Access 2007 Interface Customization

[Question Boy]

Is there a way to make the 'Object browser' appear like in 2003?

Right now I have a drop-down from which I select table, form, query,... and
keep having to go back and forth. The drop-down add an extra click
everytime. i didn't mind at first but now it is really getting annoying.

Is there a way to have the object types all appear in a side panel like 2003?

Please say yes!!!!!!

Thank you,

 

[Maurice]

Unfortunately I have to say no, your stuck with it... new times new interface

 

[Question Boy]

Why oh why would they complexify the interface and add extra steps to one
that was efficient!!!?@!!@#>#$$ %^

Not impressive!

 

[enigma]

If I understand what your asking correctly the answer is "YES"

Click the "left nav" top drop down.

Select Navigate To Category = Object Type
Select Filter By Group = All Objects

Further if you want to get rid of the "Tabbed windows" (which I don't like)

Click the office "gizmo" (the icon upper left of menu bar area)
Select Current Database group
Look for Document Window Options on the property page.
Overlapping Windows (will us forms like the 2003 ui)
Tabbed (dispalys tabs)
Display Document tabs (will hide the TAB)
(this is my new preference) NO TAB but full window mode.

While you are here, read down the page and check out the Navigation Options
button. You can tweak to your hearts content.

Anyway. . . does this speak to you?

ee

 

[Albert D. Kallal]

If you learn how to use the navigation pane, you will fine it MUCH better
then the old way. Furthermore, you will have LESS mouse clicks then before.

If you don't learn the nav pane, then you will find it difficult.

If learn it, you find it BETTER then the old way. It is LESS clicks, LESS
screen changing
then before.

I been meaning to make a screen video showing several tasks done using the
old way vs the new way....

Here how you get this thing to work FOR you, not against you!!

First, when you select the dropdown, select

all access objects

Make sure you group by Object type....

then right click on he drop down, and MAKE SURE you display the search bar

Now, you can always go ctrl-f to put the cursor in the nav search box, and
simply type in a few chars of the object you want. What really great is if
you followed ANY type of naming convention, then you actually display a
group of forms, report, and even queries that ALL belong together.

for example, I need to work on a invoice report. Turns out there is also a
invoice form, and a invoice query. I just simply type in

invo

And presto..I get a list of reports + query + forms all that have to do with
invoicing. And BETTER IS that I don't even have to switch between those
stupid tabs to work on the form and then switch to the tab to work on the
query, and then switch the tab to work on the report. That switching in the
old system drives me nuts.....the new system gives me a NICE list of the 5
objects I need to work on. Even better is that in the old way I had
minimize
the current form/report/query to open another object. With the nave pane on
the left side...I shoot at the object I need with my mouse...(hint: use
ctrl-enter if you like using the arrow keys to move up/down in the nav
pane...(so, up/down arrows...and the ctrl-enter to open object in design
mode).

The above is only scratching how you get going with the nav pane, but if
you a heavy duty developer and working with large projects....you find the
nav pane a zillion times better then the old way....

 

[Tom Wickerath]

Hi Albert,

I respectfully disagree with your assessment that the new Navigation Pane
(Pain) is an improvement. Searching by object name is fine if you happen to
have a general familiarity with the object names in use, or the naming
conventions (in any) that another person may have used. This is not the case
in my daily work, where I support databases created by many different people.

Most people do not use the Description property for objects, so I've found
this to be an ideal place to enter short notes, as I'm wading my way through
tens or hundreds of objects. I can very easily sort by the description
property in Access 2003. As far as I know, you have no way of sorting objects
by Description in Access 2007. Am I wrong?


Tom Wickerath
Microsoft Access MVP
http://www.accessmvp.com/TWickerath/
http://www.access.qbuilt.com/html/expert_contributors.html
__________________________________________

 

[Albert D. Kallal]

Hi Albert,

This is not the case
in my daily work, where I support databases created by many different
people.

Interestingly, I recently worked on a project that had 100,000+ lines of
code and over 250 forms. It was a project I never seen. Once again, I found
being able to type a few chars in for a table name or whatever and it
tended to give me "just" the few tables or objects I needed to work on.

For example, looking for related tables for bill of materials, I would
simply type in BOM

I would get a list

BOM
BOMass
tblBOMupload
tblBOMtemp

Notice in the above, that ordering the results by alpha does not group them
together. Trying to find those tables without a search option is VERY
difficult.
The search option in the nav pane matches ANYWHERE in the text of
the given object. In addition, one would also see all the forms and queries
that belong to these tables group.

