Create a bound text box

Before creating a bound control, make sure that your form or report is bound to a record source, or that your data access page is connected to a database.

  1. Open a form, report, or data access page in Design view.
  2. If the field list isn't visible, click Field List on the toolbar.
  3. Do one of the following:

    Select one or more fields in the field list on a form or report.
    To select Do this
    One field Click the field.
    A block of fields Click the first field in the block, hold down the SHIFT key, and then click the last field in the block.
    Nonadjacent fields Hold down the CTRL key and click the name of each field that you want to include.
    All fields Double-click the field list title bar.

    Select a field, table, or query in the field list on a data access page.
    To select Do this
    One field Click the field.
    A table or query Click the Wizard tool in the toolbox if it's not already selected, and then click the table or query.

  4. Do one of the following:

    Note   Microsoft Access won't create the control if you try to add it by clicking the form, report, or data access page instead of dragging the selected field from the field list.

    Access places one text box on the form, report, or data access page for each field that you select in the field list. Each text box is bound to one field in the underlying data source. Each text box also has an attached label by default.

  5. Size the text box so that it's the appropriate size for the data you want to show.
  6. Change the label text if necessary.
  7. Switch to Form view, Datasheet view, Page view, or Print Preview to test the control.

Note   If the data in a text box on a form contains many lines of text, you might want to set the ScrollBars property to Vertical.