Can You Create Drop Down Menus in Microsoft Access?

Microsoft Access provides many options for creating drop-down menus in tables and forms. Some menus locate information in other tables, some display a short list of values and some ease record navigation. Drop-down menus provide a full array of customization, allowing you to choose what options are provided and in what format.

Record Lookup Fields

One of the available fields in Microsoft Access tables is the Record Lookup field, which allows you to fill in data with a new list or from another table. For example, if you have a table that lists product availability, you can insert a Record Lookup field to locate the product listings. As you type in the product, it will auto-fill into the space. Creating a Record Lookup field establishes a relationship between those two tables and fields.

List Boxes

You can insert drop-down List Boxes in Access forms to display a one-columned drop-down box. It will display a list of values that you set while you create your table or when you create the form, depending on the type of List Box. If you have a Record Lookup field in a table, and you create a form based on that table, that field will be reflected in a drop-down box.

Combo Boxes

If you want to display more than one column, you can insert a combo box into your Access forms. Similar to List Boxes, Combo Boxes also use values from Record Lookup fields but can be created separately in a form as well. By setting your own values in a Combo Box, the data you input into that field does not change your record source and will not show up in the underlying table.

Record Navigation Combo Box

To navigate between records based on an input, you can place a record navigation Combo Box on your Access forms. When using the "Combo Box Wizard," select the option "Find a record on my form..." to establish this kind of combo box. The Combo Box is associated with a field on your form, so when you select one of the options in the combo box, your form will jump to the associated record.

References

• Microsoft Office: Create a List Box, Combo Box or Drop-down List Box