Wallace Wang

Article / Updated 10-28-2024

A paper database is useful for storing information, but not so useful for finding it again. With Access 2019, searching and finding information is easy. If you have a thousand business cards stored in a Rolodex file, how much time do you want to waste trying to find the phone number of a single person? With Access 2019, that is no longer a concern. Searching a database is crucial to make your data useful, so Access provides two ways to search a database: Search for a specific record. Use a filter to show one or more records that meet a specific criterion. Searching MS Access for a specific record The simplest type of search looks for a specific record. To search for a record, you need to know the data stored in at least one of its fields, such as a phone number or an email address. The more information you already know, the more likely Access will find the one record you want. If you search for all records that contain the first name Bill, Access could find dozens of records. If you just search for all records that contain the first name Bill, the last name Johnson, and a state address of Alaska, Access will likely find just the record you want. To search for a specific record in an Access database table, follow these steps: In the All Access Objects pane on the left of the screen, double-click the name of the database table you want to search. Access displays the Datasheet view of your database. Click the Home tab. In the Find group, click the Find icon. The Find and Replace dialog box appears. Click in the Find What text box and type the data you know is stored in the record you want to find. For example, if you want to find the phone number of a person but you know only the person’s last name, type the last name in the Find What text box. Click the Look In list box and choose Current field or Current document (searches in all fields). (Optional) Click in the Match list box and choose one of the following: Any Part of Field: The Find What text can appear in any part of a field. Whole Field: The Find What text is the only text stored in a field. Start of Field: The Find What text can be only at the beginning of a field. (Optional) Click in the Search list box and choose one of the following: Up: Searches from the record where the cursor appears, up to the beginning of the database table Down: Searches from the record where the cursor appears, down to the end of the database table All: Searches the entire database table Click Find Next. Access highlights the field where it finds the text you typed in Step 4. Repeat Step 8 to search for more records that may contain the text you typed in Step 4. Click Cancel or the Close button. Filtering an Access database Searching a database is easy but somewhat limited because you can retrieve only a single record at a time that matches any text that you want to find. If you want to find multiple records, you can use a filter. A filter lets you tell Access to display only those records that meet certain criteria, such all records that contain people who earn more than $200,000 a year, are currently married, live in Las Vegas, Nevada, and own two or more cats. To filter a database table, you must tell Access which field or fields to use as a filter, and then you must define the criteria for that filter. For example, if you want to filter your database table to see only records listing the names of people who are at least 65, you filter the Age field and set the criterion to Greater than or equal to 65. Filtering simply hides all records in a database table that don’t match your criteria. Filtering doesn’t delete or erase any records. Using an exact match for a filter in Access 2019 The simplest filtering criterion searches for an exact match. When you filter a field by an exact match, you’re telling Access, “I want to see only those records that contain this specific chunk of data in this particular field.” By using an exact match filter, you can display, for example, only the records that contain CA in the State field. To filter a database table, follow these steps: In the All Access Objects pane on the left of the screen, double-click the name of the database table you want to filter. Access displays the Datasheet view of your database. Click the Home tab. Click in the field (column) that you want to use as a filter. In the Sort & Filter group, click the Filter icon.A pop-up menu appears. You can either Select or clear check boxes from this menu. Continue with Steps 5 through 7 for more flexibility. Choose Text Filters. A submenu appears. Choose a filter option, such as Equals, Begins With, or Contains. A Custom Filter dialog box appears. Type the data you want to find and click OK. Access displays your filtered data, and a filter icon appears in the column heading. Access remembers your filter settings. If you want to clear the filter, click the filter