A form is an object that allows us to:

A form gets its information from the records in the underlying tables (either directly or via queries). However the presentation on screen can be tailored to the level of expertise of the user. This means that a skilled database designer or programmer can make an inherently complex function (the database) appear simple to the user.

Forms can contain:

Form Objects
Graphics objects: lines, boxes, pictures etc

Text boxes:

these usually get their data from underlying data fields - i.e. they are BOUND to a data field

Text labels:

usede the layout of the form clearer to the user

Calculated fields:

used to display calculated values that are not stored directly in a data table

 

Any form will have at least one link created between it and some underlying record source. This linking is done by using graphical objects called controls such as text boxes, labels, and command buttons (mentioned on previous page). There are more controls, refer to the Microsoft Access documentation for details.

 

There are three types of control, BOUND, UNBOUND and CALCULATED.

 

A BOUND control gets its value from a data field in an underlying table.

 

An UNBOUND control in not linked to an un data field and can be used simply to display instructions to the user or to accept user input.

 

A CALCULATED control displays the result of an expression. This is recalculated each time the form is displayed or a relevant value changes.