How to add a dashboard/switchboard/main form to your project.

It doesn’t matter what name you call it but the main form in your project is very important. For one, the end user is not going to look for the forms and reports in the navigation pane. In fact, you don’t want the end user to be able to see the navigation pane as it contains tables, queries, macros and modules – objects that the end user should not access. The end user interacts with the system through forms and reports. Secondly, a main form organises your system nicely making it a breeze to use. It basically provides access to your system’s components like forms and reports via controls.

In this blog post you will learn how to create a main form. This is just how I do it and not necessarily how it must be done.

Step 1: Creating the blank form. Go to the ribbon > Create > blank form. Name your form. You now have your blank form.

Step 2: Adding buttons to your form. Open your blank form in design view and go to the ribbon > Design > button > pick where to place your button on the form. The command button wizard will load up to help you in configuring your button. Assuming you want to use the button to open a form pick form operations > Open form and click next. A list of forms will appear so that you pick the one you want to open. After picking, click next to name your button and finish. Your button is set up.

Step 3: Formatting your buttons to look visually appealing. While still in design view click on your button and go to the ribbon > format. You can use the quick styles, change shape etc, shape fill, shape outline etc. That is what I used in the project in the video (Ms Access 2010).

Step 4: Formatting your form to look visually appealing. With creativity, there are endless possibilities as to what you can do. You can add a nice background image, insert images, inset text on the form, add a real-time clock etc. You can also make your form float by turning on the pop up in the property sheet.

For those who are new in Jerusalem, the project's video is ready and you can view it on YouTube by clicking here. It is 13 minutes long and HD but 30mb only so don’t worry about your data bundles. Remember to switch the quality to 720p. More details are in the video’s description.

How to add a real-time clock to your Access forms in Rehema School Prefects Electoral System.

Forms are the interface between your system and the user. For this reason you'd want them to look as good as possible. You also want items on them well arranged. One of the best additions to an Access form is a clock. With a clock on your form, the user does not have to look at his/her watch or the computer's clock.

You have probably noticed that whenever you add a clock to your form, it only updates when you open the form and stays frozen until you close and open the form again. This is really inconveniencing since the clock turns into just but an aesthetic addition, a mere beautification. In this blog post you will learn how to circumvent this.

In your form’s design view, go to date and time and click on ok. Time and date will be shown on your form.

A real-time clock on my Store Management form

Open your form in design view and go to property sheet > event > timer interval. Set the timer interval to 1000.

You now need to edit the on-timer event using Visual Basic. Click on the three dots beside on timer event, pick code builder and paste this code.

Private Sub Form_Timer()

Me.Auto_Time.Requery

End Sub

Save and close. Your clock is now updating in real time. This has to be done on every form that you want to put a clock.