Lesson 9: Editing and Deleting Table Records
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Introduction
By the end of this lesson, you should be able to:
- Edit a field in a table record in Datasheet view
- Cut, copy, and paste table records
- Use the Undo feature
- Check the spelling of data
- Delete table records
Editing a table record in Datasheet view
Information in a record is likely to change over time, when someone moves from one address to another, or when someone else changes his or her phone number. Information can be changed in any field of any table record.
To edit a single word in a field:
- Move the mouse over the field you want to edit. The mouse pointer changes to an I-beam.
- To add characters to the field information (like if a letter needs to be added to a word), click once in the field at the spot where the information needs to be changed. An insertion point | appears.
- To overwrite a word in the field (like if "Road" needs to change to "Street"), double-click (or click and drag across the word) on the word in the field. Type the new information directly over the highlighted word.
![Selecting a Word in Datasheet View](gif/acxp_contactsds_wordselect.gif)
To edit an entire field:
Sometimes you will need to change the entire contents of a field, like if someone has a new address. In Access, you can select an entire field for editing:
- Move the mouse pointer to the left edge of the field you want to edit.
- The mouse pointer changes to a selection tool, which looks like a large cross.
- Click to select the field.
- Type the new information.
Warning! When attempting to edit an entire field, be careful not to move the mouse pointer so far to the left that you click on the Record Selector (the pointer will change to an arrow pointing right) and select the entire record. In Access, you cannot edit fields when the entire record is selected.
Saving your work: Unlike Word, Excel, and PowerPoint applications, you will not be prompted to save the data you entered when you exit the screen or close the application. In Access, each record is saved automatically when you move to another record.
Cutting, copying, and pasting table records
Cut, Copy, and Paste are useful operations in Microsoft products, including Access 2003. These operations allow you to quickly copy and/or cut information into fields for pasting into other fields. These operations save you from having to type and retype the same information.
The Cut, Copy, and Paste buttons are located on the Standard toolbar.
![Cut, Copy and Paste Buttons on the Toolbar](gif/ac03_accesstb_cut-copy-paste.gif)
The Cut, Copy, and Paste operations also appear as choices in the Edit menu.
![Edit Menu](gif/ac03_editmn.gif)
The Cut, Copy, and Paste operations can also be performed using these shortcut keys:
Cut: | Ctrl + X |
Copy: | Ctrl + C |
Paste: | Ctrl + V |
Cutting, copying, and pasting table records
To cut data from a table:
- Select table data to be cut from the table.
- Click the Cut button on the Standard toolbar, press the Ctrl+X shortcut keys, or choose Edit
Cut from the Standard toolbar.
![Cut Button](gif/ac03_accesstb_cut.gif)
To copy data in a table:
- Select table data to be copied.
- Click the Copy button on the Standard toolbar, press the Ctrl+C shortcut keys, or choose Edit
Copy from the Standard toolbar.
![Copy Button](gif/ac03_accesstb_copy.gif)
To paste data in a table:
- Perform either a cut or copy operation on the selected data.
- Position the mouse pointer over the field where the information is to be pasted.
- Click the Paste button on the Standard toolbar, press the Ctrl+V shortcut keys, or choose Edit
Paste from the Standard toolbar.
![Paste Button](gif/ac03_accesstb_paste.gif)
Using the Undo feature
There might be occasions when you do something to a table—type the wrong number in a cell, for example—that you didn't mean to do. Fortunately, you can undo an operation in Access 2003. The Undo operation recovers the last single action performed.
Certain rules govern use of the Undo feature. First, the record needs to be edited in Datasheet view. Also, Undo becomes unavailable when:
- A different field is edited (Undo of the last field edit cannot be performed)
- A different record is edited (Undo of the last saved record cannot be performed)
- A different window is displayed
- A filter is applied or removed (filters are discussed in a later lesson)
To Undo the last change to the current field, use one of the following methods:
- Click the Undo button on the Standard toolbar.
- Choose Edit
Undo Current Field/Record from the menu bar. - Press the Esc key on the keyboard.
Deleting table records
One or more table records can be deleted from an Access table at any time while in Datasheet view.
To delete a table record:
- Locate the record to be deleted.
- Click the Record Selector to the left of the record's first field to select the entire record.
![Selected Record](gif/ac03_contactsds_recordselected.gif)
- Press the Delete key, or click the Delete Record button on the toolbar.
- A dialog box is displayed to confirm that the record is to be deleted. Click the Yes button to complete the delete operation.
![Confirm Delete Notification](gif/ac03_conformdeletedb.gif)
Deleting table records
To delete multiple consecutive table records:
- Click the Record Selector to the left of the first record to be deleted, then drag the cursor up or down across multiple Record Selectors to select consecutive records; or hold the Shift key and click the Record Selector field in each consecutive record to be marked for deletion.
![Multiple Records Selected](gif/acxp_select_recs_delete.gif)
- Press the Delete key to mark the records for delete, click the Delete Record button, or choose Edit
Delete from the menu bar. - A dialog box is displayed to confirm the record(s) to be deleted. Click the Yes button to complete the delete operation.
![Confirm Delete Notification](gif/ac03_conformdelete2db.gif)
Important to remember:
Deleting records is permanent. It cannot be reversed through an Undo operation. Use caution when the dialog box is displayed to confirm the record(s) to be deleted.
Challenge!
- Open the Expenses database you created.
- Edit the Jane Allen record by changing the word "Avenue" in the Street Address to "Road".
![Edit Example](gif/ac03_editexample.gif)
- Navigate to the Joe Smith record, cut the City entry, and type "Apex" as the new City.
- Copy Jane Allen's Work Phone, and paste it in Pete Moss's Work Phone.
- Delete the Joe Smith record.
- Save and close the document.
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