Chapter 5

Database Forms and Reports

Discussion Questions
5.1.

Some of the advantages and disadvantages of database forms are as follows:

Advantages
Data entry is less error-prone
A number of predefined formats are available for use
Usually, all the data fields for a single record appears in one screen
Forms are customizable (compared to data sheet views)
Forms can include instructions for data entry
Forms can be more colorful and graphically appealing
It is usually easier to get from one field to any other field using a form
The form navigation bar enables users to easily go to the first or last record in the
table.
Disadvantages
Low information density for professionals
Good interface design requires time and effort to create
Garish form designs or colors can distract the user

5.2.
Most students would rather use a form, rather than a datasheet, for entering data
into a database. The advantages of using forms listed above outweigh the disadvantages.
5.3.
Most students, and certainly the authors, would rather use the Form Wizard in
Access to create a form. Using the Form Wizard is faster to develop, provides preformatted
data fields, and enables you to customize the form as desired. However, it is also true that
creating a form from scratch gives the developer full control over the forms design at all times,
and possibly enhances form performance.
5.4.
A subform is a form within a formusually a form that shows the many records in a
one-to-many relationship. Figure 5-7 provides an example. Subforms are handy for showing
subordinate information and they also allow users to enter data at the time the form and
subform displaya handy feature if the user wishes to create new records in the subform.
There are two methods for creating subforms. One approach is to add a subform to an existing
form using the subform object in the Access toolbox. A second approach is to create a subform
at the same time you create a form using the Form Wizard.
5.5.
Database developers customize forms for many reasons. One is the fact that the
form initially created by the Form Wizard will be basic, often presenting users with an unwieldy,
uncomfortable, or disorganized interface. A second reason to customize a form is to streamline
data entry and manipulation as much as possiblefor example, by grouping like text boxes
together, logically arranging the tab order of data entry text boxes, or by creating check boxes,
radio buttons, or drop down menus (combo boxes) as needs dictate. These features save end
users time and companies money, and can reduce aggravation of employees. A third reason to
customize a form is to add explanatory information on itfor example, to further explain data
entry requirements or to provide important reminders about the data. A final reason to
customize forms is to make them more visually appealingfor example, by adding background
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colors, graphics, and similar visual objects that both increase the overall appearance of the form
and perhaps its usefulness to end users.
5.6.
Database reports provide custom information to database users. These reports
can be simple documents that only output the contents of a table, or highly complex outputs that
combine the information from several tables and limit themselves to selected subsets of
database information. Figures 5-8 and 5-12 provide some examples. In addition to simple data
from the underlying records, reports can also contain calculated fields (for example, extensions
of prices times quantities), the results of logic tests (for example, a display of a reorder amount if
the balance-on-hand field of an inventory product is below its reorder point), and computed
summary information (for example, subtotals, minimums, maximums, or averages) for selected
subgroups of records.
5.7.
Most students will agree that it is important to design the format of a report before
creating the report itself. Reasons include the usefulness of (1) identifying what information to
include, or to omit, from a potentially large set of items, (2) deciding how to best make use of the
limited real estate of an output page, and (3) grouping data in useful ways to best compute
subtotals or other statistical outputs. This is a good opportunity to remind students that the
purpose of most AISs is to provide meaningful, decision-oriented information to usersnot
simply to create pretty reports.
It is also true that not every report must be planned so carefully. Smaller reports may not have
a high redesign cost if redesign is necessary and planning may be a greater cost of time than
redesign.
5.8.
This questions asks students if they think we will still use hardcopy reports in the
future, or will they be replaced with softcopy ones. There is no right or wrong answer to this
question, but it is worth mentioning that, despite more than two decades of personal computers
and now almost one decade of individual Internet access, most newspapers are still in business,
most book publishers are still in business, and the volume of work at many printing companies
has actually expanded. On the other hand, many mobile devices enable users to obtain such
current information as stock market prices, data about the status of projects, text messages,
and emails instantaneously in soft-copy formats.
5.9.
This question asks students if they would rather use the Report Wizard to create the
format of a report or design it from scratch. Most students prefer the Report Wizard because it
automates so much of the workfor example, in ordering the data, creating headings,
subheadings, and control breaks, and formatting the output. As an experiment, one of the
authors created a report from scratchand wont make that mistake again.
5.10.
A calculated field in a report is just thata data value that the database system
computes from the underlying data. Examples include years of service on an employee report,
invoice extensions on an invoice, student grade point averages, inventory valuations, reorder
inventory quantities, and salesperson commissions based on sales. Calculated fields also
include the totals, averages, maximums, and minimums that database designers can imbed at
control breaks in reports. Reports contain calculated fields for the same reason they contain
any other type of databecause such values are meaningful and valuable to report users.
5.11.
There are several reasons why databases do not store calculated fields as normal
parts of database records. One reason is because these fields can be computed from a
records basic data and are therefore redundant. Another reason is because calculated values
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(e.g., a students GPA) often depend on data that may change. Storing a static value for
dynamic data does not make sense, and doing so anyway just wastes space. It is also
important to remember that computers can think must faster than they can read or write.
Thus, computing values for each record that ultimately gets displayed or printed requires no
additional computer time or other resources.
5.12.
This question asks why calculated fields (in Access) are created with database
queries rather than created directly in reports. In one sense, this is a trick question. One
reason for this is because you can include calculated fields without queries, although it was not
discussed in the chapter. Another reason is because such calculated fields as well as totals,
averages, maximums, and minimums that database designers are created by the report itself.
But DBMS designers cannot possibly anticipate all the needs of database users. Thus, one
advantage of using queries to create other types of calculated fields is that it enables form or
report designers to customize outputs as user needs require. Another advantage is that queries
provide an easy mechanism to retrieve data for manipulations. By abstracting the calculated
field from the report, the designer can modify the formulas for calculated fields without affecting
the general format of the report itself.