icon in the column heading; when a pop-up menu appears, choose Clear Filter. To view all the data in your database table, click the Home tab. Then in the Sort & Filter group, click the Toggle Filter icon. Filtering Access databases by form One problem with defining filters in Datasheet view is that you have all your database table records cluttering the screen. To avoid this problem, Access lets you define filters by using a form, which basically displays an empty record so you can click the fields that you want to use to filter your database table. To define a filter by form, follow these steps: In the All Access Objects pane on the left of the screen, double-click the name of the database table that you want to filter. Access displays the Datasheet view of your database. Click the Home tab. In the Sort & Filter group, click the Advanced icon. A pull-down menu appears. Choose Filter by Form. Access displays a blank record. Click in any field, then type the data you want to filter such as a last name. In the Sort & Filter group, click the Advanced icon and then click Apply Filter/Sort. Access displays a filtered view of your database table. You can click the Toggle Filter icon again to view all the data in your database table. Using a filter criteria in Access 2019 Searching for an exact match in a field can be handy, but sometimes you may want to see records that meet certain criteria, such as finding the names of everyone whose salary is greater than $50,000 a year. Instead of filtering by an exact match, you have to define the filter criteria. The type of data stored in each field determines the type of criteria you can create. Three common types of data stored in fields are text, numbers, and dates, which you can filter in different ways. Common Criteria for Filtering Text Data Filtering Criteria Description Equals Field must match filter text exactly. Does Not Equal Field must not match filter text. Begins With Field must start with the filter text. Does Not Begin With Field must not begin with the filter text. Contains Field must contain the filter text. Does Not Contain Field must not contain any part of the filter text. Ends With Field ends with the filter text. Does Not End With Field does not end with the filter text. Common Criteria for Filtering Numeric Data Filtering Criteria Description Equals Field must equal filter number. Does Not Equal Field must not equal filter number. Less Than or Equal To Field must contain a number less than or equal to the filter number. Greater Than or Equal To Field must contain a number greater than or equal to the filter number. Between Field must contain a number that falls between two filter numbers. Common Criteria for Filtering Dates Filtering Criteria Description Equals Field must equal the filter date. Does Not Equal Field must not equal the filter date. On or Before Field date must be equal or earlier than the filter date. On or After Field date must be equal or later than the filter date. To create the filter criteria, follow these steps: In the All Access Objects pane on the left of the screen, double-click the name of the database table you want to filter. Access displays the Datasheet view of your database. Click the Home tab. Click in the field (column) that you want to use as a filter. In the Sort & Filter group, click the Filter icon. A pop-up menu appears. Select the Filters option, such as Text Filters or Number Filters. A submenu of filter options appears. Click a filter option, such as Between or Less Than. The Custom Filter dialog box appears. The Custom Filter dialog box contains the name of your filter option, such as Between Numbers or Less Than. Type one or more values in each text box in the Custom Filter dialog box, and then click OK. Access filters your database table according to your criteria. Repeat Steps 5 through 7 for each additional filter you want to add. You can click the Toggle Filter icon again to view all the data in your database table. Clearing a filter in Access 2019 When you apply a filter to a database table, you see only those records that match that filter. Access displays a Filtered message at the bottom of the screen to let you know when you’re looking at a filtered database table. To remove a filter so you can see all the records, choose one of the following: Click the Toggle Filter icon in the Sort & Filter group. Click the Filtered or Unfiltered button on the status bar near the bottom of the screen. Access temporarily turns off any filters so you can see all the information stored in your database table. When you choose the Save command (Ctrl+S) to save a database table, Access also saves your last filter. The next time you open that database table, you’ll be able to use the last filter you created. If you want to save multiple filters, you’ll have to save them as a query. See these handy Access keyboard shortcuts for further information.

