ACC2000: Properties Dialog Box Can Be Opened in Form View

ID: Q222455

The information in this article applies to:

Microsoft Access 2000

Novice: Requires knowledge of the user interface on single-user computers.

SYMPTOMS

You are able to view a form's Properties dialog box while in Form view or Datasheet view of the form.

CAUSE

In Microsoft Access 2000, you can view the properties of a form while in Form view or Datasheet view, provided that the form's AllowDesignChanges property is set to All Views. By default, this property is set to All Views.

RESOLUTION

If you want to prevent the property sheet from showing in Form view, set the AllowDesignChanges property of the form to Design View Only.

If you want to make the property sheet available in Form view, set the AllowDesignChanges property of the form to All Views.

To set the AllowDesignChanges property, follow these steps:

Open the form in Design view.

On the View menu, click Properties.

On the Edit menu, click Select Form.

In the property sheet, the AllowDesignChanges property is located on the Other tab as well as on the All Tab.

MORE INFORMATION

The following two factors determine whether the property sheet will be available and showing when you open a form in Browse mode.

If you set the AllowDesignChanges property to All Views, the property sheet will be available in Design view, Single Form view, Continuous Forms view, and Datasheet view.

If you leave the property sheet open when you close the design of a form, the next time you open a form that has the AllowDesignChanges property set to All Views in Browse mode, the property sheet will automatically open in its last location.

You can create a form template that sets the default value for the AllowDesignChanges property to Design View Only. To create this template, follow these steps:

Create a new, blank form.

On the View menu, click Properties.

Set the AllowDesignChanges property to Design View Only.

On the File menu, click Save. In the Form Name box, type a name for your form template, and then click OK.

Close the form.

On the Tools menu, click Options, and then click the Forms/Reports tab.

In the Form template box, type the name of the form you saved in step 4. Click OK.

Now, all new forms that you create in this database will have the AllowDesignChanges property set to Design View Only.

NOTE: You have to repeat these steps for every database in which you want this behavior.

How to Set Properties in Browse Mode

To set the properties for a specific control while viewing the data on a form, click the control whose properties you want to set. Note that because you are in Browse mode, you cannot set the properties of a label control because a label cannot receive the focus.

To set the properties for a section or of the form itself while viewing the data on the form, click in a blank portion of the form. The first click will show the properties for the section. A second click will show the properties of the form.

Steps to Reproduce Behavior

In the Database window, click Forms under Objects, and then click New.

Click Design View and click OK.

In the new form, on the View menu, click Properties.

Do not close the Properties window.

Switch the form to Form view. Note that the Properties dialog box remains visible.

On the View menu, click Datasheet View. Note that the Properties dialog box is still visible.

REFERENCES

For more information about the AllowDesignChanges property, click Microsoft Access Help on the Help menu, type "AllowDesignChanges property" in the Office Assistant or the Answer Wizard, and then click Search to view the topics returned.

Additional query words: prb


Keywords          : kbdta 
Version           : WINDOWS:2000
Platform          : WINDOWS 
Issue type        : kbprb

Last Reviewed: July 12, 1999