Problems
5.13.
From left to right, the symbols on the navigation bar enable the user to access the
first record, the previous record, the next record, and the last record. The white box in the
middle indicates the number of the current record.
5.14.
a. Figure 5-9 lists the seven components of a typical database report (report header, page
header, group header, detail lines, group footer, page footer, and report footer. This figure
also describes the location and typical contents of each of these items.
b. Student examples of these components can vary widely.
5.15.
This question asks students to explain the difference between each of the following
items:
a. A bound control displays a data value from an underlying record, or computations from an
underlying record, and therefore typically changes from record to record in a form or report.
An unbound control does not display values from an underlying record and is therefore
typically fixed in the form or report.
b. In design mode, a database designer can change the design elements of a form or report,
including such items as foreground or background colors, font types, sizes, or similar
characteristics, the placement of data fields or other form objects, and even the size of the
form or report itself. In run mode, the user cannot perform such formatting, but is a passive
viewer of whatever information of what the form or report contains.
c. The symbol in a forms navigation bar enables the user to access the previous record in
the underlying table. In contrast, the symbol enables the user to access the next record
in that same underlying table.
d. A form is a user interface or screen that typically displays the data from the current (parent)
record. In contrast, a subform typically displays the subordinate (child) data associated with
the parent record if it exists. Thus forms display record information from the one side of a
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one-to-may-relationship while subforms display information from the many side of such a
relationship.
e. A normal data field displays the value of the data for the current record in the underlying
database table. In contrast, a calculated data field displays the results of a computation
based on such data.
f.

A page header is the information that the user sees at the top of each page of a database
report. Such information typically contains column headings that identify what data appear
beneath them. In contrast, a page footer appears at the bottom of each page of a report.

g. A report header is the information that the user typically sees on the first page of a report
for example, the name of the report, the date the report was created, the time period for
which the report applies (e.g., which calendar month), and perhaps the name and phone
number of the reports creator. In contrast, a report footer is typically a summary statement
that contains grand totals or similar numeric summary information. It appears on the last
page as the last item of a report.
h. A report based on a table simply displays the data (or calculated values) from a single
underlying table. A report based on a query can be based on multiple tables, can also
include calculated fields, and of course, will display the information for only those records
satisfying the query itself. For the Customer report in Figure 6-8, for example, a report
based on query might limit the output to those customers in a few specific zip codes.
5.16.
This problem requires students to recreate the form in Figure 5-1. The resulting form
should look like the following:

