Menu Ribbon

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Menu Ribbon

The Menu Ribbon is located above the main SMP form window. SMP2011 utilizes the menu controls built-in to the Access 2010 database engine. Following is a description of each of the Ribbon controls. Note: Controls may appear or disappear, or be active or inactive depending upon the active form field or report.

SMP2011

The File tab only provides a control to close SMP2011.

The SMP tab includes all of the controls useful to SMP2011. The SMP tab is divided into five areas: Clipboard, Sort & Filter, Records, Find and Reports. Note: Clipboard, Sort & Filter, Records and Find controls are only functional with form data. Report controls are only functionally available for reports, even though a report window can be printed or saved.

Clipboard

The Clipboard area provide buttons to Cut, Copy and Paste while in forms. These buttons have corresponding short-cut key combinations: Cut, ctl-X; Copy, ctl-C; and Paste, ctl-V.

Sort & Filter

SMP2011 The buttons in the Sort & Filter area will vary depending upon what field the cursor is in. the complete set of buttons (to the right) are shown when the cursor is in a field that is accessing the country data.

Filter (large funnel) is a powerful utility that allows for selection and sorting options for an individual field. The Filter control is only available when the cursor is in a field that is accessing data.

Sort—the Ascending control sorts the records in ascending order (numbers, then letters A to Z). The Descending control sorts the records in descending order. These buttons are only available in forms. Note: A form will often sort by the last sort order utilized. The Remove Sort control removes the previously applied sort.

Selection Filter. The Selection control allows the user to search a form based upon the value of a certain field. The Selection control opens to a set of filters based upon the value of the current field. To use the Selection control, the user must click in the desired field, search for or navigate to a record that contains the desired value, click the Selection control, then chose the desired criteria. The Toggle Filter control will be highlighted indicating that the selection filter is in affect. Click on the Toggle Filter control to remove the filter.

Advanced Filter. The Advanced control opens a special query (sort and select) form. This allows the user to utilize multiple selection and sort criteria to filter data. More technical knowledge of queries and of the structure of the SMP data is useful. When finished with the query form, close the form by clicking on the "X" in the upper right-hand corner of the main SMP form window. Then press the Toggle Filter control to apply the filter. Only those records that meet the criteria defined in the query form will be displayed on the form. Press the Toggle Filter control again to remove the filter.

Records

Refresh All. The Refresh All control re-runs the query that provides information for the form.

New. The New control opens the form in the mode to add a record.

Save. The Save control writes the current contents of the field to the database, even before leaving the field. Normally, changes aren't made to data in the underlying table until the user leaves the field. The Save control also saves the formatting of the worksheet view of a form (column widths, fonts, etc.).

Delete. The Delete control deletes the current record unless this has been disabled by SMP2011.

Spelling. The Spelling control checks for spelling of the form's content.

More. The More control is only used when viewing form data in the worksheet view. This control provides formatting of the worksheet.

Find

Find. The Find control opens a sub-menu that allows for searching for content in form fields. Although it is possible to search all fields in a form, it is inefficient. It is best to place the cursor in a specific field and search that field only. Enter the desired value in the “Find What:” box. Press the “Find Next” button. Note that the “Look In:” box allows a search of the individual field or all the fields in the form. The search can be further limited using the “Match:” box, where the user may define how the information appears in the field.

Replace. The Replace control opens a sub-menu and functions the same as the Find control, but adds the feature of replacing found data with the substitute data placed in the Replace control field.

Go To. The Go To control opens a sub-menu allows the user to navigate records in the underlying record set.

Select. The Select control "marks" the current record or all the records in the data set.

Reports

Print. The Print control opens the print dialogue window.

Page Setup. The Page Setup control opens the page setup dialogue box that allows the user to change margins and orientation for the open report or form (that the user may want to print).

Email. Opens a dialogue box where the user is asked to choose a file format for the open report. When the format is chosen, a new email message is opened and the file attached. Send reports in either rtf (rich text file) or pdf file formats. Follow these instructions to send a report as an attachment to an email:

Open the report to be sent to Springfield.
Click on the Email control. A special dialogue box appears where the user must select a file format.
Select the rtf or pdf file format from the list.
An email automatically opens with the file (in the selected format) attached.