Welcome to another Microsoft Access Tip. As we have discussed in previous articles, shortcut keys are a great way of saving time whilst working with different programs. In this tip, we will explain how you can add your own shortcuts to use to navigate your database

To assign a shortcut key to a field, follow these simple steps:

• Edit the caption property of the label of the particular control you want to jump to, adding an ‘&‘ before the letter you want to act as the shortcut key.

For example, if you wish to be able to jump to a ‘Name’ field you could edit the ‘Name’ label accordingly: N&ame

• In Form View the label will be displayed with the ‘a’ in name underlined: Name
• Pressing ALT + A will switch the focus to the ‘Name’ field.

This technique can be used on any object that has a caption property and can make navigating your database a breeze.

If you would like to read about some of the keyboard shortcuts already available on Microsoft Access, take a look at our previous article: Speed up Access with Keyboard Shortcuts.

If you would like to read more tips, feel free to read our Microsoft Access Tip page.

If you would like to learn more about Microsoft Access, you should book yourself on one of our Microsoft Access Training Courses.