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This problem also requires students to do the following:

a. Add a label in the heading portion of their forms that contain the term Prepared by: and
add their name. Print a single copy of the completed form.
b. Use the navigation bar at the bottom of their form and then identify the first and last records
(will vary with the student).
c. Add a new record to this form with his or her name as the customer. Then print a copy of
this form.
d. Close the form, and then verify that their new record exists by going to the Tables portion of
the database and opening the Customers table in datasheet view (see Figure 5-2).
5-17.
This problem requires students to modify the form they created in problem 5-16 to
include a subform similar to the one in Figure 5-7. The resultant form and subform should look
like this:

The problem also requires students (a) to use the navigation bar to last record in the Customers
table and to print this form, and (b) to find a customer with invoices and to use the navigation
bar of the subform to select a particular invoice in the subform. The exact results will depend
upon which records students create in their Customers and Invoices Tables.
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5.18.
This problem requires students to create a report similar to the one in Figure 5-8.
The resultant report should look like this:

The directions also require students to (a) add a label to the heading portion of the report that
contains the term Prepared by and to include their names, and (b) determine who the first and
last customer in their reports are.
5.19.
This problem requires students to use their Customers Table and the Report Wizard
to create a report similar to the one in Figure 5-15. Instructors should note that this requires
users to select subgroup totals in the Report Wizard and a fairly large amount of reformatting
and reorganizing of the template provided by the Report Wizard.

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Case Analyses
5.20.

A Form for BSN Suppliers (Creating a Simple Form in Access)

a. This case requires students to create a simple form in Microsoft Access, using data that they
create and (perhaps), the Form Wizard. The final form should look like the following:

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Additional requirements of this case are:

b. Identify the first and last records of the BSN Vendors table.
c.

Adjust the Tab Order to ensure that the user tabs sequentially through the fields in logical
sequence.

d. Use the form to add a new vendor record to the Vendors table, including their own name as
the Contact Person.
e. Print a copy of the form showing the new record they created in part d.
f.

Suggest some additional improvements for this form. Possibilities include:

Adding a default value for the City or State
Adding a mask for the phone and/or fax numbers
Putting the Zip code on a separate line of the form
Using an autonumber to automatically generate the number of a new vendor.

5.21.

A Form and a SubForm for the BSN Suppliers (Creating Forms with Subforms)

a. This problem is mostly a continuation of Case 5-20. It requires students to create a form
similar to the one above, and then use the subform control in the ToolBox to create a
subform. The resulting form should look like this:

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Additional requirements of this problem include:

b. and c.

Experimenting with the navigation bars in the main form and the subform.

d.

Creating a new purchase order for the current Vendor in the subform.

5.22.

A Listing of BSN Suppliers (Creating Simple Reports in Access)

This problem requires students to create a simple report similar to the one in Figure
5-19. We recommend that they use the Report Wizard for this task. The final product, at run
time, is shown in the figure. The finished report, at design time, should look similar to this:

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Although straightforward, this report requires a good deal of reformatting because many of the
labels in the form occupy two lines, as do the detail lines of the report itself. Students must also
embed their own name, the date, and the graphic in the report header.
5.23.

Furry Friends Foundation III (Creating Forms and Reports)

1. This is a continuation of Cases 4-21 and 4-25 in Chapter 4. If you have assigned 4-21 and
4-25, the reports will be different for each student.
2. This exercise requires students to create a Contributor Intake Form in two columns and then
print a screen capture that includes their own information.

3. This exercise requires students to create a Donation Intake Form in two columns and then
print a screen capture of their work. An example is:

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4. The requirements for this portion of the assignment requires students to create a list of
contributors. The information for the header should include the Foundation Title, a graphic
of a furry pet, his or her name as the developer and the current date. The body of the report
must list contributors organized alphabetically by contributor last namea requirement that
can be met by choosing the appropriate selections in the Report Wizard. Below is a sample
of the report.

5. For this part of the case, students must add at least 10 contributors to the Contributors Table
and include donations from them in the Donations Table. They should use the report they
created in part 4 of this assignment to list the additions. Finally, they must create a report
listing donations made during November and December.

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SM 5.12