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The Help topics for Microsoft Access are divided into topics about Access features and programming-related topics. While there isn't a clear distinction as to what constitutes Access features versus programming-related features (some features appear in both such as properties that appear in Access property sheets), generally Access features are those features that don't require the user to write Microsoft Visual Basic for Applications (VBA: A macro-language version of Microsoft Visual Basic that is used to program Windows applications and is included with several Microsoft applications.) code or access the ADO (ActiveX Data Objects (ADO): A data access interface that communicates with OLE DB-compliant data sources to connect to, retrieve, manipulate, and update data.) object model. Programming-related features include methods, events, controls, and anything specific to the ADO object model. Programming-related features are usually accessed in the Visual Basic Editor (Visual Basic Editor: An environment in which you write new and edit existing Visual Basic for Applications code and procedures. The Visual Basic Editor contains a complete debugging toolset for finding syntax, run-time, and logic problems in your code.) or in the property sheet (property sheet: A window that is used to view or modify the properties of various objects such as tables, queries, fields, forms, reports, data access pages, and controls.) of an object (database objects: An Access database contains objects such as tables, queries, forms, reports, pages, macros, and modules. An Access project contains objects such as forms, reports, pages, macros, and modules.). Pressing F1 when the cursor is in a field in a property sheet will always bring up Help.

When you're working with Access features, the Help system queries the Access feature topics; when you're in the Visual Basic Editor, the Help system queries the programming topics.

This result is that Help topics on programming features are not available when you're working with Access features, and vice versa. This organization simplifies the Help system and keeps the query results to a minimum number of relevant topics.

There are cases in which you might want to query both sets of Help topics. For example, if you are writing Visual Basic code to programmatically populate a report and you want to know more about adding a background picture or watermark to the report. Specific help for adding a background picture is only available in Help topics for Access features.

You can change the default setting so that the Help system searches both sets of topics by selecting the Search for both product and programming help when programming check box in the Office Assistant dialog box. Note that this option applies only when you are in the Visual Basic Editor.

Selecting this option can result in duplicate topics being displayed in the Help window. In most cases, the help you need on programming features will be available while working with Access features, without your having to start the Visual Basic Editor.

Note  You can start the Visual Basic Editor while in the Database window (Database window: The window that appears when you open an Access database or an Access project. It displays shortcuts for creating new database objects and opening existing objects.) by pressing ALT+F11 or by going to the Tools menu, pointing to Macro, and then selecting Visual Basic Editor.