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These properties determine what can and can’t be entered in the different fields of a database table. Some of the settings are invaluable. The Field Size property, for example, determines how many characters can be entered in a field. In a State field where two-letter state abbreviations are to be entered, make the Field Size property 2 to be certain that no one enters more than two characters. If the majority of people you’re tracking in an address database live in New York, enter NY in the Default Value property. That way, you spare data-entry clerks from having to enter NY the majority of the time. They won’t have to enter it because NY is already there. The Lookup tab in the Field Properties part of the Design view window is for creating a data-entry drop-down list. It, too, is invaluable. If you happen to know that only four items can be entered in a field, create a drop-down list with the four items. That way, data-entry clerks can choose from a list of four valid items instead of having to enter the data themselves and perhaps enter it incorrectly. A look at MS Access Field Properties settingsEspecially if yours is a large database, you’re encouraged to study the field properties carefully and make liberal use of them. The Field Properties settings safeguard data from being entered incorrectly. Following is a description of the different properties (listed here in the order in which they appear in the Design view window) and instructions for using them wisely. Which properties you can assign to a field in Access depends on which data type the field was assigned.Field SizeIn the Field Size box for Text fields, enter the maximum number of characters that can be entered in the field. Suppose that the field you’re dealing with is ZIP code, and you want to enter five-number ZIP codes. By entering 5 in the Field Size text box, only five characters can be entered in the field. A sleepy data-entry clerk couldn’t enter a six-character ZIP code by accident.For Number fields, select a value for the field size from the drop-down list. The table below describes these field sizes. Access Numeric Field Sizes
.accdb file format.The Single, Double, and Decimal field size options hold different ranges of numbers. For now, if you need to store numbers after the decimal point, choose the Double field size so that you cover most situations. FormatClick the drop-down list and choose the format in which text, numbers, and dates and times are displayed.Decimal PlacesFor a field that holds numbers, open the Decimal Places drop-down list and choose how many numbers can appear to the right of the decimal point. This property affects how numbers and currency values are displayed, not their real value. Numbers are rounded to the nearest decimal point. The Auto option displays the number of decimal places permitted by the format you chose on the Format drop-down list.Input MaskFor Text and Date field types, this feature provides a template with punctuation marks to make entering the data easier. Telephone numbers, social security numbers, and other numbers that typically are entered along with dashes and parentheses are ideal candidates for an input mask (another ridiculous database term!). On the datasheet, blank spaces appear where the numbers go, and the punctuation marks stand at the ready to receive numbers. Input masks make data entry easier.In the Input Mask text box, enter a 0 where numbers go and enter the punctuation marks where they go. For example, enter (000) 000-0000 or 000/000-0000 to enter an input mask for a telephone number. You can also create input masks by clicking the three dots beside the Input Mask text box. Doing so opens the Input Mask Wizard dialog box, where you can fashion a very sophisticated input mask. CaptionIf the field you're working on has a cryptic or hard-to-understand name, enter a more descriptive name in the Caption text box. The value in the Caption property appears as the column heading in Datasheet view, as a label on forms, and on reports in place of the field name. People entering data understand what to enter after reading the descriptive caption.Default ValueWhen you know that the majority of records require a certain value, number, or abbreviation, enter it in the Default Value text box. That way, you save yourself the trouble of entering the value, number, or abbreviation most of the time because the default value appears already in each record when you enter it. You can always override the default value by entering something different.Validation RuleAs long as you know your way around operators and Boolean expressions, you can establish a rule for entering data in a field. For example, you can enter an expression that requires dates to be entered in a certain time frame. Or you can require currency figures to be above or below a certain value. To establish a validation rule, enter an expression in the Validation Rule text box. To use dates in an expression, the dates must be enclosed by number signs (#). Here are some examples of validation rules:
