How to create a Tabbed Form in Access

You can add tabs to your form by using the Tab Control feature in Microsoft Access. Tab Control allows users to add pages to their forms. Adding a tab to a form in Access can make forms more organized and easier to use, especially if the forms have multiple control. In this tutorial, we will explain how to create a tabbed form in Access.

How to create a Tabbed Form in Access

Follow the steps below on how to create a tabbed form in Microsoft Access:

1. Launch Access & open Form Layout Design
2. Drag fields from the field list pane to a page tab.
3. Add other controls to the page.
4. Add a new tab.
5. Reorder tab pages.
6. Rename a tab page.
7. Delete a tab page.

1] Launch Access & open Form Layout Design

Launch Microsoft Access.

You can either open the form on Design View or Layout View. We have decided to open the form in Layout View.

On the Form Layout Design tab in the Controls Gallery, click Tab Control.

Now click where on the form you want to place the tab control

2] Drag fields from the field list pane to a page tab

Select the tab page to which you want to add the fields.

On the Form Layout Design tab, click Add Existing Fields in the Tools group.

A Field List pane appears on the right.

In the Field list pane, you will see a list of fields in your table or tables displayed.

Select a field and drag it to the tabbed page.

3] Add other controls to the page

In Microsoft Access, there are a variety of controls that you can add to your forms, such as Textbox, Labels, Picture, Button, Combo box, etc. See below how to add controls to the tabbed page.

Select the tab that you want to insert the tab control.

On the Form Layout Design tab, in the Controls group, select any of the controls in the group.

Now drag it on the tab.

4] Add a new tab

Select a tab on the tab control, then click Insert Page in the Controls group, or right-click the tab in the tab control and select Insert Page from the context menu.

A tab will be added.

5] Reorder tab pages

Right-click any of the tabs on the tab control and select Page Order in the context menu.

In the Page Order dialog box, click either the Page up or Page down button.

Then click OK.

6]  Rename a tab page

Select any of the tabs on the tab control that you want to rename.

On the Form Design Layout tab, click Property Sheet in the Tools group.

A Property Sheet pane will open.

In the Name section, rename the tab.

Then press Enter; you will notice that the selected tab page is saved.

7] Delete a tab page

Right-click the tab page that you want to delete and select Delete from the context menu.

How do you add data to a tab control in Access?

Sometimes when adding a tab control in Access, you want to add data to it. To add data to a tab control, you must select the Label control in the Controls group; this will insert a box that will allow you to enter text in it. You can also drag an existing table from the navigation pane into any of the tab control pages.

How do I use tab Control in Access?

Tab control in Access is a placeholder where you can add other controls Textbox, Labels, Picture, Button, Combo box, etc. In this tutorial, we have mentioned how to use tab control in Microsoft Access.

Why might a user include tab pages in a form?

Adding tab pages in your forms makes your form more organized and much easier to use. Especially if the form has many controls and you want to section them into different pages. A tab control is the best option to organize data into your forms.

What are the different types of forms in MS Access?

In Microsoft Access, there are four different types of forms, namely:

1. Detail Form: A Detail Form is a blank Access form that displays information about one record at a time.
2. Multiple Items Form: Displays information from more than one record at a time; it looks like a datasheet but gives you more control over adding graphics, text formatting, buttons, and other controls. The Multiple Items Form is also known as the Continuous Form.
3. Split Form: Display the data in the Form View; it is useful when you want to display a large amount of data but need to change one record at a time.
4.  Navigation Form: A form that contains a navigation control. Navigation forms are useful for navigating your database if your plans include publishing the database to the web because the Access navigation pane is not available in a browser.

READ: How to Rename or Delete Database Tables or other Objects in Access

What is the difference between a form and a report?

Forms are Visual representations that are used to take users’ information or input, while a Report gathers information for a task. In Access, you can create a form by Form, Form Design, Blank Form, etc. You can create a Report by Report, Report Design, Blank Report, etc.

READ: How to add Totals in Reports in Microsoft Access

We hope you understand how to create a tabbed form in Access.