Access 2007: Shortcuts

Shares tips and shortcuts to vastly increase efficiency and get the full power out of Access 2007.

In Access 2007 Power Shortcuts, Access expert Alicia Katz Pollock shares hundreds of tips and shortcuts to vastly increase efficiency and get the full power out of Access 2007. The course includes tips for working with the Ribbon and Quick Access toolbar, managing files, customizing and automating Access, rapid data entry and editing, working with tables, queries, forms, and reports, managing your database, and much more. Exercise files accompany the course.

Introduction

• Welcome
• Using the exercise files

1. Top Tips

• Customizing the Navigation pane
• Toggling between Design and Data views
• Creating new fields with field templates
• Understanding the "Cannot contain a Null value" error
• Working with AutoNumbers as foreign keys
• Using input masks
• Four ways to add fields to a query
• Four ways to filter data
• Selecting multiple form and report controls
• Aligning and distributing controls on forms and reports

2. File Management

• Opening recent files
• Opening your most recently used file automatically
• Selecting a startup form
• Changing the default saving location

3. Ribbon and Quick Access Toolbar Tips

• Expanding and collapsing the Ribbon
• Three ways to customize the Quick Access toolbar
• Selecting Ribbon buttons using KeyTips

4. Interface Shortcuts

• Turning the Navigation pane into a switchboard
• Right-clicking
• Using keyboard shortcuts

5. Navigation Shortcuts

• Navigating between records
• Using Search, Go to, and Find
• Selecting fields, rows, columns, and tables

6. Data Entry and Editing Shortcuts

• Undo and Redo tips
• Entering data across, not down
• Repeating data from the record above
• Inserting today's date
• Removing automatic hyperlinks
• Using AutoCorrect
• Using concatenated fields
• Linking Outlook contacts
• Saving imports and exports for reuse

7. Table Techniques

• Creating a table using table templates
• Setting data types
• Understanding number field sizes
• Setting default field types
• Using validation rules
• Using flag fields
• Using an index
• Using a datasheet Totals row
• Filtering by selection
• Resizing columns and rows
• Removing gridlines and shading from tables
• Hiding and unhiding table fields
• Freezing fields when scrolling
• Analyzing your table for redundant structure

8. Relationship Techniques

• Setting a starting AutoNumber
• Creating a multi-field primary key
• Using subdatasheets
• Using relationship reports

9. Query Techniques

• Using wildcards
• Using IN instead of OR
• Hiding query fields
• Changing captions
• Finding duplicate records
• Moving records with append and delete queries
• Using make-table queries
• Creating an update query
• Turning a query into a PivotTable
• Turning a query into a PivotChart
• Using SQL statements

10. Form Techniques

• Using the property sheet to work with controls
• Creating option groups
• Using a ComboBox to select a record
• Creating tabbed form layouts
• Inserting charts
• Creating your own smart tags
• Using the CanGrow and CanShrink properties
• Hiding fields in printouts
• Setting tab stops
• Clipping, stretching, and zooming images
• Viewing single or continuous forms
• Changing a form's default view

11. Report Techniques

• Inserting page breaks in reports and forms
• Creating headers and footers
• Hiding duplicates in reports

12. Formatting Shortcuts

• Using the Format Painter
• Setting default appearance for new databases

13. Macro and Event Techniques

• Using a Before Change macro to create a time stamp
• Triggering a Before Delete warning message
• Creating a user interface macro
• Using AutoExec macros

14. Database Management Techniques

• Exporting to PDF
• Compacting and repairing a database
• Locking files

Conclusion

• Goodbye