About saving an object as a data access page

You can save a table, query (select, union, or crosstab), form, or report in a Microsoft Access database as a data access page. You can also save tables, views, stored procedures, functions, and forms in a Microsoft Access project as a data access page. Saving an object as a data access page enables you to quickly convert an object into a page, and allows users of your application to review, enter, and analyze data over the Internet or an intranet.

For example, if you have a sales report that you want to make available over the Web, instead of creating a data access page and customizing it to look like the sales report, you can save the report as a data access page. Using the Save As command on the File menu will save a data access page that is similar in appearance and functionality to the original report. If you want to make changes to the design of the resulting page, you can open the page in Design view and make any changes you want.

The default view ù the view in which the object is open when you carry out the Save As command ù determines the design of the data access page.

The following table lists the outcome of each view.

If you carry out the Save As command after making changes to the object's formatting, but before saving your changes, the current formatting ù not the saved formatting ù will be used to create the page.

Implications of using the Save As command

Control support   You will notice the following differences after saving a form or report as a data access page:

• Bound object frames, unbound object frames, toggle buttons, and tab controls are not supported in data access pages. If the original object includes any of these controls, Microsoft Access will ignore them while creating the page.
• Diagonal lines are not supported in data access pages, so diagonal lines in a form or report will appear as horizontal lines on a data access page.
• Value lists as row sources are not supported in data access pages. Such controls will be left unbound on a page.
• Data access pages don't support displaying multiple columns in list boxes and combo boxes, so you will see only the first visible column of the original control on a page.

Subforms and subreports   Subforms and subreports on a form or report are not converted when you carry out the Save As command. However, you can open the page in Design view and create additional group levels to make the page appear similar to the original object.

Control naming   Controls on forms and reports need not have unique names, but names of controls on a page must be unique. While creating the page, Access will change control names that are not unique.

Controls in the header and footer sections   Controls in the Form, Report, or page header sections will be placed as unbound controls in the caption section of the outermost group level. Controls in the Form, Report, or page footer sections will be placed as unbound controls in the navigation section of the outermost group level.

Code   Code in a form or report that cannot run from a data access page is imported into the page as a comment block at the end of the document.

Pictures   Pictures in a form or report are converted to bitmaps and placed in a folder named "Images".

Group level properties   By default, the AllowAdditions, AllowDeletions, and AllowEdits properties of all group levels in a data access page created from a report are set to False. However, you can open the page in Design view and change the property settings.

Expressions   Expressions that refer to form or subform properties are ignored.