Make Access forms easier to navigate with tab controls

by Mary Ann Richardson | Jul 11, 2006 7:00:00 AM

Tags: Microsoft Office, Mary Ann Richardson, Microsoft Access, Page 2, Microsoft Office Suite Access Tips Newsletter

Takeaway: Access forms can be overwhelming if you have too many fields. Fortunately, you can create a road map by using tab controls. Mary Ann Richardson shows you how in this Access tip.

If you have too many fields on an Access form, it can be difficult for users to find the information they need when they need it. One way you can make this process easier for users is to build your form with tab controls.

For example, you can use tab controls to divide a Contacts form into two sections: one for the contact's business information, and one for the contact's personal information. Follow these steps:

1. Open a blank form in Design View.
2. Click the Tab Control tool, then click the form where you want the control to appear.
3. Drag the fields in the Field list to where you want them to appear in Page 1.
4. Double-click the Page 1 tab and change its Name property in the Properties box to Business Information.
5. Click on the Page 2 tab.
6. Drag the fields in the Field list to where you want them to appear in Page 2.
7. Double-click the Page 2 tab and change its Name property in the Properties box to Personal Information.

Users can now work with each set of fields separately by clicking on the respective page tab. If you need to create additional pages, right-click a page tab, and select Insert Page.

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