Software Tips & Tricks Grouping Form and Report Controls in Access 2000 and XP

By Laura Noble

When designing a form or report in Access, several controls may require identical formatting and placement. Instead of selecting all the controls each time a formatting change is required you can group the controls. Grouping controls allows you to set formatting or placement changes to all controls simultaneously. This method ensures that you do not omit a control. You still have the option of formatting a single control in the group.

1. Open form or report in Design View.
   
   
2. Select the controls to be grouped.
   
   
   
   
3. From the Format menu select Group.
   
   
4. A rectangle will be placed around the selected controls (see sample below).
   
   
5. After controls are grouped, to change formatting or placement, click one of the controls and the rectangle will surround the controls. Change settings as required.
   
   
   
   
6. To make a change to a single control within the group, select the individual control and make necessary changes (see sample below where the control Company Name has been selected and then font colour changed).
   
   
   
   
7. To "ungroup" controls: select group and from the Format menu select Ungroup.
   

Laura Noble is the owner of Noble Software Solutions. Laura can be contacted at 519-680-2689 or by e-mail at lnoble@noblesoftwaresolutions.com. www.noblesoftwaresolutions.com

Published in Networking Today, November 2002.