Introduction.
In Microsoft Access 2007, two new design-time features are available: Report View (different from Print Preview) and Layout View, in addition to the traditional Design View and Print Preview. These new views make working with reports more interactive. In earlier versions of Access, only Design View and Print Preview were available.
Report View looks similar to Print Preview but offers additional functionality. You can search within the report, copy data to the clipboard, filter records, and even view summarized values of the filtered data. If you’d like to preserve the filtered records so that they appear each time the report is opened, simply set the Filter On Load property to Yes.
Layout View is somewhat similar to Design View, but with one important difference—you can make design adjustments while viewing the actual report contents. In this view, you can rearrange fields, add or remove fields, adjust field sizes, and modify data field properties, with the changes immediately reflected in the report output.
The Report View Feature.
Let us try out the above features; open Microsoft Access 2007.
Open one of your Databases.
Import the Order Details Table from the Northwind.mdb sample database.
Click on the Table to select it.
Click on the Report Option from Create a Menu to create a Report with the basic design and save it with the name Order Details.
Right-click on the Order Details Report in the navigation pane and click on the Open option to open the Report in Report View.
Now, let us try search, filter, and copy operations in the Report View mode.
Click on the OrderID field in the first record on the Report to select it.
Click on the Find Toolbar button (the field-glass icon) under the Home menu.
Type 10251 in the Find What: control and click on the Find Next Command Button. The first record with OrderID number 10251 is highlighted. You can repeat the search operation by clicking on the Find Next Command Button.
Let us incorporate some filter action; click on the Cancel Button to cancel the Find operation and close the dialog box.
Click on the Filter Toolbar Button. The following filter control will be displayed over the report.
Click on the Select All option to remove all the check marks.
Put check marks on OrderID Numbers 10251 and 10255.
Click the OK Command Button to filter records with the selected OrderIDs on the Report.
You can click on the Toggle Filter Toolbar button to display all the records or filter the records again.
To copy selected records from the Report to the Clipboard:
Click on the left border of the topmost record on the report and drag it down to highlight a few records to select them.
Click on the Copy toolbar button under Home Menu to copy the highlighted records onto the Clipboard. These records you can paste into Excel, Word, etc.
If you want to see the same set of filtered records every time you open the Report, then you must change the Property Value of the Report.
Select the Design View option from the View Menu.
Select the Property Sheet option to display the Property Sheet of the Report.
Click on the Data Tab of the Property Sheet.
Set the Filter on the Load property value to Yes.
You can add or remove OrderID numbers in the IN clause of the Filter condition in the Filter property value if needed.
Save the changes and close the Report.
Open the Report in Print Preview and check whether the filter action is in effect or not.
Close the Report.
The Layout View Feature.
Now, it is time to try out the Layout View options.
Right-click on the Order Details Report in the navigation pane.
Select Layout View from the displayed shortcut menu.
Click and hold on the OrderID heading, and drag and drop it after the Discount Column. You can not only do this with the column header, but also on any row of records.
Click on any row in the Discount column to select the column.
Press the delete key to remove the column from the Report.
Let us try to bring that column back into the Report from the Field List of the Source Table.
Click on the Add Existing Fields Toolbar Button from the Format Menu.
Drag the Discount Field and drop it between the Unit Price and OrderID fields.
While the Discount Field is still in the selected state, click on the Arrange Menu to display its Toolbar.
Click on the Property Sheet Tool to display the Property Sheet of the Discount Field.
Click on the Format Tab of the Property Sheet.
Change the Decimal Places property value to 2 and change the Width Property value from 1 inch to 0.75 inches.
The interactivity feature is very powerful in the process of designing Microsoft Access Reports and makes the design task easier and more interesting, too.
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