Clickable List of Records (Office 2007-2013)

[scihide]

Hi everyone! First time posting here, and you have already helped me so much already from me reading other posts here



I just have a question on making an interface for my database.

Some sample databases and office templates have in them, a list of the names of all the records embedded directly on a form, where you can navigate from one record being displayed to another.

An example is in the contacts database template that you can get from Microsoft. It features, on the left, a list of the names of all the people in your database, alphabetically. So, all you have to do is click on John Smith, and bam, John's information will appear in the fields on the right side of the form. If you want to move to Claire Jones, all you have to do is click her name and her information will appear in the fields on the right.

Basically, I am a lab manager and I am trying to create a chemical inventory for our laboratory, where all I have to do is click a name of the chemical and its entries pop up.

Thanks in advance for any help!

-Dean

[June7]

Why don't you examine the forms in design view? Get to know the programming behind the forms. Adapt for your application.

I downloaded the MS desktop Contacts db and it seems to use mostly macro code - Embedded Macros. However, I am not seeing the design as you describe it.

[scihide]

Unfortunately I am a noob to Access and I do not fully understand macros. I have seen this in other databases as well, such as this one that I found a while ago:
http://access.microsofttemplates.org...-template.html

You can easily see this in the picture.

I would just love it so much if someone could point me in the general direction: It looks to me that the list itself is a subform, but how it lists stuff continuously and how you can click it are both beyond me :P

Thanks for your help so far!

-Dean

[scihide]

Okay, I am sorry for double posting but I have an update. I did some in-depth looking into the construction of this.

To me, it appears that on a big form, there is a subform containing only a list of items as well as a search feature at the top. Below the search feature, there is a text box (NOT a list) that contains all the entries. In the text box properties, there is a macro that instructs the form to browse on a click.

I think I understand most of this, but there are just a couple things that are beyond me.

First: How do I turn a single text box into a list that updates itself?
Second: How do I add the search feature into that?
Third: What exactly is the "path to subform control" line in the macro and what is that supposed to contain?

I appreciate your help!

-Dean

(Just a reminder that both the microsoft contacts web database as well as http://access.microsofttemplates.org...-template.html contain this feature I am seeking, and they both appear to use the same macro)

[June7]

Do you have to use a web database? Those apps are using Navigation form. I find Navigation form harder to understand and therefore harder to work with. And since I don't build web dbs, I don't use Navigation form. Even if it didn't use Navigation form, web db is harder to work with. You should probably start with a non-web db for beginner learning. Look at the desktop version of the Contacts db. That is the one I looked at.

Open Access program, type 'desktop Contacts' in the 'Search Office.com for templates' box.

[scihide]

It is featured in the contacts web database, but it doesn't have to be in a web database, as we can see by using the other one that I posted the link to.

Regardless- weather it is a web database or not, the only thing I am trying to achieve is that clickable list.

[June7]

Both links are for web databases.

Did you do what I suggest - look at the desktop version. It will be much easier to understand. It does not use Navigation form.