying a Form.

Copyright © 2001-2002 Valerie Irvine. All rights reserved.
Revised: October 29, 2002.