Cheat Sheet / Updated 05-03-2022

If you're just getting started writing computer programs, you need to learn programming branching and looping statements to perform the specific jobs you need for an effective program. Keeping a list of computer programming resources for useful information handy can help, too.

Cheat Sheet / Updated 03-25-2022

Breaking into acting takes more than catching a lucky break. Take steps to show up prepared for your acting audition, like keeping your clothes measurements with you. Keep accurate records of your acting expenses so you can deduct them from your taxes. Learn to deal with the frustration of acting, and keep your hopes of becoming an actor alive.

Cheat Sheet / Updated 03-15-2022

Microsoft Office 2019 comes jam-packed with features. This Cheat Sheet can help you navigate around those features easier by providing keyboard shortcuts and tips for using the mouse, and ribbon to get fast access to the most commonly used commands. You’ll master Office 2019 in no time!

Article / Updated 10-05-2021

To create an Access database, you need to first create a database table and then define the names of all the fields you want to store in that table. Access database tables let you divide a file into separate parts. For example, one database table may hold the names and addresses of all your customers, a second database table may hold the names and addresses of all your employees, and a third database table may hold the names and addresses of your suppliers. Access stores all this related information in a single Access file that’s saved on your hard drive. Designing an Access database To design your Access database, you can create a database from scratch or use an existing template, which you can modify. Designing a database means defining both the number of fields to use for storing information and the maximum amount of data each field can hold. If you have a field that stores numbers, what are the maximum and minimum limits on the numbers you want to save in that field? If you’re storing someone’s age, you probably don’t want the field to contain negative numbers or numbers beyond 200. If your field needs to hold salaries, the field may need to hold large numbers but no negative numbers. In general, store information in separate field in Access. So, rather than create a single field to hold someone’s full name, create two separate fields: One field holds a first name, and the second field holds the last name. By storing last names in a separate field, you can easily yank last names out of your database to create form letters that state, “The Smith family has just won $200,000 dollars in the Publisher’s Umpteenth Sales Pitch Sweepstakes!” Access can create a blank database or a special database by using one of many templates available from the Microsoft website. No matter how you create a database, you will likely need to customize it for the type of data you want to store. When you start Access, it gives you a choice of opening an existing database or creating a new one. Creating a new database To create a database with Access already running, follow these steps: Click the File tab. Choose New.Access displays a variety of database templates you can use. Click an icon, such as Blank Database, or any database template. When you click a template, a window appears; you see a preview of your template. Click in the File Name text box and type a descriptive name for your database. If you click the folder icon that appears to the right of the File Name text box, you can open a dialog box that will let you define a specific drive and folder in which to store your database file. Click the Create button to create your database file. Access displays a blank database. Click the Click to Add heading. Access displays a menu for defining what type of data that field can hold, such as text or numbers. Choose Long Text. Access displays a generic field name, such as Field 1. Type a name for your field (such as First Name or Salary). Press Enter.Access displays another Click to Add column; its menu lets you choose the type of data to store in the next field. Choose Long Text or any other data type you want the field to hold.Access displays another generic field, such as Field1. Type a name for your field, such as Last Name. Repeat Steps 9 through 11 for each additional field you want to create. When you have finished adding fields, press Esc on the keyboard. Check here for handy Access 2019 keyboard shortcuts.

Article / Updated 01-10-2019

After you create an Access database from scratch or from a template, you may need to modify it by giving each field a descriptive name, defining the size of each field, or adding and deleting a field. With Access 2019, these tasks are easier than ever. Naming a field in Access 2019 If you create a database from scratch, Access displays generic field names such as Field1. If you didn't modify these generic field names when you created your database, you can change names later. If you create a database from a template, you’ll see the descriptive field names, but you may still want to rename the fields to something else. To rename a field in Access, follow these steps: In the All Access Objects pane on the left of the screen, double-click the table that contains the fields you want to rename. Access displays the Datasheet view (which resembles an Excel spreadsheet) of your database. Double-click the field (column head) that you want to rename. Access highlights the column heading. Type a new name for your field. To rename other fields, repeat Steps 2 and 3. When you're finished, press Enter. Adding and deleting a field in Access Sometimes you may need to add a field to make room to store new information. At other times, you may want to delete a field that you don’t really want after all. It’s usually best to add and delete fields when creating and designing a database, before you start storing data such as names and addresses. If you add fields after you’ve stored data, you’ll wind up with empty fields in existing records. To add a field to an Access database table, follow these steps: Click the downward-pointing arrow that appears to the right of the Click to Add heading. A menu appears. Choose the type of field you want to add, such as Currency or Short Text. Access inserts your field and gives it a generic name like Field3. To delete a field from an Access database table, follow these steps: Right-click the field (column head) you want to delete. Access highlights the entire column in your database table and displays a pop-up menu. Click Delete Field.If you have stored data in that field, a dialog box appears, asking whether you want to permanently delete all the data in the field. If you delete a field, you also delete any data that may be stored in that field. Depending on how much data you have stored, you can wipe out a lot of information by deleting a single field, so be careful. Click Yes (or No). If you click Yes, Access deletes your chosen field. Defining the type and size of a field in Access The data type of a field defines what kind of data the field can hold (numbers, text, dates, and so on), and the size of a field defines the amount of data the field can hold (no numbers larger than 250 digits, any text string with fewer than 120 characters, and so on). The purpose of defining the type and size of a field is to make sure that you store only valid data in that field. If a field is meant to store names, you don’t want someone typing a number. If a field is meant to store a person’s age, you don’t want the field to accept negative numbers. To define the type and amount of data a field can store in Access, follow these steps: Click the Home tab. In the All Access Objects pane on the left of the screen, double-click the table that contains the fields you want to define.Access displays the Datasheet view of your table. Click the column heading of the field you want to define. Access highlights the entire column. On the Ribbon interface, click the Fields tab that appears under the Table Tools heading. The Fields tab displays options for modifying your field. In the Formatting group, click the arrow that appears to the right of the Data Type combo box.A pull-down menu appears, listing all the types of data you can define to store in a field. Choose a data type, such as Number, Text, or Date/Time.Depending on the data type you choose, you can choose additional options by clicking in the Format combo box. If you change a field's data type, you may lose any existing data stored in that field.

