How to Set the Maximum Characters for a Text Field in Access 2003

Before setting the maximum characters for a text field, you must understand database tables and be able to navigate Access 2003. Think about who will access the data and how they will use it as you plan your database table's design. Then follow these guidelines.

Things You'll Need

• Computer
• Access 2003

Instructions

1. Start up Access.

2. Find and open the database you want to use.

3. Select the Table Designer view and pick the "Field Size" property.

4. Enter the number of characters for the text field. The maximum is 255.

5. Save your settings and close the database.

Tips & Warnings

• Make a backup before changing field sizes if the database already contains data.

• There are nine data types defined in Access 2003; each type contains many properties that you can set.

• When a field is not indexed, searches take longer.