Separate Label and Field

[jmlight]

How do I separate the label from the actual field when designing the form? When I click on one to resize or move - they both move.

Every now and then I accidentally am able to separate them and treat them differently - but I have no idea how I did it!

 

[John Big Booty]

When you click on a control, when the form is in design view, you will notice that both the control and the label have a hair line out line around them. You will see a square handle on the corners and in the middles of the out lines. You will also notice that the handles in the top left hand corners of the control and the label are larger than the others. You will also notice that when you mouse over these, larger, handles the cursor will change to a pointing finger. When you click with the pointing finger, as opposed to the hand, you will be able to move either the control of the label in isolation. Whilst the hand will move them both in unison.

 

[Mike375]

You can also use stand alone labels. On the toolbox the label is next to icon you click to make an unbound textbox.

Stand alone labels also have several events you can use. In fact I tend to use stand alone labels instead of buttons.

 

[jmlight]

Hmmm... this didn't quite work for me. I don't get a hand or pointing fingers. I get arrows that allow me to either increase or decrease the field size - or I get the 4-way arrow thing that allows me to move the two of them.

I'm in Design view -

 

[John Big Booty]

If you put the cursor over one of the smaller handles you get the double ended arrow indicating that you can resize the control/label. If you put the cursor over the the outline you fill get the grabbing hand, if you put it over the larger handle (top left hand corner) you should get the pointing hand.

 

[jmlight]

still nothing - could it be because I'm using Vista?

 

[John Big Booty]

Not sure I'll check when I get home. I'm pre vista here at work.

 

[jmlight]

OK - thanks for any help. I KNOW that it can be done - I'm just not sure how! You must be on the west coast if you're still at work....

 

[boblarson]

still nothing - could it be because I'm using Vista?

No, but you might need to unlink your controls if using 2007.
http://www.btabdevelopment.com/main...lcontrolsmovingtogether/tabid/84/Default.aspx

 

[jmlight]

I am using 2007 - I'll give it a try

 

[John Big Booty]

OK - thanks for any help. I KNOW that it can be done - I'm just not sure how! You must be on the west coast if you're still at work....

A whole lot more west than that

 

[jmlight]

No, but you might need to unlink your controls if using 2007.
http://www.btabdevelopment.com/main...lcontrolsmovingtogether/tabid/84/Default.aspx

I followed the instructions to unlink the two. The first time I clicked on the field and label, I was able to click the Remove icon. However, it didn't accomplish anything. The two still moved together.

ANd, now the remove icon is grayed out - so the prgm obviously considers the two unlinked even though they aren't. My workaround was to convert the label to an unbound text box , then work with that.

Aargh!

 

[Kafrin]

In Access 2003, you can click on the label and cut it without the control being cut too, then click on the section you want the label in (detail/header/etc) and paste - even if it's in the same section as the control, the two should now be permanently unlinked.

If you are on a control when you paste the label, the label will be linked to the control you are on, otherwise it will stay unattached.

If you still want the label and control to be link but want to move them around (and can't make John's instructions work), then using the Format, Align, Align Left/Right/Top/Bottom commands to align either part to another item will move them independently, but of course you need to have something else to line them up with!

 

[jmlight]

I think the problem exists in Access 2007 and Vista. The regular 2003 fixes don't seem to work

....I'll just have to wait for a brilliant computer person to come up with a better solution than the one I made..

 

[boblarson]

I think we just aren't getting through to you. It is easy to select each separate part (label and text box) and move them individually. It works the same in all versions. You had to unlock the whole text area in 2007 now but afterwards it still is selecting the top left box on the label or the top left box on the text box to move them.

 

[boblarson]

I can't do it now, but I'll try to post a screenshot or two when I get home tonight (probably about 4-5 hours from now).

 

[jmlight]

It finally got through!!!!......thank you for not giving up on me!!!!

 

[nightowl12]

I was having the same problem as jmlight (using Access 2007). Worked out the simple fix: just select the top-left corner of the control. If the 'move' cursor is positioned anywhere else on the control, it will select the associated label also, which is what I was originally doing.

 

[gemma-the-husky]

when you have a lot of controls, or small controls - its sometimes hard to get the cursor to change to the one you want.

 

[Bayan]

I think the problem exists in Access 2007 and Vista. The regular 2003 fixes don't seem to work

....I'll just have to wait for a brilliant computer person to come up with a better solution than the one I made..

In Design view: select the fields you want to unlink. Go to 'Arrange' Menu then select the 'Remove' option.

This will do the trick, hopefully..