Switchboard A Switchboard is a type of form that displays a menu of items that a user can click on to launch data entry forms, reports, queries and other actions in the database. A switchboard is typically created after all of the forms and reports for a database application have been completed. It can be used to guide the user to an appropriate set of forms and reports. Note that starting with Access 2010, Switchboards are not available by default (you will need to add this to the ribbon bar manually using the Options). Access 2010 and 2013 make use of the Navigation Forms. In this section, a default switchboard will be created. Creating and Running a Navigation Form MS Access 2010 introduced a new form called a Navigation Form. Navigation forms take the place of Switchboards but provide much the same functionality. Namely, they are designed to give the user the ability to run forms and reports without having to hunt through all of the different menus and lists objects. Typically a database application will have one main Navigation form that will appear when the database is opened. A Navigation Form is another type of form in MS Access 2013 1. To get started, click on the Create tab on the Access 2013 ribbon bar. Under the section for Forms look for the item labeled Navigation Form. Note that this may be located on the button labeled Other Forms. 2. Note that there are 6 different default styles of Navigation Forms. Each one places the buttons in a different configuration on the screen. Buttons can be aligned across the top, either side or some combination. For this tutorial select the Horizontal Tabs configuration which appears as the first item on the list.
3. At this point a new Navigation Form will be created with a row of tabs across the top. The first tab will be labeled [Add New] 4. To add items to the Navigation form, drag the items from the list on the left over to the spot on the Navigation Form labeled [Add New]. This is shown by the arrow in the above figure. For example, drag over the Customer Data Entry form to the Navigation Form. The result is shown below. 5. Next drag and drop the Customer Master Form as shown below.
6. Next drag and drop the Customer Report as shown below. 7. At this point we have created a new navigation Form and added three items along the top of the page. Save the Navigation Form by right-clicking on the name of the form and choosing Save as shown below. : 8. Name the Navigation Form: Bank Navigation Form and click the OK button. 9. Close up the Navigation Form by right-clicking again on the name of the form and choosing Close. At this point the new Navigation Form has been created and saved. The next step will be to view the Navigation Form and navigate the different forms and reports linked to it.
10. To view the Navigation Form, look for the Forms group on the left side of the screen. Double click on the Bank Navigation Form item as shown below: The Navigation Form will appear: Note that each form or report can be displayed simply by clicking on the different tabs across the top of the Navigation Form.
Modifying a Navigation Form For this exercise, edit the Bank Navigation Form in Layout View and add the following new items to the Navigation Form: Accounts Data Entry Accounts Report 1. To edit the Bank Navigation Form right-click on the name of the form and choosing Layout View as shown below. 2. To add the Accounts Data Entry and Accounts Report forms to the Navigation form, drag the items from the list on the left over to the spot on the Navigation Form labeled [Add New]. Right-click on the form name and choose Save to save the form. 3. Right-click on the form name and choose Form View. The resulting Navigation Form should appear as below with the Accounts Report opened.
Setting the Navigation Form as the Default MS Access 2007 and 2010 (as well as earlier versions) have the ability to set a default form that will open up automatically once the MS Access data file is opened. This is especially useful for end users so that they always see the same form when they open up the database. 1. To set the Default Form, pull down the File menu and select the Options menu item. 2. The Database Options form will appear. Click on the Current Database item on the left hand side.
3. Under the Application Options heading, look for the Display Form: prompt and set this to the Bank Navigation Form as shown below: 4. Click on the OK button to close up the Database Options screen. 5. Close the entire database and reopen it. The next time this database (bankdb.accdb) is opened, the Bank Navigation Form will open up. Show your teacher.