Object Designers category (Access Options)

Table design

• Default field type    Sets or changes the default data type for fields in new tables and fields that you add to existing tables. The default data type is Text.

• Default text field size    Changes the maximum number of characters you can enter in fields that are set to the Text data type. You cannot exceed the default maximum of 255 characters.

• Default number field size    Sets or changes the integer type for fields that are set to the Number data type.

• AutoIndex on Import/Create    Enter the beginning or ending characters of a field name. When you import fields from an external file or you add fields to a table, Microsoft Office Access 2007 automatically indexes any fields with names that match the characters entered here. Use a semicolon to separate character strings. For example, if you type unit;name, Office Access 2007 indexes fields named "UnitPrice" and "CompanyName."

• Show Property Update Options buttons    Shows or hides the Property Update Options button. The button appears when you change a property of a field in a table. You use the button to update the changed property in any controls on forms and reports that are bound to the field.

Query design

• Show table names    Shows or hides the Table row in the query design grid. Clearing this option hides the row only for new queries. If you open an existing query that previously showed table names, Access overrrides this option. Select this option when you need to track the sources of fields in a query that is based on several tables.

• Output all fields    When this option is selected, Access adds a Select * statement to your queries. That statement then retrieves all the fields in the underlying tables or queries for a given query. Clear this check box when you want to see only the fields that you add when you are using the query designer. This option applies only to new queries that you create with the current instance of Access.

• Enable AutoJoin    When you are using the query designer, select this option to create an inner join between two tables automatically. Clear this check box if you want to define the relationship yourself. For this option to work, the tables must share a field with the same name and data type, and one of those fields must be a primary key.

• Query design font    

  • Font    Sets the default font used in the query designer.

  • Size    Sets the size of the default font used in the query designer

• SQL Server compatible syntax (ANSI 92)    

  • This database    Select this option when you want to run queries against Microsoft SQL Server databases. You must use ANSI-92 syntax for all queries when you select this option. Existing queries written using the older ANSI-89 standard (the default for Access) might not run, or might return unexpected results.

  • Default for new databases    Select this option to make ANSI-92 the default query syntax for all new databases created with the current instance of Access.

Forms/Reports

When you design a form or report, these options define selection behavior when you drag a rectangle to select one or more controls. The options apply to all Access databases, whether they are open or not, and to databases that you create in the future.

• Selection behavior    

  • Partially enclosed    The selection rectangle covers part of a control or a group of controls.

  • Fully enclosed    The selection rectangle fully encompasses all of a control or a group of controls.

• Form template    Enter the name of an existing form. That form becomes a template for all new forms, and those forms have the same section and control properties as the template. The default template is "Normal."

• Report template    Enter the name of an existing report. That report becomes the template for all new reports, and those reports have the same section and control properties as the template. The default template is "Normal."

• Always use event procedures    Starts the Visual Basic Editor instead of displaying the Choose Builder dialog box. By default, the dialog box appears when you click on a property sheet for any event.

Error Checking

• Enable error checking    Enables or disables error checking in forms and reports. Access places error indicators in controls that experience one or more types of errors. The indicators appear as triangles in the upper-left or upper-right corner of the control, depending on how you set the default text direction. The default indicator color is green, but you can change that to suit your needs. Error checking is on by default, and clearing this check box disables all types of error checking.

• Check for unassociated label and control    When you select a control and a label, Access checks to ensure that the selected objects are associated with each other. If Access finds an error, the Trace Error button appears instead of the usual error indicator. Also, the Trace Error button appears, even if the label or control is associated with another object.

• Check for new unassociated labels    Access checks all new labels to ensure that they are associated with a control. This setting applies only to forms.

• Check for keyboard shortcut errors    Access checks for duplicate keyboard shortcuts and invalid shortcuts, such as space characters, and provides a list of alternatives. This setting applies only to forms.

• Check for invalid control properties    Access checks your controls for invalid property settings, such as invalid expressions or field names.

• Check for common report errors    Access checks your reports for common errors, such as invalid sort orders or widths greater than the selected paper size. This setting applies only to reports.

• Error indicator color button    Set or change the color of the triangular error indicator that appears when a form, report, or control experiences an error.

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