Validation TextIf someone enters data that violates a validation rule that you enter in the Validation Rule text box, Access displays a standard error message. The message reads, “One or more values are prohibited by the validation rule set for [this field]. Enter a value that the expression for this field can accept.” If this message is too cold and impersonal for you, you can create a message of your own for the error message dialog box. Enter your friendly message in the Validation Text text box.RequiredBy default, no entry has to be made in a field, but if you choose Yes instead of No in the Required box and you fail to make an entry in the field, a message box tells you to be sure to make an entry.Allow Zero LengthThis property allows you to enter zero-length strings in a field. A zero-length string — two quotation marks with no text or spaces between them (“”) — indicates that no value exists for a field. To see how zero-length strings work, suppose that your database table calls for entering email addresses. If you didn’t know whether one person has an email address, you would leave the E-Mail Address field blank. If, however, you knew that the person didn’t have an email address, you could indicate as much by entering a zero-length string. Choose Yes on the drop-down list to permit zero-length strings to be entered in the field.IndexedThis property indicates whether the field has been indexed. Indexes make sorting a field and searching through a field go faster. The word No appears in this text box if the field has not been indexed.Unicode ExpressionChoose Yes from the Unicode Expression drop-down list if you want to compress data that is now stored in Unicode format. Storing data this way saves on disk space, and you probably don't want to change this property.Smart TagsIf you intend to enter Smart Tags in the field, indicate which kind you enter by clicking the three dots next to the Smart Tags box and choosing an option in the Action Tags dialog box.Text AlignThis property determines how the text is aligned in a column or on a form or report. Select General to let Access determine the alignment, or select Left, Right, Center, or Distribute.Text FormatAvailable on Long Text fields, this drop-down list lets you choose to allow rich text in the field. With this property set to Rich Text, you can make different words bold, italic, underline, and change font sizes and colors. Set it to Plain Text for plain, boring text with no formatting.Append OnlyAvailable on Long Text fields, this property lets you add data only to a Long Text field to collect a history of comments.Show Date PickerThis property is available on Date/Time fields. Choose For Dates to place a button next to the column that data-entry clerks can click to open a calendar and select a date instead of typing numbers.IME Mode/IME Sentence modeThese options are for converting characters and sentences from East Asian versions of Access.Creating a lookup data-entry list in MS AccessPerhaps the best way to make sure that data is entered correctly is to create a data-entry drop-down list. That way, anyone entering the data in your database table can do so by choosing an item from the list, not by typing it in. This method saves time and prevents invalid data from being entered. Access offers two ways to create the drop-down list:
Creating a drop-down list on your ownFollow these steps to create a drop-down, or lookup, list with entries you type:
To see what’s on a drop-down list, select the field for which you created the list, switch to Design view, and select the Lookup tab in the Field Properties pane. You can edit the list by editing or removing items in the Row Source text box. Be sure that a semi-colon (;) appears between each item. Lookup field properties.Getting list items from a database tableBefore you can get list items from another database table, you might want to define a relationship between the tables; it’s not required, but it’s recommended. Follow these steps to get items in a drop-down list from another database table:
Suppose that you obtain the items from the wrong field or wrong database table. To fix that problem, select the field for which you created the list, and in Design view, select the Lookup tab. Choose Text Box instead of Combo Box on the Display Control drop-down list and start all over. About This ArticleAbout the book author:Peter Weverka is a veteran tech writer and long-time For Dummies author. Among his credits are Office 2016 All-in-One For Dummies and Windows 10 For Seniors For Dummies, both top sellers in their respective categories. This article can be found in the category:
What are field properties?The properties of a field describe the characteristics and behavior of data added to that field. A field's data type is the most important property because it determines what kind of data the field can store.
What are three field properties?Field Properties. Field Size: sets the maximum number of characters that can be entered into a text field.. Format: sets how the data is to be displayed in the table field.. Input Mask: sets the rules as to how data can be entered so that data is entered correctly.. What are two properties of a field?Two properties of magnetic field lines are:. They never cross one another.. They flow from the south pole to the north pole within the magnet and north pole to south pole outside the magnet.. What two field properties are required for every field?Two properties are required for every field: Field Name and Data Type.
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