Changing Values in a Datasheet
If the field that you are in has no value, you can type a new value into the field. When you enter new values into a field, follow the same rules as for a new-record entry.
Generally, you enter a field with either no characters selected or the entire value selected. If you use the keyboard (Tab or Arrow keys) to enter a field, you select the entire value. (You know that the entire value is selected when it is displayed in reverse video.) When you begin to type, the new content replaces the selected value automatically.
When you click in a field, the value is not selected. To select the entire value with the mouse, use any of these methods:
Click just to the left of the value when the cursor is shown as a large plus sign.
Double-click in the field. (This only works if the field doesn’t contain spaces.)
Click to the left of the value, hold down the left mouse button, and drag the mouse to select the whole value.
Click in the field and press F2.
Tip
You may want to replace an existing value with the value from the field’s Default Value property. To do so, select the value and press Ctrl+Alt+Spacebar. To replace an existing value with that of the same field from the preceding record, press Ctrl+’ (single quote mark). Press Ctrl+; (semicolon) to place the current date in a field.
Caution
Pressing Ctrl+- (minus sign) deletes the current record.
If you want to change an existing value instead of replacing the entire value, use the mouse and click in front of any character in the field to activate Insert mode; the existing value moves to the right as you type the new value. If you press the Insert key, your entry changes to Overstrike mode; you replace one character at a time as you type. Use the arrow keys to move between characters without disturbing them. Erase characters to the left by pressing Backspace, or to the right of the cursor by pressing Delete.
Table 34-5 lists editing techniques.
| Editing Operation | Keystrokes |
|---|---|
| Move the insertion point within a field | Press the right-arrow (→) and left-arrow (←) keys |
| Insert a value within a field | Select the insertion point and type new data |
| Select the entire field | Press F2 |
| Replace an existing value with a new value | Select the entire field and type a new value |
| Replace a value with the value of the previous field | Press Ctrl+’ (single quote mark) |
| Replace the current value with the default value | Press Ctrl+Alt+Spacebar |
| Insert a line break in a Text or Memo field | Press Ctrl+Enter |
| Save the current record | Press Shift+Enter or move to another record |
| Insert the current date | Ctrl+; (semicolon) |
| Insert the current time | Ctrl+: (colon) |
| Add a new record | Ctrl++ (plus sign) |
| Delete the current record | Ctrl+- (minus sign) |
| Toggle values in a checkbox or option button | Spacebar |
| Undo a change to the current field | Press Esc or click the Undo button |
| Undo a change to the current record | Press Esc or click the Undo button a second time after you undo the current field |
Fields that you can’t edit
Some fields can’t be edited, such as:
AutoNumber fields: Access maintains AutoNumber fields automatically, calculating the values as you create each new record. AutoNumber fields can be used as the primary key.
Calculated fields: Access uses calculated fields in forms or queries; these values are not actually stored in your table.
Locked or disabled fields: You can set certain properties in a form to prevent editing for a specific field.
Fields in multiuser locked records: If another user locks the record, you can’t edit any fields in that record.