Hide Sections and Controls, Key Fields

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About this lesson

Learn how to hide sections and controls on a report, such as key fields, when you don't want them to show.

Quick reference

Hide Sections and Controls, Key Fields

Application Terminology

Border Color Property

The Border Color property is the outline of a shape. 

Border Style Property

The Border Style property of a control can be Transparent, Solid, Dashes, or Dots.

 

Docked

If the Property Sheet is "stuck" to the edge of the Access Window, it is docked.

Floating

If the Property Sheet is in its own window, it is floating.

Key Fields

Key Fields are Primary Keys or Foreign Keys.  When added to a report, the Visible property of the control is often set to No.  When controls are not visible, it is helpful to change the Fore Color and Back Color properties so they stand out in Design View. 

Shape Outline

Shape Outline is the command on the Format ribbon to set the Border Color property of a control.  If Transparent is chosen, the Border Style property is set to Transparent.

Visible Property

When the Visible property of a section on a report is set to No, none of the controls in the section will display and there will be no space for the section in Print Preview or Report View.

Steps

Change Floating Property Sheet to be Docked

  • If the Property Sheet is in its own window, double-click the title bar to dock it.

Move Property Sheet

  • To move the Property Sheet, drag it by its title bar. If the Property Sheet is docked, it will float.

Resize Property Name Column in the Property Sheet

  1. To resize the Property Name column in the Property Sheet, move the mouse to the vertical line between the property and the value.

     
  2. When the mouse cursor changes to a vertical line and double-headed horizontal arrow, click and drag.

Resize Docked Property Sheet (or Field List)

  1. To resize a docked Property Sheet (or Field List), move the mouse to the left boundary of the Property Sheet, between the Property Sheet and the design canvas.

     
  2. When the mouse cursor changes to a double-headed horizontal arrow, click and drag.

Resize Floating Property Sheet (or Field List)

  1. To resize a floating Property Sheet (or Field List), move the mouse to the any boundary of the window.

     
  2. When the mouse cursor changes to a double-headed resizing arrow, click and drag.

 

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  • 00:04 This is Access 2013, Lesson 33.
  • 00:09 There are times when you want to have controls on your report,
  • 00:13 such as key fields, but you don't want them to show.
  • 00:17 Hello, this is Crystal.
  • 00:19 Go to the Design View of r_CustomerServicesByYear.
  • 00:25 The Property Sheet can be moved around
  • 00:27 by dragging its titlebar.
  • 00:30 If you choose Add Existing Fields from the ribbon,
  • 00:34 the space that the Property Sheet takes
  • 00:36 is replaced with the Field List.
  • 00:39 Double-click the titlebar of the Field List,
  • 00:42 or Property Sheet, to dock it along the right.
  • 00:46 Double-click the titlebar of the report to maximize it.
  • 00:50 On the Field List, select the 3 key fields at the bottom.
  • 00:55 Select CustID and Shift-Click the last one, ServTyID.
  • 01:01 Notice we cannot drag them to the Report Header
  • 01:04 because there is no space.
  • 01:06 Drag the bottom border of the Report Header section
  • 01:10 to create some space; all you need is a little.
  • 01:14 Drag the 3 key fields from the Field List
  • 01:17 to the Report Header section.
  • 01:19 The section will grow to as much space as is needed.
  • 01:24 Select the labels and press the Delete key.
  • 01:28 Rearrange the controls containing key fields to be horizontal.
  • 01:32 Copy the Format from the hidden textbox
  • 01:35 with the page number to each of the controls with key fields.
  • 01:39 First select the control with the format that you want.
  • 01:43 Then double-click the Format Painter
  • 01:46 in the Clipboard group of the HOME ribbon
  • 01:48 so it stays enabled.
  • 01:51 Click on each of the controls
  • 01:53 with a key field in the report header.
  • 01:56 After you are done pasting the format,
  • 01:59 press ESCape to end the Format Painter mode.
  • 02:03 Close the space in the Report Header section
  • 02:06 by dragging its bottom border.
  • 02:09 When you look at the Print Preview, you see
  • 02:11 the Report Header still shows.
  • 02:14 The controls inside the section are not visible,
  • 02:16 since we copied format from a control that was not visible.
  • 02:21 Select the Report Header section
  • 02:24 and change the Visible property
  • 02:26 on the Format tab of the Property Sheet to No
  • 02:30 by double-clicking on Yes to toggle to the next choice.
  • 02:33 In the Page Header section,
  • 02:35 move the control with page number
  • 02:37 to the left of the Rate label, since we have space there
  • 02:41 and close up the extra space at the bottom
  • 02:44 by dragging the bottom border.
  • 02:46 Select all the visible labels in the Page Header section and
  • 02:50 set the Shape Outline to a medium gray color
  • 02:53 in the Control Formatting group on the FORMAT ribbon.
  • 02:58 Save the report and look at the Print Preview.
  • 03:02 In the next lesson,
  • 03:03 we will put the final touches on this report
  • 03:06 by adding information to the Page Header section
  • 03:09 with report name, date printed, and page numbers.
  • 03:14 We will also change the Report Caption,
  • 03:17 which displays in the titlebar
  • 03:18 when you look at a report that is not maximized.

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