Using Table Views


You can open database objects in different views, depending on what you want to do. Datasheet view is the view to use when entering data. Use Design view when you want to change the structure or properties of the table. In this task, we'll explore how to open tables in each view and how to change views.



To open a table from the database window:

  1. In the database window, click Tables on the Objects bar to display your list of tables.
  2. To automatically open a table in Datasheet view, double-click the name of the table. This is the Datasheet view where you can enter data in the table.
  3. To change to Design view, click the View button on the toolbar. In Design view, you can add or remove fields or change field properties.
  4. To switch back to Datasheet view, click the View button again.


Notice how the toolbar changes depending on which view you're in. The different toolbar buttons and their functions are covered in other lessons.

You can also view tables in PivotTable view and PivotChart view by clicking the drop-down arrow next to the View button. PivotTables and PivotCharts are covered in detail in the Access Expert Module (Creating a PivotTable and Creating a PivotChart).

  1. You can open a table directly in Design view from the database window by clicking the name of the table once to select it, then clicking the Design button on the database window toolbar.
  2. You can right-mouse click on a table and select Open to open the table in Datasheet view or select Design view to open the table in Design view.
  3. You can switch views by using the View menu.