Wordwrap in datasheet view of subform?

[Guest]

I have a subform in which we enter Notes. It is set up as a datasheet and
there are columns for Date, Entered By, Subject, and FollowUp Date.
Each new Note creates a new row (fairly obviously!)
In the Subject field I know there is a limit of 255 chars so it cannot go on
for ever and ever, but quite often there is a fair bit to say and we need the
Subject text to be all visible as a block of several lines of text, rather
than one very long one that isn't all visible within the form.
The form is about 4 inches wide so usually we have to go into the line and
scroll to the right to see the whole entry.
Can I force a wordwrap when the cursor reaches the right edge of the input
field, i.e. a fixed width of text entry, so that it will create new lines as
necessary (within the same note row) and all be visible at once?
I do this all the time in Word but cannot work out how to do it in Access!
Many thanks
CW

 

[Rick Brandt]

I have a subform in which we enter Notes. It is set up as a datasheet and
there are columns for Date, Entered By, Subject, and FollowUp Date.
Each new Note creates a new row (fairly obviously!)
In the Subject field I know there is a limit of 255 chars so it cannot go on
for ever and ever, but quite often there is a fair bit to say and we need the
Subject text to be all visible as a block of several lines of text, rather
than one very long one that isn't all visible within the form.
The form is about 4 inches wide so usually we have to go into the line and
scroll to the right to see the whole entry.
Can I force a wordwrap when the cursor reaches the right edge of the input
field, i.e. a fixed width of text entry, so that it will create new lines as
necessary (within the same note row) and all be visible at once?
I do this all the time in Word but cannot work out how to do it in Access!
Many thanks
CW

Not really. A datasheet row has all boxes the same height. If you make the
height of the row taller then the text in the note field WILL wrap, but you will
also have that same height for all of the other fields and you will have to
choose one height for all rows.

With a continuous subform that is not in datasheet view you can at least have a
multi-line note TextBox without having a multi-line TextBox for the other
fields, but you still have to pick those heights and they will apply to all
rows.

You could of course train users of the form to put the cursor into the note
field and then press <shift-F2> to bring up the Zoom box as an alternative to
scrolling right.

 

[Guest]

This is not really feasible in datasheet view. It could be done in a
continuous view form where you could have some means to expand the size of
the control, e.g. by double-clicking or right-clicking within it, but the
depth of the subform's detail section would have to be deep enough to
accommodate the expanded control, which means you might as well have the
control full depth to start with, so that approach only works well in single
form view.

I'd suggest you use the built in 'zoom' facility. While the relevant column
of the row in question has focus press Shift and the F2 key. This will
display the text in a zoom window.

You could create your own customized 'zoom' facility of course, by opening a
bound popup form to show the Notes field for the current record in a deep
text box, double-clicking or right-clicking in the field on the subform to
open the popup for instance.

Ken Sheridan
Stafford, England

 

[Guest]

Rick - thanks, disappointing but understood. I am considering continuous form
but it would not be ideal to have all rows the same height and I think using
Zoom will be fine as a compromise. I did try to add some ControlTip Text (re
shift+F2) to the Subject field to help novice users but this seems to be
another thing that doesn't work in Datasheet view, is that correct? I could
add a column to the column header, I suppose...
Thanks again
CW

 

[Guest]

Thanks, Ken. I think I'll just use the standard Zoom, it'll do the job well
enough...