Set tab order

  1. Open a form or data access page in Design view (Design view: A view that shows the design of these database objects: tables, queries, forms, reports, and macros. In Design view, you can create new database objects and modify the design of existing objects.).
  2. Do one of the following:

ShowChange the tab order in a form

  1. On the View menu, click Tab Order.
  2. Under Section, click the section you want to change.
  3. Do one of the following:
    • If you want Microsoft Access to create a left-to-right and top-to-bottom tab order, click Auto Order.
    • If you want to create your own custom tab order, click the selector for the control you want to move. (Click and drag to select more than one control at a time.) Click the selector again and drag the control to the desired location in the list.
  4. Click OK.

ShowChange the tab order in a data access page

  1. Select the control (control: A graphical user interface object, such as a text box, check box, scroll bar, or command button, that lets users control the program. You use controls to display data or choices, perform an action, or make the user interface easier to read.) you want to move in the tab order, and then click Properties Button image on the Page Design toolbar to display the control's property sheet.
  2. In the TabIndex property box, type the new tab order number.

ShowRemove a control from the tab order

  1. Select the control (control: A graphical user interface object, such as a text box, check box, scroll bar, or command button, that lets users control the program. You use controls to display data or choices, perform an action, or make the user interface easier to read.) you want to remove from the tab order, and then click Properties Button image on the Form Design or Page Design toolbar to display the control's property sheet.
  2. Do one of the following:
    • If the control is in a form, in the TabStop property box, click No.
      You can still click the control to select it as long as its Enabled property is set to Yes.
    • If the control is in a data access page, set the TabIndex property to -1.
      You can still click the control to select it as long as its Disabled property is set to False.

ShowTip

If you want to disable the control until a certain condition is met, you can use the Enabled property together with the AfterUpdate property.

ShowChange the tab behavior for the last field in a form

You can change the tab behavior for the last field only in a form.

  1. Double-click the form selector (form selector: The box where the rulers meet, in the upper-left corner of a form in Design view. Use the box to perform form-level operations, such as selecting the form.) to open the form's property sheet.
  2. In the Cycle property box, click one of the following settings.
Setting Description
All Records When you press TAB in the last field (field: An element of a table that contains a specific item of information, such as a last name. A Title field might contain Mr. or Ms. Databases such as Microsoft SQL Server refer to fields as columns.) in the record, the focus moves to the first field in the next record.
Current Record When you press TAB in the last field in the record, the focus moves back to the first field in the current record.
Current Page When you press TAB in the last field in the form page, the focus moves back to the first field in the current page.

 Note   In Design view, the tab order is always the order in which you created the controls.

 
 
Applies to:
Access 2003