Control Copy
By Richard Rost
4 years ago
Copy & Paste Tips for Microsoft Access Controls
In this Microsoft Access tutorial, I will show you how to properly copy and paste controls when working with your Forms and Reports.
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Keywords
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Intro In this video, we will talk about different techniques for copying and pasting controls on Microsoft Access forms. I will show you how the position where you paste a control depends on whether it is selected or deselected, how Access remembers spacing when duplicating controls, and how these methods work with single or multiple controls. If you have wondered why controls sometimes paste in unexpected locations in your forms, this video will explain the behavior and help you work more efficiently in Microsoft Access.Transcript Welcome to another Fast Tips video brought to you by AccessLearningZone.com. I am your instructor, Richard Rost.
In today's video, we are going to talk about control copy techniques. I am going to give you some tips on copy and paste for your Microsoft Access Form Controls.
Today's question comes from Gary in Brunswick, Ohio, one of my Gold members. Gary posted this in the forum on my website yesterday. He said something that's been driving me nuts is why my 2021 version of Access behaves differently from what I see in your videos. When I copy or cut a control then paste it onto my form, the control gets pasted into the upper left corner of the form. When you do it, it gets pasted onto the form at the location of your mouse cursor. Is this some kind of Access user setting or does version 2021 simply act differently?
No, Gary, they really have not changed the way that copy and paste works in Access forms in many, many years. But the technique in which you do it is very subtle. Watch this.
Here I am in Form Design View. If I click on a control, let's say this country text box, and I copy it, and then I click anywhere else, I have deselected that box. If I hit paste, control V, it pastes in the upper left corner of the form because Access does not know where I want to put it, so it puts it there. If I hit paste again, I get another one right below it.
Let me undo that, control Z, control Z.
This time, if I click on it and leave it selected, do not click off of it. Do not deselect it. Now, copy and paste it, control C, control V, and look, it goes right there. It goes under the form field that you had selected. If I paste again, it keeps going under that spot. See that? It goes below the previously selected control.
Let me undo that again. Notice the little gap there between those. Undo, undo, undo.
Now, watch this. If I copy this and then paste it once and then just slide this up just a little tiny bit, that one little grid line difference there. Leave it again. Do not unselect it and now paste, paste, paste, see that? Now they are spaced out exactly like that.
Undo it again. Watch this. Copy, paste, slide it right up next to it. I do not need it like that so they are touching and then paste, paste, paste, see. Access remembers how far away from the previous control you pasted it and it leaves that same gap there.
Let me undo that.
Same thing if you are working with multiple controls. Look, these two, copy, paste. They go right below them. See? Undo.
This is one of those topics that has been on my list to make a video about forever because I get asked this question all the time, and this just so happens to be a situation where Gary actually already replied to my answer post in the forums before I finished the video, and I already got my thank you for it.
You are very welcome, Gary. Hope this helps you save some time when you are making your forms.
There is your fast tip for today. You see, they are not all super long. Some people complain because my Fast Tips are not fast. They are half an hour long. A lot of people like them. I just go with however long I have to go to teach you what I am going to teach you.
Tomorrow's TechHelp video is going to be a long one, so get ready for that and bring your popcorn.
I hope you learned something. We will see you next time.
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But do not worry, these free TechHelp videos are going to keep coming. As long as you keep watching them, I will keep making more, and they will always be free.Quiz Q1. When pasting a copied control in Microsoft Access Form Design View, what determines where the pasted control will appear?
A. The location of the mouse cursor
B. The location of the selected control
C. The location of the last-used field
D. The default position set in Access options
Q2. If you copy a control, click somewhere else to deselect it, and then paste, where does Access position the new control?
A. At the cursor's position
B. In the upper left corner of the form
C. Above the selected control
D. In the center of the form
Q3. What happens if you repeatedly paste after copying and leaving the control selected without moving it?
A. Each new control is pasted at a random spot
B. Each new control is pasted to the right of the previous one
C. Each new control is pasted below the previously selected control
D. Each new control is pasted above the previously selected control
Q4. How does Access determine the spacing between newly pasted controls if you move the pasted control slightly before pasting again?
