How Do You Change the Order of Tabs in Access?

Changing the order of tabs in Access typically refers to adjusting the sequence in which the focus moves between controls on a form or report when a user presses the Tab key. This sequence is known as the tab order. You can easily modify this order to improve user navigation and data entry efficiency.

Understanding Tab Order

The tab order determines the path a user takes through the fields on your form or report when using the keyboard (specifically the Tab key). By default, Access sets the tab order based on the order controls are created or their position, often moving from left to right, then top to bottom. Customizing the tab order ensures a logical flow that matches the layout of your form and the user's workflow.

Steps to Change Control Tab Order

Adjusting the tab order for controls on a form or report is a straightforward process using the built-in tools in Microsoft Access.

Here are the steps based on the provided reference:

1. Open in Design View: First, open the specific form or report whose tab order you want to change in Design View. This view allows you to modify the structure and properties of the object.
2. Navigate to Design Tab: With the form or report open in Design View, look for the Design tab in the ribbon at the top of the Access window.
3. Access Tab Order Dialog: On the Design tab, locate the Tools group. Within this group, click the Tab Order button. This action opens the Tab Order dialog box.
4. Select the Section: In the Tab Order dialog box, you will see different sections of your form or report listed under Section (e.g., Form Header, Detail, Form Footer). Click the name of the section containing the controls whose order you wish to modify.
5. Change the Order: Once the section is selected, you have two primary ways to change the tab order for the controls within that section:
   • Auto Order: If you want Access to automatically arrange the tab order from top-to-bottom and left-to-right based on the controls' positions, click Auto Order. This is a quick way to set a logical flow based on layout.
   • Manual Ordering: To manually define the order, click the row selector (the small box to the left of the control name) for a control in the list. Drag the selected control up or down within the list to position it in the desired sequence. Repeat this for any controls you need to reposition.
6. Confirm Changes: After setting the desired tab order, click OK in the Tab Order dialog box to apply your changes.
7. Save: Remember to save your form or report to keep the new tab order.

Example: Changing Tab Order Manually

Let's say you have a form with fields for "FirstName", "LastName", and "CustomerID", but they were added in an order that results in the tab going "CustomerID" -> "FirstName" -> "LastName". You want it to go "FirstName" -> "LastName" -> "CustomerID".

1. Open the form in Design View.
2. Go to the Design tab > Tools group > Tab Order.
3. Select the Detail section (assuming these controls are in the detail section).
4. In the list of controls, click and drag "FirstName" to the top.
5. Click and drag "LastName" below "FirstName".
6. Ensure "CustomerID" is below "LastName".
7. Click OK.
8. Save the form.

Now, when you open the form in Form View and press Tab, the focus will move from FirstName to LastName to CustomerID.

Tab Order Dialog Box Overview

The Tab Order dialog box provides a clear list of all controls within a selected section of your form or report. You can easily visualize the current order and rearrange controls using the methods described above.

Option	Description	Action
Section	Lists the different sections of your form or report (Header, Detail, Footer).	Click to select the section you want to work with.
Custom Order List	Displays the controls within the selected section in their current tab order.	Click and drag controls up or down to change their position in the sequence.
Auto Order	Automatically sets the tab order based on the top-to-bottom, left-to-right positioning of controls.	Click this button to apply the automatic layout-based order.

Note: This process specifically controls the tab order for controls within a form or report. It does not change the order of document tabs (the tabs representing open objects like forms, reports, tables) displayed in the Access application window if you are using Tabbed Documents view.

Following these steps ensures that users can efficiently navigate through your forms and reports using just the keyboard.