An Order Entry Form

Introduction

If you create a regular form, every time the user opens it, it starts by displaying the first record. On most order entry databases, you may want the user to jump straight to an empty record to perform a new order. Microsoft Access provides various solutions to this problem. With most of them, you don't have to write a single line of code.

Practical Learning: Creating an Order Entry Form

1. Start a new database named People
2. In Design View, create a table with the following fields:
    

   Field Name	Data Type	Additional Properties
   GenderID	AutoNumber	Primary Key Caption: Gender ID
   Gender	Text	Field Size: 10

3. Save the table as Genders and switch it to Datasheet View
4. Set the first gender to Female and the second to Male
5. Close the table
6. Create another table in Design View with the following fields:
    

   Field Name	Data Type	Additional Properties
   PersonID	AutoNumber	Primary Key Caption: Person ID
   FirstName	Text	Field Size: 20 Caption: First Name
   LastName	Text	Field Size: 20 Caption: Last Name
   GenderID	Number	Field Size: Long Number Caption: Gender

7. Save the table as Persons and switch it to Datasheet View
8. Set the records with some values:
    

   Person ID	First Name	Last Name	Gender
   1	Helene	Watts	1
   2	Alfred	Baugh	2
   3	Mauricette	Kouma	1

9. Close the table
10. Use AutoForm to create a form based on the Persons table and switch the form to Design View
11. Delete the GenderID text box (and its accompanying label)
12. With the Control Wizard button down in the Toolbox, use the Combo Box button to start the Combo Box Wizard using the Genders table as the source of data, selecting the Gender field and storing it in the GenderID field. Set the label of the combo box to Gender and click Finish
13. Save the form as Persons and design it as you see fit:
     
14. Save the form and close it

An Order Entry Form

To create a new record, the user can just click the New Record button . You can also use the Command Button Wizard to create a button that would make this obvious to the user.

An effective solution in creating an order entry form consists of making it separate from the main form that displays all records of the parent table. To do this, you can simply set the Data Entry property of the form to Yes. There are some other cosmetic actions you can take to make your order entry form more efficient.

Practical Learning: Creating an Order Entry Form

1. In the Database window, click Forms
2. To create a copy of the form, right-click the Persons form and click Save As (if using MS Access 97, it is Save As/Export)
3. (If using MS Access 97, click the Within The Current Database As radio button)
   Replace the name of the form with NewPerson and click OK  
4. In the Database window, right-click the NewPerson form and click Design View
5. Double-click the button at the intersection of both rulers to display the Properties window.
   In the Properties window, click the All tab and change the following properties
   Caption: New Person
   Data Entry: Yes
   Record Selectors: No
   Navigation Buttons: No
6. Close the Properties window
7. Right-click anywhere in the form and click Form Header/Footer
8. Now we will allow the user to be able to undo a record
   On the Toolbox, make sure the Control button is down and click the Command Button
9. On the form click in the Form Footer section
10. When the Command Button Wizard starts, in the first page, in the Categories list, click Record Operations
11. In the Actions list, click Undo Record
     
    
12. Click Next
13. Change the Undo Record text with Reset and click Next
14. Change the name of the button to cmdReset and click Finish
     
15. Test and close the form