Creating Forms Photo: © arugus and Alexand Zcharch, Shutterstock.com

This lesson will cover: Using database forms. Designing and creating a form.

Using data forms Electronic data entry forms make data entry easier, and provide an attractive interface for your database. Electronic forms are designed like paper forms, except they automatically enter the data into your database. Teacher’s note: Electronic forms are commonly used for adding user data, such as member lists, memberships, personnel data. Similar to database electronic forms, web forms are used all over the World Wide Web for storing member details, address data and processing payments. Often though these will have a Web-based front-end that will feed results into a database. Microsoft product screen shots reprinted with permission from Microsoft Corporation. Can you give examples of where e-forms are used?

Creating forms The simplest way to create a form is to use a Wizard. You can select the fields from your database which you want to appear on the form. The form will then be automatically created. Teacher's note: The worksheet Creating Forms accompanies this slide. Microsoft product screen shots reprinted with permission from Microsoft Corporation.

Adding your own design features Once the form has been created, you can still edit it in design view. Here you can change the way the form looks, or add in pictures and new labels. Microsoft product screen shots reprinted with permission from Microsoft Corporation. You can even change some of the data entry boxes to list boxes, combo boxes or option groups.

Answering options When designing your form you can chose to add in the following answer options: List boxes present the user with a fixed list of answers. Combo boxes also do this, and allow other answers to be input. Option groups have a fixed set of options from which the user can select. Microsoft product screen shots reprinted with permission from Microsoft Corporation. Toggle buttons and option buttons can also be used to input data to your database.

Terminology

True or false?