Article / Updated 12-06-2018

If you haven’t noticed by now, plenty of features are buried in Office 2019 that you probably don’t need most of the time. However, if you’re a die-hard Office 2019 power user, you may want to peek at some of the more advanced features available to make your life easier. Although these advanced features may take time to learn and master, you may find the effort worth it to make Office 2019 behave exactly the way you want it to. Best of all, you can learn these new features by playing with them at work — so that way, you can learn something new and get paid for doing it at the same time. Build (and use) your own Office add-ins If you’re like most people, you probably just want to use a program, make it do what you need it to do, and then go home. However, if you find yourself wishing Office 2019 could do something more, you may want to take some time to develop your own apps for Office 2019. To create apps for Office 2019, you need to use industry-standard programming languages such as HTML5, JavaScript, CSS3 (Cascading Style Sheets), and XML. By creating your own Office 2019 apps, you can extend Office 2019’s capabilities. If you create a particularly useful app, you can even sell it or give it away. To learn more about creating your own Office 2019 apps, view the brief tutorial on how to create your first Office 2019 app). If you don't want to create your own Office apps, click the Insert tab and then click the Store icon. Now you can browse through Office add-ins that other people have created for use (for free or for a price). By downloading and installing Office add-ins, you can boost the capabilities of Office. Collaborating with the Office 2019 review tab If you’re the only person who needs to edit, view, and use your Office 2019 documents, you can safely skip this section. However, if you’re like many people, you need to collaborate with others. The old-fashioned way of collaborating meant printing paper copies, sending them to others, and writing directly on them. With Office, you can highlight, mark up, and edit documents electronically so that you can distribute files by email or through a network. Each time someone makes a change to a document, Office 2019 tracks the changes with a different color and identifies the contributor by name. Now you can see who wrote what, and you can selectively keep the comments that are most valuable and ignore the ones you don’t like. Some of the more useful commands hidden on the Review tab are New Comment: Inserts a comment directly into a document without affecting the existing text. Track Changes: Highlights any new text or data that someone adds to or deletes from an existing document. Compare: Examines two files and highlights the differences between the two. This tool also gives you the option of selectively merging changes into a single document. By using the features stored on the Review tab, you can send multiple copies of a file to others, let everyone make comments, mark up the text, move data around, and then merge everyone’s comments and changes into a single, final version. Using Word 2019’s References tab Most people use Word just to write letters or short reports. If you need to create longer documents, you may be interested in using some of the following the features buried on Word’s References tab: Table of Contents: Creates a table of contents based on the header styles used in a document Insert Footnote: Creates a footnote at the bottom of the page Insert Endnote: Creates a list of notes at the end of a document Insert Caption: Automatically numbers figures, tables, or equations Insert Table of Figures: Creates a list of figures, tables, or equations that you created using the Insert Caption command Mark Entry: Tags words or phrases to appear in an index Insert Index: Creates an index based on words or phrases tagged with the Mark Entry command Using Excel 2019’s Data tab Most people type data directly into an Excel worksheet and then manipulate that data through formulas or other commands. However, you can also design a worksheet and then import data from another location (such as stock quotes that you retrieve from a website), a text file, an Access database, or even a database file created by another program (such as an ancient dBASE database). Following are some of the features available from the Get External Data icon on Excel’s Data tab: From Table/Range: Retrieves data from an Excel table or range From web: Retrieves data stored in a table on a web page From Text/CSV: Retrieves data stored as an ASCII text file Get Data: Retrieves data stored in other sources, such as an SQL Server or XML file Saving and sending Office 2019 files The traditional way to send a file to someone is to save your file, load your email program (such as Outlook), create a new message, attach your file (if you can remember where you stored it), and send it over the Internet. Here’s a faster way to send a file: In the file that you want to send, click the File tab. Click Share. The Share window appears. Click Email and then click one of the following: Send as Attachment: Attaches the Office 2019 file. Recipients will be able to view and edit this file only if they also have Office 2019. Send a Link: Sends a link to a file when you’re collaborating over a local area