Making It Easy for Others to Use the Database

Core Training for Microsoft Office Access 2003

Creating a Switchboard

1	To create a switchboard, click the Tools menu, point to Database Utilities, click Switchboard Manager, and then in the Switchboard Manager message box, click Yes.
2	To name the switchboard, in the Switchboard Manager, notice that Main Switchboard (Default) is selected in the Switchboard Pages list, and then click Edit.
3	To enter a switchboard name, in the Switchboard Name box, drag to select the text, then for the purposes of this exercise, press SPACEBAR, wait as the text is typed for you, and then click Close.
4	To add new pages to the switchboard, in the Switchboard Manager, click New.
5	To name the new page, in the Switchboard Page Name box, press SPACEBAR, wait as the text is typed for you, and then click OK.
6	To create another page, in the Switchboard Manager, click New.
7	To name the new page, in the Switchboard Page Name box, press SPACEBAR, wait as the text is typed for you, and then click OK.
8	To create a new switchboard button and assign properties to it, in the Switchboard Manager, click Edit, and then in the Edit Switchboard Page dialog box, click New.
9	To name the new button, in the Text box, press SPACEBAR, and the text will be typed for you.
10	Notice that the Command list contains the Go to Switchboard command that is needed for this button, click the Switchboard list arrow, click Forms, and then click OK.
11	To create another switchboard button and assign properties to it, in the Edit Switchboard Page dialog box, click New.
12	To name the new button, in the Text box of the Edit Switchboard Item dialog box, press SPACEBAR, and the text will be typed for you.
13	Notice that the Command list contains the Go to Switchboard command that is needed for this button, click the Switchboard list arrow, click Reports, and then click OK.
14	To create and name another button, in the Edit Switchboard Page dialog box, click New, in the Text box, press SPACEBAR, and the text will be typed for you.
15	To assign a command to the button, click the Command list arrow, and then click Run Macro.
16	To select a macro, click the Macro list arrow, click below the scroll box on the scroll bar until Switchboard.closeSB displays, click Switchboard.closeSB, and then click OK.
17	To create and name another button, in the Edit Switchboard Page dialog box, click New, in the Text box, press SPACEBAR, and the text will be typed for you.
18	To assign a command to the button, click the Command list arrow, click Exit Application, and then click OK.
19	Notice that the Edit Switchboard Page dialog box lists the items you have just created, and then to close the dialog box and return to the Switchboard Manager, click Close.
20	To add buttons to the Forms page, in the Switchboard Manager, click Forms in the Switchboard Pages list, click Edit, and buttons will be added for you.
21	To close the Edit Switchboard Page dialog box and return to the Switchboard Manager, click Close.
22	To add buttons to the Reports page, in the Switchboard Manager, click Reports from the Switchboard Pages list, click Edit, and buttons will be added for you.
23	To close the Edit Switchboard Page dialog box and return to the Switchboard Manager, click Close, and then to close the Switchboard Manager, click Close.
24	To open your new switchboard in Form view, on the Objects bar, notice that Forms is selected, and then double-click Switchboard.
25	To view the Categories form, in the Microsoft Access – [The Garden Company] window, click the Forms button, and then click Edit/Enter Categories.
26	To close the form, click its Close button, and to return to the first-level switchboard window, click Return, and then to close the switchboard, click Close Switchboard.

Creating a Splash Screen

1	To create a form for a splash screen, on the Objects bar, notice that Forms is selected, and then double-click Create form in Design view.
2	To save the form, click the File menu, and then click Save.
3	To continue, in the Save As dialog box, for the purposes of this exercise, press SPACEBAR, wait as the text is typed for you in the Form Name box, and then click OK.
4	To set the form properties, click the View menu, click Properties, and then click the Format tab.
5	To remove the scroll bars, click the Scroll Bars box, click the list arrow, and then click Neither.
6	To remove the record selectors, click the Record Selectors box, click the list arrow, click No, and then to close the Form properties window, click its Close button.
7	To draw a rectangle on the form, in the Toolbox, click the Rectangle button, as indicated, and then click in the Detail section, as indicated.
8	To format the rectangle, click the View menu, click Properties, and then in the Rectangle: Box0 window, on the Format tab, drag to select the text in the Left box.
9	To set the properties, press SPACEBAR, wait as the text is typed for you, and then to close the Rectangle: Box0 window, click its Close button.
10	To insert an image frame in the rectangle, in the Toolbox, click the Image button, as indicated, and then click in the middle of the rectangle.
11	To insert an image, in the Insert Picture dialog box, click tgc_logo1, click OK, and then to position the image, drag it to the center along the top of the Detail section, as indicated.
12	To label the image, in the Toolbox, click the Label button, as indicated, and click below the left corner of the image.
13	To insert a check box, on the Toolbox, click the Check Box button, as indicated, and then click below the left lower corner of the label.
14	To set the properties for the check box, click the View menu, click Properties, and then click the Other tab.
15	To enter a name for the check box, press SPACEBAR, and the text will be typed for you in the Name box.
16	To clear the check box, click the Data tab, click the Default Value box, press SPACEBAR, wait as the text is typed for you, and then to close the Check Box: chkHideSplash window, click its Close button.
17	To change the check box label, click the associated label of the check box, drag to select the text, press SPACEBAR, wait as the text is typed for you, and then press ENTER.
18	To add a command button to the form, in the Toolbox, click the Command Button button, as indicated, and then click inside the rectangle at the lower right edge.
19	To specify an action for the button, in the Command Button Wizard, in the Categories list, click Form Operations, in the Actions list, click Close Form, and then click Next.
20	To add text to the button, click Text, drag to select the text, press SPACEBAR, wait as the text is typed for you, and then click Next.
21	To name the button, press SPACEBAR, wait as the text is typed for you in the text box, and then click Finish.
22	To save the design, click the File menu, click Save, and to switch to Form view, click the View menu, and then click Form View.
23	To close the splash screen, click OK.

Setting Startup Options

1	To set the startup options, click the Tools menu, and then click Startup.
2	To provide a name for the application, in the Application Title box, for the purposes of this exercise, press SPACEBAR, and the text will be typed for you.
3	To select an icon for the application, click Browse, in the Icon Browser dialog box, click icon_tgc, and then click OK.
4	To set a startup form, click the Display Form/Page list arrow, click below the scroll box on the scroll bar until Splash displays, and then click Splash.
5	To continue setting startup options, clear the Display Database Window check box, clear the Allow Built-in Toolbars check box, and then clear the Allow Toolbar/Menu Changes check box.
6	To close the Startup dialog box, click OK, and to close the database, click the File menu, and then click Close.
7	To open the database, click the File menu, click Open, and then double-click GardenCo.
8	To acknowledge the security warning, in the Security Warning message box, click Open.
9	Notice that the new startup options are in effect. To continue, on the splash screen, click OK.
10	To view the Products form, in The Garden Company window, click Forms, and then in the Forms window, click Edit/Enter Products.
11	To close the Products form, click its Close button, and to close the Forms window, click Return, and then to close The Garden Company window, click Close Switchboard.