Modifying Access’s built- in toolbars

Modifying Access’s built-in toolbars

Access’s built-in toolbars are easy to customize. As you become more and more familiar with Access you will find that there are many items on Access’s various toolbars that you almost never use. In addition, there are probably a number of functions you execute frequently that lack corresponding tool buttons. You can make your work more efficient (and make your work easier for your applications user) by modifying the built- in toolbars.

The toolbars dialog box shows you a list of all toolbars in Access. You can use it to:

- Customize an existing toolbar
- Create a new toolbar
- Select color or black- and- white buttons
- Select large or small buttons
- Choose to display tooltips

To customize a toolbar, the toolbar must be displayed. To display a toolbar, click on the check box next to the toolbar you want to display. When all the toolbars you want to customize are displayed, click on the customize button to display the Customize Toolbars dialog box.
Customizing a toolbar consists of four basic functions:

- Adding buttons to toolbars
- Removing buttons from toolbars
- Moving buttons on toolbars
- Changing the face(image) of toolbar buttons

Adding buttons to a toolbar
The Customize Toolbars dialog box consists primarily of two elements:

- A category list
- A view of all buttons or objects for the selected category

Removing buttons from a toolbar
You generally want to remove a tool button for one of three reasons:

- The function isn’t used.
- A tool button that is used more frequently will replace it.
- Users shouldn’t be allowed to perform the function.

To remove a tool button, simply drag the desired tool button to the open Access desktop ot the Customize Toolbars dialog box. If you drag a tool button and drop it in another toolbar, the tool button is removed from the original toolbar.
Moving buttons on toolbars
To move a tool button, click on and drag the tool button to the desired location. To move a tool button from one toolbar to another, click on and drag the tool button to the location on the new toolbar where you want to move the button.
Changing button faces on toolbars
There are three methods for customizing the image of a tool button:

- Copy and paste an image using the clipboard.
- Select a bitmap from Access’s supplied images.
- Design an image- using the built- in Button Editor.

Copy and Paste an image by using the clipboard
To use the clipboard to transfer an image

- Display the image in the graphic editor of your choice.
- Use the editor’s function to copy the image to the clipboard.
- Open the shortcut menu of the tool button you want to change.
- Select Paste Button Image.

You can also copy the image from one tool button to another. To do this

- Open the shortcut menu of the tool button you want to copy the image from.
- Select Copy Button Image.
- Open the shortcut menu of the tool button you want to change.
- Select Paste Button Image.
Select from supplied bitmaps

To select an image from this library of button images

- Open the shortcut menu of the tool button where you want to select an image.
- Select Choose Button Image.
- Select the desired image by clicking on it.
- Click OK to accept your selection and place it on the button

Using the built- in button editor
To access the Button Editor

- Open the shortcut menu of the tool button that you want to change.
- Select Edit button Image.

Adding Tooltips to toolbar buttons
To change the tooltip of a custom button

- Open the shortcut menu of the tool button that you want to assign an image.
- Select the Choose Button Image.
- Type the tool buttons tooltip help in the Description field.
- Click on OK to accept your changes.