network. Send as PDF: Converts the file to PDF (Portable Document Format) before attaching it to the message. Recipients who don't have special PDF-editing software will be able to view the file but not edit it. Send as XPS: Converts the file to XPS (Open XML Paper Specification) format before attaching it to the message. Recipients will need a program that can open and display an XPS file, which preserves formatting and works similar to a PDF file. Encrypting an Office 2019 file After creating a file in Office 2019, you may want to show it to others but not let anyone else modify it. You could trust that nobody will mess up your file, but a better option is to password-protect it so nobody can modify it without your permission. To password-protect a file, follow these steps: Click the File tab. Click Info, and then click the Protect button (such as Protect Document or Protect Presentation). A menu appears. Click Encrypt with Password. An Encrypt Document dialog box appears. Type a password and then click OK. If you forget your password, you won’t be able to access your own file, so make sure you remember your password. Many third-party companies sell password-cracking tools for retrieving the password to Office 2019 files. These tools can be useful if you forget your own password, but they can be used also by malicious people, so don't think that passwords alone can protect your Office 2019 documents from prying eyes. Saving Office 2019 files to the cloud In the old days, everyone saved files directly on their computer's hard disk. Although this method worked, it had problems. If you took a laptop but forgot to copy a crucial file off your desktop, your laptop would be essentially useless. That's why Microsoft offers OneDrive, their cloud-based service that lets you save files over the Internet to your OneDrive account. After you save a file on OneDrive, you can access that file from any computer that has access to the Internet. So, for example, you can store crucial files on OneDrive from your desktop PC, and then take a laptop and access the same files on OneDrive. Now, instead of having two copies of a file (one on your desktop and one on your laptop), you just have one file on OneDrive. This eliminates the need to keep track of multiple copies of the same file. Storing files on OneDrive has another advantage in that it allows multiple collaboration on the same file. If you are in Berlin and your co-worker is in Tokyo, you can both access and edit the same file on OneDrive. By saving files to OneDrive, you can access them at any time and share them with others as well. To save a file on OneDrive, follow these steps: Click the File tab. Click Save As. A menu appears. Click OneDrive. Ignoring the silly Office 2019 Ribbon Although the Office Ribbon represents a more visual way to use Microsoft Office, some people still prefer the classic pull-down menu interface of previous versions of Microsoft Office. Those who don’t want to give up their familiarity with pull-down menus can buy an add-on program dubbed Classic Menu for Office. This program essentially gives back your pull-down menus so you can choose between the Office Ribbon and traditional pull-down menus. Now you can have the best of both worlds without giving up either one. The main drawback with this add-on program is that if you have to use someone else’s copy of Office 2019 that doesn’t have this add-on installed, you may feel lost trying to use the Ribbon alone. For this reason, it’s a good idea to become familiar with the Office Ribbon and use this Classic Menu for Office add-on program to help you make the transition from an older version of Office to Office 2019. Find more Office 2019 templates Templates help you create well-designed and professionally formatted documents quickly and easily. Programs such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Access offer plenty of templates to choose from, but those aren’t the only templates you can find and use. Microsoft offers an online list of templates, and many companies offer unique templates as well. Avery, a popular mailing label company, provides templates designed for printing mailing labels, business cards, and other specialized documents. If you search for Microsoft Office templates in your favorite search engine, you’ll likely find many companies offering Microsoft Office templates that you can download and use free. Use Microsoft Office everywhere When you use OneDrive, you can access your files from any computer. For greater versatility, consider using Office 365, Office for Android, or Office for iOS. Office 365 runs entirely within your browser, which means you can use any computer that can connect to the Internet, such as a Linux PC or a Chromebook, to create and edit Microsoft Office documents. If you want to use different types of computers and still use Microsoft Office, you’ll want Office 365. Office for Android lets you run Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook on any Android smartphone or tablet. Office for iOS lets you run Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook on an iPhone or iPad. With either Office for Android or Office for iOS, you can create and edit Microsoft Office documents on your favorite mobile computer. Now you’ll be able to use Microsoft Office wherever you go.

