Exercise 2 - Creating a Data Entry Form

Database Exercise 4 – MakingData Entry Forms

Database Exercise 4 Making Data Entry Forms

Learning Outcomes

• You will consider that forms are a useful and convenient way of entering data into an underlying table.
• You will be able to identify the difference between columnar and tabular forms and know the advantages of entering data through a columnar form
• You will consider the layout of a data entry form in terms of how easy it is to use by another person.
• You will seek feedback from other users and amend their work accordingly

Extension activity

• Introduce a picture field into the table (data type OLE object). Working in Design View, introduce this field into the Video form. Copy and paste appropriate pictures from the internet for each film

• Because databases are used to store data, there must be an easy way of entering the data in the first place. Data is usually entered into a database using forms. There are two main ways of setting out a form; tabularand columnar.

Tabularforms show the whole table of data with all of the records arranged in columns and rows. You are more likely to make mistakes entering data through a tabular form.

Columnarforms only show data to do with one particular at any one time. This makes it easy to just concentrate you attention on one data subject.

In this exercise you will create a data entry form for others to use.

Locate the file called Video1.mdb

Make a copy of this file in your own user area.

Double click the file in order to open MS Access

Have a look at the table that has already been created.

Creating a new data entry form

Click on the Forms tab and click Create form using the wizard.

Changing the appearance of the form

In order to change the design of the form, you must be working in Design view.

Click the View icon on the far left of the toolbar and switch to Design view.

Notice the floating toolbox that appears in Design view (you can turn it on and off using the button on the form design tool bar). Using the mouse increasewidth and depth of the form so that it fills in the whole page

Click in the blank area to the bottom right of the Cast field.

Keeping the mouse button pressed, drag upwards to the top left of the form so that you select all of the fields.

You should be able to click and move all of the fields together using the mouse.

Add a label to your form

Click the label button on the toolbox.

Draw a label above the fields

Type in a suitable label (such as Enter Details of Videos)

Click way from the label then click on it again

Change the size of the label so that it is bigger

Add Colour to your Form

Right Click on background of the form and select Fill/Back color

Choose a suitable colour

Add a Pictureto your Form

Click the Image Tool in the Toolbox.

Drag out an area for the picture ion your form.

You will be prompted to browse for a picture

Find the file DVD-icon.jpgand click OK.

Resize the picture if necessary

Save the form and switch to Form View to checkthe appearance of your form.

Adding Navigation and Form Buttons

Working inDesign View, click the Command Button tool in the Toolbox.

Drag out an area on the form

Select Find Record from the Record Navigation section

Choose the Binoculars1icon

Click finish

Save the form and switch to Form View to checkthe appearance of your form.

Now add buttons for each of the following functions

Go To First Record

Go To Previous Record

GoTo Next Record

Go To Last Record

Add New Record (from the Record Operations section)

Insert aClose button but this time use a text label rather than an icon

Choose Close Form from the Form Operations section

Select the Text radio button

Save the form and switch to Form View to checkthe appearance of your form.

Test that each button works

Do not worry if all the buttons are not the same size at this stage
Setting all of the buttons to equal size, spacing and alignment

It is often difficult to accurately arrange the buttons of fields on a form by eye.

Fortunately Access has built in features for achieving this

Working in Design viewselect all of the buttons which you want to align together

From the format menu select the Size option

You will need to repeat this step to get the vertical and horizontal sizes to be equal

Next choose the horizontal spacing option and make the spacing equal

Finally choose the alignment option and set this accordingly

After following these steps the buttons should all be equally spaced, aligned and all the same size!
Completed data entry form

Notice that the category and certificate fields have adopted the drop down box properties that were originally set up in the table upon which the form was based.

Testing the form

Bearing in mind that this form is to be used by others – you should test the form and see what someone else thinks about how easy it is to use.

Consider whether the form could be improved in any way.

For example:

• Could the buttons be bigger or smaller?
• Could the buttons be in a better position?
• Could the colour scheme be changed?
• Should there be more instructions on the screen
• Should any of the data entry fields be bigger or smaller?

Write a written evaluation to answer these questions and carry out any improvements necessary using screen dumps to show how you have changed the form for the better.

Save your form

Extension activities – form based on tblMembers

Using the techniques that you used for making the form frmVideos, make a form based on the members table

Call the form frmMembers

Test the form using the same criteria as for the Vidoes form

Extension activities – adding pictures to the fields

Add aPicture fieldthat table tblVideo using the data type OLE object

Working in design view add the picture field to the form frmVideos

In Design view change the size mode of the pictures to Stretch

Working in data sheet view copy and paste a picture found on the internet into the picture field.Note that you cannot enter the pictures directly into the table – you must use the form.

Now repeat this process for the members table and form (you will need to get some pictures of members)

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