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Control buttons in Microsoft Access What are they, what are they for and how to use them in a database?

Without a doubt, in the office environment, Microsoft Access is regarded as a helpful tool for develop databases in an optimal way. Since, thanks to the many utilities it has, it allows you to excellent management of any type of data and handle it in a technical way by searching, organizing and presenting them.

For its part, this program of the office suite of Microsoft provides tables, queries, forms, reports and other elements with which each user can adjust their experience, according to their requirements. Taking into account that, in any case, allows to create database documents, agile and intuitively.

In addition, with the aim of being able to personalize the user experience and simplify the actions to be carried out, Access offers buttons that they are known as "action buttons" and "control buttons". Which, basically, are used to perform various very helpful tasks. If you want to know what they consist of, what are their advantages and how to add them from scratch, we invite you to read this post.

What are control buttons and what are they for in Microsoft Access?

While it is true, the action buttons are similar to controls in a view and are defined as small icons that can be used to create or set various properties to each, with the aim of executing different tasks. Therefore, they are elements that mainly serve to create a custom action in the action bar and thus adapt it to your requirements in Access.

In addition to this, the control buttons of this software offer the possibility of give shortcuts, start an action, add text or images, speed up a specific operation, add new tools, etc.. So, they are very useful for get more productivity in the program, get more out of it and save time.

What are the benefits of using the control buttons in a database?

Thanks to Microsoft Access supports the creation and use of control buttons in a database file, users can take advantage of the benefits these utilities offer. One of them is the possibility of personalize the experience to the maximum, in order to adapt it to the tasks or actions that you commonly carry out within the program. So, it will be much simpler to create and manage your databases.

Apart from this, the control buttons are ideal for ensure greater productivity in Microsoft Access. Since, having the possibility of having them on hand, it will be much faster to carry out certain actions, without having to search for the necessary options in the different menus that the software contains, default. In this sense, as well as guaranteeing better productivity, the action buttons they are also essential to save time and effort while creating, ordering and managing your databases.

Thanks to that, you will be able to customize them and move them to the area that seems most comfortable for you in the action bar. Taking into account that, the program accepts up to seven custom actions at a glance. Among other advantages of using the control buttons, we also find that these can be create and modify to suit each user, unlike what happens with predefined actions. Therefore, you have the power to change them and even delete them, Without inconveniences.

Learn step by step how to create action buttons in Microsoft Access from scratch

To be able to create action buttons in Microsoft Access, It is important that, have the permission to change the layout of a Microsoft application. Otherwise, you will not be able to add new actions to the action bar or customize them so that they are executed with a few clicks.

So, having clarified the above, we proceed to detail each of the steps to follow to create action buttons in this software, correctly and easily:

  • To start, you need to enter the Access application and go to the navigation panel to select the view where you want to add the new action.
  • Once you are in the right view, it's time to click the button "Add custom action". Which is basically a plus sign (+).

Learn step by step how to create action buttons in Microsoft Access from scratch

  • Subsequently, you have to choose the custom action you want to add and then press the Data property button.
  • Followed by it, it's time to customize the action directed to the control button, by means of the following properties: Control name (your identification), Tool Information (a brief description of the task) and Icon (Choose the icon you want to show for that action, especially, that is not in the action bar so as not to duplicate them).
  • Then you have to press the bottom button that says "Clicking" in order to include a macro action for the button in question.

Learn step by step how to create action buttons in Microsoft Access from scratch

  • Finally, go to the macro tab, to right click on it and proceed to close it.