Every control on a form or report has dozens of different or settingsso how do you keep them all straight? Table 7-4 shows you howthis lesson is really a cheat sheet that you can use whenever you're not sure what exactly a particular control property is or does. The most important properties are marked with a *.
|
Property
|
Tab
|
Description
|
|
Caption *
|
Format
|
Displays a descriptive caption for a form or text label.
|
|
Format *
|
Format
|
Customizes the way numbers, dates, times, and text are displayed and printed.
|
|
Decimal Places *
|
Format
|
Determines the number of decimal places displayed.
|
|
Visible *
|
Format
|
Shows or hides a control. Useful if you want to use information on the form without it being visible. For example, you could use the value in a hidden control as the criteria for a query.
|
|
Display When
|
Format
|
Determines whether a section or control always appears or only appears when it is displayed on screen or printed.
|
|
Scroll Bars
|
Format
|
Determines whether scroll bars appear in the control.
|
|
Left *
|
Format
|
Determines the horizontal position of the control.
|
|
Top *
|
Format
|
Determines the vertical position of the control.
|
|
Width *
|
Format
|
Determines the width of a control.
|
|
Height *
|
Format
|
Determines the height of a control.
|
|
Back Style
|
Format
|
Determines whether a control is transparent or not.
|
|
Back Color
|
Format
|
Determines the color of a control. Click the  button to select a color from a palette.
|
|
Special Effect
|
Format
|
Applies a 3-D effect to a control.
|
|
Border Style
|
Format
|
Determines the line style of a control's borderselect from transparent lines, solid lines, dashed lines, etc.
|
|
Border Color
|
Format
|
Determines the color of a control's border. Click the button to select a color from a palette.
|
|
Border Width
|
Format
|
Determines the width of a control's border (in points).
|
|
Fore Color
|
Format
|
Determines the color of text in a control or the fill color of an object. Click the button to select a color from a palette.
|
|
Font Name
|
Format
|
Determines the font used in a control (such as Arial or Times New Roman).
|
|
Font Weight
|
Format
|
Determines the thickness (boldface) of text in a control.
|
|
Font Italic
|
Format
|
Determines whether the text in a control appears in italics.
|
|
Font Underline
|
Format
|
Determines whether the text in a control is underlined.
|
|
Text Align
|
Format
|
Determines how text should be aligned in a control.
|
|
Control Source *
|
Data
|
Determines the data that appears in the control.
|
|
Input Mask *
|
Data
|
Limits the amount and type of information that can be entered in a field, such as (___) ___ _-_____ _ for a phone number. Click the button to create an input mask using the Input Mask Wizard.
|
|
Default Value *
|
Data
|
Specifies a value that is automatically entered in this field for new records.
|
|
Validation Rule *
|
Data
|
Allows you to enter an expression that is evaluated when data in the field is added or changed.
|
|
Validation Text *
|
Data
|
Allows you to enter a message that is displayed when data doesn't meet the Validation Rule property.
|
|
Locked *
|
Data
|
Determines whether changes can be made to a field's data.
|
|
Event Tab
|
Event
|
Allows you to assign a macro or Visual Basic procedure to a specific event, such as when you click or update a control.
|
|
Name *
|
Other
|
Specifies the name of the control that identifies it in expressions, macros, and Visual Basic procedures.
|
|
Status Bar Text
|
Other
|
Specifies a message to display in the Status bar when the control is selected.
|
|
Enter Key Behavior
|
Other
|
Determines if pressing the Enter key adds a new line of text in a control or if it moves to the next field.
|
|
Allow AutoCorrect
|
Other
|
Determines if AutoCorrect (i.e., "teh"  "the") is used in a control.
|
|
AutoTab
|
Other
|
Used with the Input Mask property. Determines whether an automatic tab to the next field occurs when the last character permitted by a text box control's input mask is entered.
|
|
Tab Stop
|
Other
|
Determines whether users are able to tab to the control.
|
|
Tab Index
|
Other
|
Determines the tab order.
|
|
Shortcut Menu Bar
|
Other
|
Specifies a user-created shortcut menu that appears when the control is right-clicked.
|
|
ControlTip Message
|
Other
|
Specifies a brief message that appears when a user points at the control for a couple of seconds.
|
|
Help Context Id
|
Other
|
Specifies an identifier number for a user-created Help file that appears when the user selects the control and presses F1.
|
|
Tag
|
Other
|
Specifies extra, user-defined information that is stored in the object.
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