Article / Updated 12-06-2018

Access reports can be useful for displaying data, but you can go one step further and make your Access reports look visually pleasing as well. One way to change the appearance of an Access report is to use a predefined theme, which can instantly add color to make even the dullest Access report look interesting. Applying themes in Access 2019 A theme simply rearranges the appearance of your entire report so it doesn’t look like a boring list of text and numbers. To apply a theme to an Access report, follow these steps: Display your report in Design view. Click the Design tab. In the Themes group, click the Themes icon. A menu appears, listing all the available themes. Move the mouse pointer over a theme. Access shows how your report will look with the selected theme. Select a theme to choose it for your report. Access displays your report with your selected theme. Creating conditional formatting in Access 2019 An Access report can display data, but sometimes you may want help in identifying certain types of data. For example, you may want Access to highlight sales figures that are greater than $250,000 so you can spot this information easier. Although you can manually examine a report and highlight such information yourself, it’s faster and more accurate to let Access do it instead. Formatting data based on certain criteria is known as conditional formatting. The idea is that Access formats data only when certain conditions are met, such as a value greater than $250,000 or less than $10,000. To use conditional formatting, you need to define the field to format, define a rule to trigger the formatting, and then the type of formatting you want to apply, such as highlighting the Access field in red or yellow. To apply conditional formatting to data in an Access report, follow these steps: Display your report in Design view. Select the field to which you want apply conditional formatting. You can apply conditional formatting to a numeric or text field. Click the Format tab. In the Control Formatting group, click the Conditional Formatting icon. A Conditional Formatting Rules Manager dialog box appears. Click the New Rule button. A New Formatting Rule dialog box appears. You can click the Edit Rule or Delete Rule button here to edit or delete a rule that you’ve created. Select a rule type: Check values in the current record or use an expression (you can create a rule that considers the value of only a single field) Compare to other records (you can create a rule that examines the value of the same field stored in other records) In the Edit the Rule Description category, define your rule. Depending on the option you chose in Step 6, the Edit the Rule Description category may display different options. Choose the type of formatting to display if the data in a field matches the rule that you defined in Step 7. Click OK. The Conditional Formatting Rules Manager dialog box appears again, displaying your newly created rule. Click OK. Access now displays your formatting changes in the field if it matches your defined rule.

