Create Access forms and reports from a SharePoint list

You can create forms and reports from a SharePoint list and use them as views. Users of the SharePoint site who have Access 2007 installed can open these forms and reports by using the View menu of the SharePoint list. You can make an Access view the default view for a list.

The views that you create by using Access 2007 are stored in a database file on the Windows SharePoint Services server. When you open an Access view of a SharePoint list, Access starts, and it displays the form or report. Because the database is stored on the SharePoint site, the view can be opened by other users of the site. A user does not need to know the location, on the SharePoint site, of the database file that contains the Access view in order to use the view. In addition, the user does not even need to know how to start Access — this is handled automatically by the SharePoint site.

Note: A user needs Access 2007 installed on his or her computer to create, use, or modify an Access view on a SharePoint site.

What do you want to do?

Create an Access view of a SharePoint list

Make an Access view the default view for SharePoint list

Use an Access view of a SharePoint list

Modify an Access view of a SharePoint list

Create an Access view of a SharePoint list

When you create an Access view of a SharePoint list, Access starts automatically. In Access, you can base your view on a variety of form and report templates, and you can then customize your view. By publishing your view on the SharePoint site, you can easily make it available to other users.

Note: To create a view of a SharePoint list, you need the Windows SharePoint Services Manage Lists permission, which, by default, is included in the Design permission level.

Use the following procedure to create an Access view of a SharePoint list that you are viewing in your browser.

1. On the SharePoint site, on the View menu , click Create View.

2. On the Create View page, click Access View.

   Access starts, and then prompts you to save a local copy of the database that will contain your new view.

3. In the Save a Local Copy dialog box, browse to the location on your computer where you want to save the copy, type a name for the local copy in the File Name box, and then click Save.

   Access saves and opens the local copy, and then the Create Access View dialog box appears.

4. In the Create Access View dialog box, double-click the type of view that you want to create.

   Access creates your new view and opens it in Layout view.

5. You can customize your new view in Layout view, or you can switch to Design view.

   In Layout view you can resize and rearrange the controls in your view (such as labels and fields), but you cannot add additional controls to your view. Layout view provides a data preview that makes it easier to see how your changes will appear in the finished view.

   In Design view you can resize and rearrange controls, and can add additional controls to your view. However, Design view does not provide a data preview.

   You can switch between Design view and Layout view as much as you want. If you use Design view to add controls to your view, you can then switch to Layout view and arrange those controls on the view while previewing data.

6. After you make your customizations, on the Message Bar, click Publish to SharePoint Site.

   

   The Publish to Web Server dialog box appears.

   If the Message Bar does not appear, display it by doing the following:

   • On the Database Tools tab, in the Show/Hide group, click Message Bar.

7. By default, Access saves the view in a database file located in the Shared Documents library on the SharePoint site — this site contains the list from which you created the view. In most cases, this is probably what you want, but you can change the document library in which to store the database by choosing a different library in the Save in box in the Publish to Web Server dialog box. You can do this to more specifically control who has access to the view and whether users can open the view in read-only mode or in edit mode. The SharePoint site might also have specific libraries set up for publishing Access views, in which case you might need to change the Save in location to select the correct library.

   The administrator of the SharePoint site can help you select the correct library.

8. Access supplies a name for the database in the File name box in the Publish to Web Server dialog box. This name matches the name of the database that you saved as a local copy. You can change the name if you want, but in most cases, you should accept the suggested name — this will make it easier to remember which local database corresponds to the database that you publish on the SharePoint site.

9. Click Publish to save the database to the SharePoint site.

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Make an Access view the default view for SharePoint list

When you make an Access view the default view for a SharePoint list, the Access view opens automatically when users open the list, if those users have Access installed on their computers.

Important: If you make an Access view the default view, list visitors who do not have Access 2007 installed will not be able to use the list.

1. With the SharePoint list open, on the Settings menu, click List Settings.

2. On the List Settings page, under Views, click the name of the Access view that you want to make the default view.

3. On the Edit View page, select Make this the default view and then click OK.

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Use an Access view of a SharePoint list

To use an Access view of a SharePoint list, you choose the Access view from the View menu of the list.

• On the View menu , click the name of the Access view. Access starts, and then displays the view in read-only mode.

  In read-only mode, you are able to change the data in the view, and to print the view, but you cannot change the view design. If you want to change the view design, see the next section of this article, Modify an Access view of a SharePoint list.

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Modify an Access view of a SharePoint list

To modify the design of an Access view, you save a local copy of the database that contains the Access view, and then make changes. You can then use your local copy of the view or, if you have appropriate permissions on the SharePoint site, you can publish the new view.

Note: You can modify a local copy of an Access view regardless of your Windows SharePoint Services permission level. However, to publish your modified view to the SharePoint site, you need the Windows SharePoint Services Manage Lists permission, which, by default, is included in the Design permission level. If you created the Access view, you should already have the Manage Lists permission. If you are unsure, contact your SharePoint site administrator to determine whether you have the permissions you need.

1. With the Access view open, on the Message Bar, click Save As.

   

   Note: If the Message Bar does not appear, display it by doing the following:

   • On the Database Tools tab, in the Show/Hide group, click Message Bar.

2. Click Yes when Access prompts you to close the view and all other open objects.

   The Save As dialog box appears.

3. In the Save in box, specify the location where you want to save the local copy, type a name for the local copy in the File name box, and then click Save.

   Access saves the local copy of the database, and then opens it.

4. Do one of the following:

   • To change the layout of the view without adding new controls, in the Navigation Pane, right-click the view, and then click Layout View on the shortcut menu.

     In Layout view you can resize and rearrange the controls in your view (such as labels and fields), but you cannot add additional controls to your view. Layout view provides a data preview that makes it easier to see how your changes will appear in the finished view.

   • To add or remove controls in the view ( such as labels or fields), in the Navigation Pane, right-click the view, and then click Design View on the shortcut menu.

     In Design view you can resize and rearrange controls, and can add additional controls to your view. However, Design view does not provide a data preview.

     Note: If you choose to edit the view in Design view and you plan to publish the revised view to the SharePoint site, do not add any fields to the view that are not part of the SharePoint list.

5. You can switch between Design view and Layout view as much as you want. If you use Design view to add controls to your view, you can then switch to Layout view and arrange those controls on the view while previewing data.

Publish the modified Access view to the SharePoint site

After you finish modifying the view, if you have the Manage Lists permission on the SharePoint site, you can publish the modified view by using the following procedure.

To obtain the Manage Lists permission, contact the administrator of the SharePoint site.

1. Save the view in the local copy of the database.

2. On the Message Bar, click Publish to SharePoint Site.

   

   Note: If you do not have the Manage Lists permission, the Message Bar does not display the Publish to SharePoint Site button. If the Message Bar does not appear, display it by doing the following:

   • On the Database Tools tab, in the Show/Hide group, click Message Bar.

3. In the Publish to Web Server dialog box, click Publish.

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