Datasheets III: Make data easier to read by formatting columns and rows

Overview: Data clarity

A datasheet is a grid of rows and columns that displays the information in your database tables.

Access 2007 makes it easy and fast to organize and format your datasheets. You can move and hide columns, and change the look and feel of your data with just a few mouse clicks.

Organizing and formatting data makes it easier to read and understand and can help the people who use your database get more done.

Datasheets III: Make data easier to read by formatting columns and rows

Make your data easier to read

Your coworkers like the database you’ve created, but they have a complaint — the data seems a bit disorganized.

You learn that they don’t need to see all the columns of data, and they’d like some of those columns to be in a different order. What’s more, they’d like you to make each row of data easier to scan, if that’s possible.

Not a problem. You can make those changes quickly and easily.

Datasheets III: Make data easier to read by formatting columns and rows

Move columns

You can move the columns in a datasheet whenever you need to organize your data.

For instance, you may want to move a column to the left side of your datasheet so that it’s always visible and easy to find.

Datasheets III: Make data easier to read by formatting columns and rows

Move columns

You move one or more columns by dragging them; the picture shows the process.

1 To move a single column, just click the column header, then click the header again and drag the column to its new location. A vertical black line tells you where the column will go when you drop it.

Datasheets III: Make data easier to read by formatting columns and rows

Move columns

You move one or more columns by dragging them; the picture shows the process.

2 To move several columns, click a column header, press SHIFT, click the headers of the other columns, and then drag the selected columns to their new location. Keep in mind that the columns must be next to each other.

Datasheets III: Make data easier to read by formatting columns and rows

Hide or show columns

Now you need to hide the columns that users don’t need to see.

Hiding doesn’t remove any data from your table, and you can restore hidden columns at any time.

1 To hide a column, click the column header and click Hide Columns. Or....

Datasheets III: Make data easier to read by formatting columns and rows

Hide or show columns

Now you need to hide the columns that users don’t need to see.

Hiding doesn’t remove any data from your table, and you can restore hidden columns at any time.

2 You can hide multiple columns, as long as they’re next to each other. Click a column header, press SHIFT, select the other column headers you want to hide, then right-click any of the selected headers and click Hide Columns.

Datasheets III: Make data easier to read by formatting columns and rows

Hide or show columns

Now you need to hide the columns that users don’t need to see.

Hiding doesn’t remove any data from your table, and you can restore hidden columns at any time.

3 To show hidden columns, right-click any column header and click Unhide Columns. That opens the Unhide Columns dialog box, where you...

4 Select the check box next to each column that you want to show, and then click Close.

Datasheets III: Make data easier to read by formatting columns and rows

Resize one or more columns

If some of the fields in your datasheet contain a lot of text, some of that text may be cut off so that you can’t see it all.

When that happens, you can resize the column to make it more readable.

You can resize one or more columns manually or automatically.

Datasheets III: Make data easier to read by formatting columns and rows

Resize one or more columns

The figure shows the process.

1 To resize a single column, position the mouse pointer at the right edge of the column header until the pointer changes to a double-headed arrow , then drag the header.

Datasheets III: Make data easier to read by formatting columns and rows

Resize one or more columns

The figure shows the process.

2

3

To resize more than one column, click a column header, press SHIFT, select the other column headers, and then drag any one of the selected headers.

When you use this technique, all the selected columns become the same width.

Datasheets III: Make data easier to read by formatting columns and rows

Change the text format

Your coworkers like what you’ve done, but remind you that the company uses a standard font and font size.

No problem.

1

2

On the Home tab, in the Font group, click the arrow next to the font list and select a font.

To change the font size, click the arrow next to the Font Size list and select a value. You can also enter a value manually.

Datasheets III: Make data easier to read by formatting columns and rows

Change the text format

Your coworkers like what you’ve done, but remind you that the company uses a standard font and font size.

No problem.

3 To change the font style, click any combination of Bold, Italic, or Underline.

4 To change the font color, click the arrow next to the Font Color button, and then select a color from the palette.

Datasheets III: Make data easier to read by formatting columns and rows

Change row height

After you change the font, you realize it’s taller than the original type face.

You can make the text easier to read by making the rows in your datasheets taller.

1 Point at the top or bottom edge of a record selector — the box at the left edge of your datasheet — until the pointer becomes a double-headed arrow . Then drag the record selector up or down.

Datasheets III: Make data easier to read by formatting columns and rows

Change row height

After you change the font, you realize it’s taller than the original type face.

You can make the text easier to read by making the rows in your datasheets taller.

2

3

To restore the rows to their default height, right-click a record selector and click Row Height, and then...

In the Row Height dialog box, select Standard Height and click OK.

Datasheets III: Make data easier to read by formatting columns and rows

Hide gridlines, change the color of alternate rows

The last thing your coworkers ask for is to make the data easier to scan.

They suggest hiding vertical gridlines and changing the color of alternate rows.

1 To hide the gridlines, go to the Home tab, and in the Font group click the arrow next to the Gridlines button, and then click the style that you want to use.

Datasheets III: Make data easier to read by formatting columns and rows

Hide gridlines, change the color of alternate rows

The last thing your coworkers ask for is to make the data easier to scan.

They suggest hiding vertical gridlines and changing the color of alternate rows.

2 It’s just as easy to set the background color for alternate rows. On the Home tab, in the Font group, click the arrow next to the Alternate Fill/Back Color button. Then select a color.

Datasheets III: Make data easier to read by formatting columns and rows

Hide gridlines, change the color of alternate rows

The last thing your coworkers ask for is to make the data easier to scan.

They suggest hiding vertical gridlines and changing the color of alternate rows.

3 You can see your results right away. Feel free to experiment with these settings. You can always undo them, and changing them won’t hurt your data.