Lesson 1

Microsoft Access is a powerful application with lots and lots of options.
This module will get you started with Access and introduces you to the essential parts of the Access window, and you will learn the most common ways to open and use an Access database. After completing this module you will be able to:

1. Open and close an Access database
2. Identify the components of the Access window
3. Use Access’s online help system to find the information you need
4. Use the Database window to navigate a database

As with many of the Microsoft Office applications, there are many ways to complete a given task within Access. In this course I will cover the most common way. If you are familiar with a different way to complete a task, feel free to use it. Occasionally I will cover alternative approaches in a sidebar.

The Form object in Access includes four properties that would appear to give an indication as to the location of a form onscreen:

1. WindowHeight,
2. WindowLeft,
3. WindowTop, and
4. WindowWidth.

These properties actually return values based on the client workspace within the Access application window. Because these values can change based on the location of the Access window itself, there is no built-in mechanism to expose the current xy position of a form. The following example demonstrates how to use the GetWindowRect API to return the form's screen position in pixels.