Form design

[Autoeng]

I'm having some problems with my form design that I hope someone can offer some tips for. My database has one tabbed form. I use resize code so that when I design at 1024 X 768 my users at 800 X 600 will not have to scroll left - right, up - down. The form fields totally fill the page with no tool or menu bars available. I find it difficult to work at form layout in design mode and then switch to open mode and have everything where I need it. I spend a lot (and I mean alot!) of time tweaking the form to get it right. I dread having to make even the smallest change as I end up spending an hour just to add a new field.

Does anyone have any tips for form design so that I can really know that in design mode that it is going to look right in open mode?

Autoeng

 

[Dave Eyley]

The way I do this is -

Open a new form in design mode.
Get the form properties sorted in the way you need them, i.e.

RecordSelectors
NavigationBar
Menus
Toolbars
Headers&Footers (these are the trickiest because they be moved)
ScrollBars

Click on the rectangle drawing icon and draw a rectangle approx 20 cm wide by 14 cm tall leaving about 5mm around the outside.
Then open the form and see where the rectangle fits - go back to the design and fiddle until the rectangle represents the whole form are (less the 5 mm border).

When the form is complete, delete the rectangle.

That's it............isn't it?

It works for reports too.



Dave Eyley

 

[Autoeng]

Dave:

Thanks for the tip. It is helping me to realize what my form size is and is keeping me inside the box, so to speak.

Autoeng