You can present a set of options either by using a drop-down list or by using an option button group. The functionality of the option button is the same as that provided by a drop-down list, but the visual presentation is different. The advantage of using an option button group is that the user of the application can see all the available options and the current option at a glance. The disadvantage is that an option button group takes up more space on the form than a drop-down text box.

To create a card type form

  1. Open Object Designer, click Form, and then click New to open the New Form window.

  2. Create a Card-Type Form based on the Contact table and click OK.

  3. In the Card-Type Form Wizard, click the No, I want a plain form option, and then click Next.

  4. Add the following fields to the form: No., Name, Address, Phone No., and Company No.

  5. Click Finish and expand the form and the container control in Form Designer.

To create an Option Button Group

  1. In Form Designer, open the form that you created earlier.

  2. Open the toolbox and add a frame to the form.

  3. Open the Properties window and enter Organizational Level as Caption.

  4. Set the BorderStyle property to BumpUp.

  5. In the new frame, add six control buttons, one for each of the options available in the Organizational Levels table.

  6. In the Properties window for each option button, enter "Organizational Level Code" as the value in the SourceExpr field. Remember to enter the quotation marks.

  7. In the Caption field, enter the six values that are currently available in the Organizational Level Code table.

  8. In the OptionValue property for each button, enter the corresponding value from the Organizational Level Code table.

  9. Save and compile the form.

See Also