Access 2016 Advanced

Lesson 12 - Using Switchboards

Access 2016

O PENING AND U SING A S WITCHBOARD

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Discussion

In Access, a switchboard is a form that allows database users to get from one place to another or perform several commands from a central location. If a database has a switchboard, it is usually the first item the user sees when the database is opened. While a simple database may have one switchboard, a database with many forms and reports may have several switchboards.

A switchboard is basically a form that is not bound to a table or a query. It contains command buttons or other objects that run macros in response to an action by a user.

Creating a switchboard should be one of the last things you do when creating a database. You may want to consult with the people who use the database, or let them use it without a switchboard for a while, so that you can get a better idea of what needs to be automated. There are several ways to create a switchboard. You can use the Database Wizard, the Switchboard Manager, or start with a blank form. When you use the Database Wizard to create a database, the wizard automatically creates a switchboard. You can make changes to this switchboard by editing it as you would any other form. The Switchboard Manager automates the process of making or editing a switchboard. It allows you to make a switchboard the default switchboard so that it appears on startup or branches to other switchboards. When a switchboard is created using the Switchboard Manager, Access creates a table that describes what the buttons on the form display.

The Switchboard Manager is available when you open a 2002-2003 version database in Access 2016. However, the Switchboard Manager is not evident with 2016 version databases. If you want the Switchboard Manager tool, the only way to see it is by adding it to the Quick Access Toolbar.

You can also create a switchboard in Design view using a blank form. When you create a form to use as a switchboard, it should not be bound to a table or query. To ensure that the switchboard does not look or work like a form, you need to set certain properties, such as not displaying navigation buttons and scroll bars. Creating a switchboard using a blank form requires that you add your own command buttons, controls, and graphics, as well as set the desired form properties.

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