Entering Data in Datasheet View

• Click the View button on the toolbar, or
• Click View on the menu bar and then click the Datasheet View option in the View menu.

FIGURE 1. Datasheet View.

The contents of the fields and records of the table and the appearance of the Datasheet View can be manipulated in the following ways:
 

To change field names:		Double click on the current field name. Enter a new field name up to 64 characters. Tap the ENTER key (or click mouse anywhere outside of field name).
To delete a column or field:		Click anywhere in the column to be deleted. From the Edit  menu click Delete Column. In the dialog box asking, "Do you want to permanently delete the selected field(s) and all the data in the field(s)?", click Yes.
To insert a column or add a field:		Click anywhere in the column to the right of where the new column is to be inserted. From the Insert menu click Column.
To move a column:		Click on the field name of the column to be moved. Click on the column again and continue to hold the mouse button down while dragging the column to its new location.
To enter data into fields:		Click the mouse button on the datasheet cell. Enter the desired data. Tap the ENTER or TAB key to move to the next field on the right. Hold down the SHIFT key and tap the TAB key to move back to the previous field.
To change column width:		Click anywhere in the column that needs to be changed. From the Format menu click Column Width. In the Column Width dialog box, enter the desired width in the "Column Width": text box and click OK. Or choose Best Fit to let Access determine the best width for the data that has been entered.
To change row height:		Click anywhere in the row that needs to be changed. From the Format menu click Row Height. In the Row Height dialog box enter the desired height in the "Row Height": text box and click OK.
To hide a column:		Click anywhere in the column to be hidden. From the Format Menu click Hide Columns.
To remove gridlines:		From the Format menu click on Datasheet. In the Datasheet Formatting dialog box click on Horizontal and/or Vertical in the "Gridlines Shown" area to turn gridlines on or off.
To select a font:		From the Format menu click Font. In the Font dialog box select the desired Font,  Font Style, and Size then click OK.
To add a new record:		Click on the new record navigation button  (located at the bottom of the screen) and enter data for the record into the appropriate fields.
To delete a record:		Click anywhere in the record or row to be deleted. From the Edit menu click on Delete Record. The dialog box will read, "You are about to delete 1 record(s). Are you sure you want to delete these record(s)?", click Yes.
To change the contents of a cell:		Click in the cell to be edited. Make the appropriate insertions or deletions, and then tap the ENTER or TAB key.
To sort data in the table:		Click the column that you would like to sort. From the Records menu, click Sort and choose Sort Ascending to go from A-Z, or Sort Descending to go from Z-A.
To print the datasheet:		From the File menu click Print. In the Print dialog box click OK.
To save the table or datasheet:		Click the Save button on the Table Datasheet toolbar. In the "Save As" dialog box, enter the name of your table in the Table Name text box and click OK. (For more information about naming your file, please see the section entitled "Naming Conventions".) In the Microsoft Access dialog box stating, "There is no Primary Key defined. Do you want to create one now?", click Yes. A Primary Key field called ID will be created.