A. Spacing is always random
B. Spacing is always zero
C. Access spaces controls based on a preset grid in settings
D. Access uses the distance you moved the control as the gap for future pastes
Q5. When working with multiple selected controls and pasting them, what happens?
A. Only the last selected control is pasted
B. The controls are pasted on top of each other
C. The controls are pasted below the original group
D. The controls are pasted above the original group
Q6. What membership perk do Gold members receive that Silver members do not?
A. Access to free beginner classes
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C. Ability to download all sample databases and access the Code Vault
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A. Higher priority for TechHelp questions and access to all full beginner courses
B. Access to exclusive video content only
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A. Free expert classes each month
B. Your name or company featured in videos and website links
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D. Monthly one-on-one help sessions
Q9. According to the video, what will always be provided for free?
A. Access to the Code Vault
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C. TechHelp videos
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Answers: 1-B; 2-B; 3-C; 4-D; 5-C; 6-C; 7-A; 8-B; 9-C
DISCLAIMER: Quiz questions are AI generated. If you find any that are wrong, don't make sense, or aren't related to the video topic at hand, then please post a comment and let me know. Thanks.Summary Today's video from Access Learning Zone focuses on different ways to copy and paste form controls in Microsoft Access. I want to share some helpful tips that will make your work in the form design view a bit easier.
Gary from Brunswick, Ohio, recently asked why his copy and paste experience in Access 2021 looked different from what he saw in my videos. Specifically, Gary noticed that when he pastes a control, it ends up in the upper left corner of the form instead of at his mouse cursor, like he sees me do. He wondered if this was a setting or just a change in the newer Access version.
The answer is that the fundamental way copy and paste work in Access forms has not really changed in years. The difference comes down to how you perform the copy and paste process. Let me explain.
When you are working in Form Design View, if you select a control such as a text box and then copy it, what happens next depends on whether you keep that control selected. If you click somewhere else first so the original control is no longer selected, and then paste, Access does not know where you want to place the new copy. It puts it in the upper left corner of the form. If you continue pasting, each new control appears below the previous one in that corner.
To undo those pastes, just use the standard undo shortcut. Now, if instead you copy the control and leave it selected, pasting will place the new control directly underneath the one you copied. As you continue to paste, each new control appears below the last one, creating a neat stack.
Pay attention to the spacing between the controls. If you paste once, then nudge the new control slightly, any additional pastes will respect this new spacing. Move a control up against the original and future pastes will follow that distance too. Access basically remembers the gap you set and repeats it with each paste.
This technique also works when copying and pasting multiple controls at the same time. Paste them, and they land just beneath the originals in the same configuration.
This is a common source of confusion, and it often comes up because people do not realize that deselecting the control before pasting changes where the new controls get placed. Gary had sent his thanks even before I finished making this video, which I thought was amusing.
I hope these tips help you work faster and more efficiently when setting up forms in Access.
That wraps up today's Fast Tips video. Not every tip needs a long lesson. Sometimes, a small change in technique can make a big difference in how you use Access. For those who prefer longer sessions, be ready for a more in-depth TechHelp video tomorrow.
For anyone interested in supporting the channel or getting more learning resources, there are different membership levels available. Silver members receive access to all extended cut TechHelp videos, monthly beginner classes, and more. Gold members can download the sample databases I use and gain access to a large function library, plus expert classes after finishing the beginner series. Platinum members get all of this, along with priority in submitting questions and access to all beginner courses for every subject I teach, including Word, Excel, and Visual Basic. Developer classes are included after you have completed expert classes.
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If you would like step-by-step instructions on everything discussed here, you can find the complete video tutorial on my website at the link below.
Live long and prosper, my friends.Topic List Control copy and paste behavior in Access forms
Copying and pasting controls in Design View
Pasting controls with and without deselecting
How pasted controls align based on previous selection
Adjusting spacing when pasting multiple controls
Copying and pasting multiple controls at once
Access remembering gaps and positions when pasting |
