Navigating Report View in Access

In Microsoft Office 365, when using Microsoft Access and navigating a report in Report View, you have several buttons and tools available in the Ribbon and Status Bar to help navigate and interact with the report. Here's a breakdown of how to use them:
Common Buttons and Their Functions in "Report View"

1. Navigation Buttons (Bottom of the Report Viewer)
   • Located on the Status Bar, these buttons allow you to navigate through multiple pages or records in a report.
   • • First Record: Takes you to the first record/page.
     • Previous Record: Moves to the previous record/page.
     • Record Number Box: Allows you to enter a specific record/page number to jump directly to it.
     • Next Record: Moves to the next record/page.
     • Last Record: Takes you to the last record/page.
2. Zoom Controls
   • Found on the Status Bar (bottom-right corner of the Access window).
   • • Zoom Slider: Drag the slider to zoom in or out.
     • Zoom Buttons: Click the "+" or "-" buttons for finer zoom control.
     • Fit to Window: Adjusts the view so the report fits the current window size.
3. Ribbon Buttons in the "Print Preview" Tab
   • These buttons appear when you are working in "Print Preview" mode but might also be relevant for reports in general:
   • • Print: Opens the print dialog to print the report.
     • Page Setup: Adjusts margins, orientation, and other print settings.
     • Navigation:
       • Next Page: Goes to the next page of the report.
       • Previous Page: Returns to the previous page.
       • Go to Page: Opens a dialog to specify a page number.
     • Zoom: Drop-down menu to select a specific zoom percentage (e.g., 100%, Fit Page, Fit Width).
4. Search Box
   • Located in the top-right corner of the Report View.
   • Use this box to search for specific text or values within the report. The results will highlight in the report.
5. Filter and Sort Tools
   • In Report View, you can right-click on a field to apply filters or sort data. This is particularly useful for interacting with dynamic data in reports.
6. Scrollbars
   • Vertical and horizontal scrollbars allow you to move through large reports when zoomed in.

Keyboard Shortcuts for Report Navigation

1. Page Up / Page Down: Move up or down a page.
2. Ctrl + Home: Go to the first page of the report.
3. Ctrl + End: Go to the last page of the report.
4. Arrow Keys: Move up, down, left, or right within a page.

Tips for Using "Report View"

• Interactivity: "Report View" allows you to interact with dynamic elements, such as hyperlinks, without needing to print the report.
• Resizable Columns: If the report contains tabular data, columns may be resized for better visibility.
• Export Options: Use the Ribbon buttons to export the report to formats like PDF, Excel, or Word.

The report view is, in essence, a print preview and the buttons you see in Report view may be familiar to you from using the print preview feature in Access or other applications. The following diagram shows you the name of each button, and what it does.

You will find that you need to use the mouse to navigate Report view and you must use the mouse to view additional pages of the report (other than the one currently displayed). However, you can use the Page Up and Page Down Keys and the arrow keys to move around the current page of the report, doing the same job as the scroll bars. Create mailing labels in the next lesson.

• The Many Views of a Report
  Just as with tables and queries, you can use several different views to change a report. When you create a report, you begin in Layout view, which is an ideal starting place for report builders. But depending on the task at hand, you may choose to switch to another view. You have four viewing options:
  1. Layout View. Shows what the report will look like when printed, complete with the real data from the underlying table. You can use this view to format and rearrange the basic building blocks of the report.
  2. Report View. Looks almost the same as Layout view, but does not let you make changes. If you double-click a report in the navigation pane, Access opens it in Report view so you can see the data it contains without accidentally changing its design. One common reason to use Report view is to copy portions of your report to the Clipboard, so you can paste them into other programs (like Microsoft Word).
  3. Print Preview: Shows a live preview of your report, just like Layout view and Report view do. The difference is that the preview is paginated (divided into print pages), so you can figure out how many pages your printout needs and where the page breaks fall. You can also change print settings (like page orientation) and export the complete report.
  4. Design View. Shows a template view where you can define the different sections of your report. It is not nearly as intuitive as Layout view, but it does give you complete, unrestrained flexibility to customize your report. Access experts often begin creating a report in Layout view and then add more exotic effects in Design view.

To select a series of rows, click in the margin on the left next to the first row you want to select, and then drag down to highlight the rows you want. Then, right-click the highlighted portion, and choose Copy to transfer it to the Clipboard, so it is ready for pasting into other Windows applications

Try your hand at creating a report with the Report Wizard and then previewing it in the report view.
Navigating Report View - Exercise