Jan's Access Basics: Print Preview Bar

The Status Bar is at the bottom of the program window. It's main purpose is to tell you the status of the current window and its objects. The right side usually shows only one or two mode indicators at a time.

Button: Handle

At the left end of a toolbar is an area called the handle, which looks a bit different in different versions of MS Access. Hover over this area and the mouse pointer changes to the Move shape

. Drag while in the Move shape and the toolbar will move. If you drag perpendicular to the bar, it will undock and float. Drag to another edge of the window and the toolbar will dock there.

Button: Views

The Views button toggles between Datasheet and Design or Print Preview and Design. The arrow opens a list of all of the available views.

Button: Print

The Print dialog does NOT appear. Do not use this button unless you are SURE that the print settings are what you want. Be sure that you want to print the whole thing!!

Button: Page Views

Button: Close

The Close button closes the Print Preview, without closing the original object that you were previewing.

Button: Setup

The Setup button opens the Page Setup dialog, where you can change the margins, columns, and orientation of the print-out.

Button: Office Links

It can be handy to export data directly to Microsoft Word or Microsoft Excel. The icon on the button shows which feature you used last.

Merge It with Microsoft Word command starts the Mail Merge wizard in Word and lets you use fields from the current datasheet in the merge document.

Publish It with Microsoft Word exports the datasheet or report to Word as a table.

Analyze It with Microsoft Excel exports the datasheet or report to Excel as a spreadsheet.

Button: Database Window

The Database Window button brings that window to the top. The Database window remains open as long as the database is open. You can minimize it or cover it with other windows.

A database programmer can hide the Database window and this button to keep users from interfering in the careful work he has done.

Button: New Object

The New Object button shows the icon for what you chose the last time. The arrow opens a list of links.

The AutoForm and AutoReport choices will create a basic form or report for the table or query that is currently selected. You can, of course, change the layout and the formatting afterwards.

The remaining choices open the New dialog for the object type or the Design view for macros and modules.

Button: Help

The Help button looks and behaves differently in Access 2002 than in Access 2003.

Opens the Help dialog with tabs for Contents, Answer Wizard, and Index.

Dialog: Help (2002)

Opens the Help task pane.

Task Pane: Help (2003)

Button: Toolbar Options

The down arrow at the far right of a toolbar opens a cascading menu: Add or Remove Buttons. You can customize the toolbar by adding or removing buttons.

A double arrow above the down arrow tells you that the window is too narrow to show all of the buttons on the bar. Clicking the arrow in this case will open a palette of the hidden buttons, in addition to the menu Add or Remove Buttons.

All Office programs display the most recently used buttons when there is not room for all of them. As you continue to work in a small window, which buttons are showing will change. This can be confusing!