Trying to find the quires, forms, reports and
tables that belong to the above in a system with 250+ forms would
significantly increase my learning curve here. That search option lets me
find/see/discover all the
forms/reports/queries etc that are correlated or are interconnected.

Most people do not use the Description property for objects, so I've found
this to be an ideal place to enter short notes, as I'm wading my way
through
tens or hundreds of objects. I can very easily sort by the description
property in Access 2003. As far as I know, you have no way of sorting
objects
by Description in Access 2007. Am I wrong?

As far as I can tell, that option is gone. I am 100% on board with you
that this option should NOT have disappeared. I don't know if it just
fell through the cracks, or that automated menu tracking system of
who uses what option is the reason it is gone (in other words, not
very many people use that option).

I am of the thinking that when descriptions ARE displayed the "search"
should
also search/scan the description text also.

Regardless, I will certainly join you in suggesting that the sorting by
description option be added back to access.

It quite interesting that I now like the nav pane. My first day with it was
a real pain. I had to change a bit as to how I look/find forms etc (it more
of a phonetic process). The search allows me to ONLY see a few objects at a
time thus making large projects feel like small ones.

I also like that I don't have to flip between the tabs
(forms/reports/quire) etc once the search is complete. And, I don't have to
minimize the current object I am designing to open anther object since the
nav pane always visible (this bothers me the most now when I go back to pre
07 access). So, there is a reduction in what I call little pin pricks during
the development process.

I will also add that this is not an all or nothing deal here. Some will find
advantages and some will find disadvantages to the change in the UI. And
remember, we not had a significant ui change in access for really the whole
life of the product. This means not only are our brains hard-wired into
access, but as you well pointed out that our **approaches** to development
are also the result of that UI (your description idea/trick/usage is a
perfect example of developer procedures following the ui that you been
given).

To be honest, the ui change was a give and take, but for the most part the
pros/cons have now balanced out for me in favor of the nav pane.

 

[Albert D. Kallal]

Hi Albert,

This is not the case
in my daily work, where I support databases created by many different
people.

Interestingly, I recently worked on a project that had 100,000+ lines of
code and over 250 forms. It was a project I never seen. Once again, I found
being able to type a few chars in for a table name or whatever and it
tended to give me "just" the few tables or objects I needed to work on.

For example, looking for related tables for bill of materials, I would
simply type in BOM

I would get a list

BOM
BOMass
tblBOMupload
tblBOMtemp

Notice in the above, that ordering the results by alpha does not group them
together. Trying to find those tables without a search option is VERY
difficult.
The search option in the nav pane matches ANYWHERE in the text of
the given object. In addition, one would also see all the forms and queries
that belong to these tables group.

Trying to find the quires, forms, reports and
tables that belong to the above in a system with 250+ forms would
significantly increase my learning curve here. That search option lets me
find/see/discover all the
forms/reports/queries etc that are correlated or are interconnected.

Most people do not use the Description property for objects, so I've found
this to be an ideal place to enter short notes, as I'm wading my way
through
tens or hundreds of objects. I can very easily sort by the description
property in Access 2003. As far as I know, you have no way of sorting
objects
by Description in Access 2007. Am I wrong?

As far as I can tell, that option is gone. I am 100% on board with you
that this option should NOT have disappeared. I don't know if it just
fell through the cracks, or that automated menu tracking system of
who uses what option is the reason it is gone (in other words, not
very many people use that option).

I am of the thinking that when descriptions ARE displayed the "search"
should
also search/scan the description text also.

Regardless, I will certainly join you in suggesting that the sorting by
description option be added back to access.

It quite interesting that I now like the nav pane. My first day with it was
a real pain. I had to change a bit as to how I look/find forms etc (it more
of a phonetic process). The search allows me to ONLY see a few objects at a
time thus making large projects feel like small ones.

I also like that I don't have to flip between the tabs
(forms/reports/quire) etc once the search is complete. And, I don't have to
minimize the current object I am designing to open anther object since the
nav pane always visible (this bothers me the most now when I go back to pre
07 access). So, there is a reduction in what I call little pin pricks during
the development process.

I will also add that this is not an all or nothing deal here. Some will find
advantages and some will find disadvantages to the change in the UI. And
remember, we not had a significant ui change in access for really the whole
life of the product. This means not only are our brains hard-wired into
access, but as you well pointed out that our **approaches** to development
are also the result of that UI (your description idea/trick/usage is a
perfect example of developer procedures following the ui that you been
given).

To be honest, the ui change was a give and take, but for the most part the
pros/cons have now balanced out for me in favor of the nav pane.