Article / Updated 12-06-2018

After you create an Access report, you can manipulate the data displayed in that report, such as sorting data in ascending or descending order, changing from portrait to landscape (or vice versa), or applying a filter that displays only data that meets a certain criteria. By using an Access report, you get a different view of your data. By manipulating the data in an Access report, you create alternate views of the same report. Some common ways to extract information from an Access report include counting, sorting, and filtering. Switching an Access report to Layout view To manipulate data in an Access report, you must first display your report in Layout view, which you can do by following these steps: In the All Access Objects pane (the left pane of the Access window), double-click the report name. Access displays your chosen report. Click the Home tab. In the Views group, click the downward-pointing arrow below the View icon. A pull-down menu appears. Choose Layout View. Access displays your report in Layout view, which highlights an entire column (field) at a time. Counting records or values in Access 2019 To make reports more useful, you can have Access count and display information. For example, you might want to know which products are selling the best or the total dollar amount of each sale so you can tell exactly how much money your company made during March. By counting records or adding up values stored in fields, Access can help you better interpret the data displayed in a report. To count the number of records or values in an Access report, follow these steps: Switch to the Layout view of your report by following the steps above. Right-click in the column (not the column heading) that you want to count. Access highlights your chosen column and displays a pop-up menu. Click Total. The menu command displays the Total command along with the field name you right-clicked, such as Total Last Name or Total Sales. Access displays a submenu that displays Count Records or Count Values. Choose either Count Records or Count Values. Access displays the total count in your report. If you choose the Count Records or Count Values command again, you can hide the total count in your report. Sorting a field in Access 2019 Access can sort each field in ascending or descending order. Sorting a field simply rearranges the data in your report for your convenience. To sort a column (field) in an Access report, follow these steps: Switch to the Layout view of your report by following the steps above. Right-click in the column (not the column heading) that you want to sort. Access highlights your chosen column and displays a pop-up menu. Choose one of the following: Sort A to Z (or Sort Smallest to Largest): Sorts in ascending order Sort Z to A (or Sort Largest to Smallest): Sorts in descending order Access sorts your chosen data in your report. Filtering a field in Access 2019 Filtering tells Access to display only data that meets a certain criterion, such as a fixed amount. For example, if you have a report that lists all the sales of products, you can filter your report to show only those products that sold over $1,000. To filter data in a field, follow these steps: Switch to the Layout view of your Access report by following Steps 1 through 3 above. Right-click in the column (not the column heading) that you want to filter. Access highlights your chosen column and displays a pop-up menu. Choose a filter, such as Text Filters or Number Filters. Depending on the type of data your column contains, the Filter command may appear as Text Filters or Number Filters. A submenu appears. Choose a filter criteria, such as Sum or Average. Depending on the criteria you choose, a Custom Filter dialog box appears. In the Custom Filter dialog box, type your criteria, and then click OK. Access applies your filter to your report. You can always turn off your filter by clicking the Home tab and then clicking the Toggle Filter icon in the Sort & Filter group.

Article / Updated 12-05-2018

The easiest way to create a report in Access is to use the Report Wizard, which guides you step by step through arranging and selecting which data to print on a report. To use the Report Wizard in Access, follow these steps: Click the Create tab. In the Reports group, click the Report Wizard icon. The Report Wizard dialog box appears. Click in the Tables/Queries list box and choose the table or query that contains the data you want to print in a report. Click a field in the Available Fields box and then click the > button. Repeat this step for each additional field you want to display in your report. Click Next. Another dialog box appears, asking whether you want to group your data by a specific field, such as by First Name, Last Name, or Sales. Click a field name displayed in the box and then click the > button. Repeat this step for each additional field you want to use to group your data on the report. Click Next. Another dialog box appears, asking you to choose up to four fields to use for sorting your data in your report. Click in a list box and choose a field to sort your data. Data will be sorted by the order chosen here for each additional field you sort on. (Optional) Click the Ascending button to change the sorting criteria from Ascending to Descending and vice versa. Click Next. Another dialog box appears, asking you how to lay out your report. In the Layout group. select a radio button, such as Stepped or Block. You may see different options depending on the fields you chose in the previous steps. (Optional) In the Orientation group, select the Portrait or Landscape radio button. Click Next. Another dialog box appears, asking for a descriptive name for your report. Type a descriptive name for your report and then click Finish. Access displays your report. To view your report again, double-click the report name in the left pane of the Access window If you change any data, you can see those updated changes in your report by following these steps: Right-click the tab that represents your currently displayed report. A pop-up menu appears. Choose Close. In the left pane of the Access window, double-click the report name. Your chosen report appears again, displaying any data you updated or modified since the last time you viewed the report. Access won’t automatically update your reports just because you modified data that the report displays.