ACC: Status Bar Indicators in Microsoft Access

• Microsoft Access versions 7.0, 97

SUMMARY

Novice: Requires knowledge of the user interface on single-user computers.

On the right side of the Microsoft Access status bar, there are seven panels that indicate filter or keyboard status. These panels are empty unless a filter has been applied or a particular keyboard mode is in effect. This article describes each of the seven status bar indicators.

MORE INFORMATION

FLTR

This indicator tells you that a filter has been applied. It can appear only when a table or query is open in Datasheet view, or when a form is open in Form view. The FLTR indicator is visible when you click the Apply Filter button, the Filter By Form button, or the Filter By Selection button, or when you click Apply Filter/Sort on the Records menu. To remove the FLTR indicator, click the Apply Filter tool again, or click Remove Filter/Sort on the Records menu.

MOV

This indicator tells you that you are in Move mode. You can use the keyboard to move an entire column to a different location in the datasheet.

Follow these steps to use Move mode:

1. Open a table in Datasheet view.

2. Select the column you want to move by clicking on its field name.

3. Press CTRL+F8 to activate Move mode.

4. Press the RIGHT ARROW or LEFT ARROW key to move the column.

EXT

This indicator tells you that you are in Extend mode. Extend mode enables you to use the keyboard to easily extend the selected data.

Follow these steps to use Extend mode:

1. Open a table in Datasheet view.

2. Click in a field in one of the records to position the pointer between two characters.

3. Press F8 to activate Extend mode.

4. Press F8 to select the entire word. If the field consists of more than one word, pressing F8 again selects all of the words in the field.

5. Press F8 again to select the entire field.

6. Press the UP ARROW key several times to extend the selection up; then press the DOWN ARROW key several times to extend the selection down.

7. Press F8 again to select the entire record.

8. Press the UP ARROW key several times to extend the selection up; then press the DOWN ARROW key several times to extend the selection down.

9. Press F8 again to select all of the records.

10. Press ESC to turn off Extend mode.

CAPS

This indicator tells you that any alphabetic characters you type will be uppercase. It is activated and deactivated by pressing the CAPS LOCK key.

NUM

This indicator tells you whether you have enabled the numeric keypad to enter data. It is activated and deactivated by pressing the NUM LOCK key. When the NUM indicator is not visible, the keys on the numeric keypad function as navigation keys.

SCRL

This indicator tells you that in some applications the location of the pointer remains fixed when you use the ARROW keys to scroll. However, in Microsoft Access, the location of the pointer moves while you scroll, regardless of whether the SCRL indicator is visible or not. The SCRL indicator is activated and deactivated by pressing SCROLL LOCK key.

OVR

This indicator tells you that any character you type overwrites the character to the right of the pointer. It is activated and deactivated by pressing the INSERT key. When the OVR indicator is not visible, any character you type is inserted at the position of the pointer.

REFERENCES

For more information about about Move mode, search the Help Index for "columns, datasheets, moving and sizing" and then select "Rearrange columns in Datasheet view by using the keyboard."

For more information about Extend mode, search the Help Index for "extending selection."