The database Navigation pane

- The Navigation pane on the left side of the screen is the table of contents for your database. It displays all the objects. The tables, queries, forms, reports and macros that make up the database. And it also allows you to filter and search through those objects to get to the ones you're looking for quickly. Right now the navigation pane is in it's default configuration. Now it starts out a little too narrow for my tastes. So, I'm going to go over to the right hand side of it's edge and I'll click and drag it open to give it a little more breathing room. It says all access objects up here at the very top. This means that it's currently displaying all the objects in the database.

Below we have a search box. This will allow me filter out my objects to those with specific names. For instance, if I type the word room I can see all the tables, queries and reports that include the word room. To clear the filter, just click on this button here with the filter or the X. Below, each of our objects are listed underneath collapsible headers. All of tables for instance, can be classed by clicking on this button here to the right. I'll go ahead collapse those, then collapse queries, forms and reports. Then when I want to work on my queries I can open that up. Work on the querie objects.

Go ahead and collapse it again. Expand my tables to work here and so on. Let's go ahead and review all those once again. That can be a useful technique when you have lots of objects to move through. At the top of the navigation pane is a dropdown menu that'll give us additional options. It's split into two parts. We have navigate to category and filter by group. You can make a selection in each of these different sections. Now, I personally think that the top group that says navigate to category should just say grouping. Right now, we're grouping our objects by type.

Which is why we're seeing all the tables, queries, forms and reports grouped together. We can also choose to group them by their modify date, created date, tables and related views or choose some custom grouping options. I'll go ahead and leave mine set to object type. In the bottom half of the menu that says filter by group, we can choose to display only a single object type. Right now we're seeing all access objects but I can filter it to just show me my tables. When I do that, you'll notice the top says tables, now, instead of all access objects. Let's go back into that menu and switch it back.

There's also a right click menu at the top of the navigation pane with some additional options. If I right click, we'll see the same category and sorting options that we just had but we can also take a look at some view by options. Right now we are viewing our objects by list. Which is a compact view. I can switch it to icon which will increase the size of the icon there. Or I can switch it to details which will show me some created dates and modified dates for each object. Let's go ahead and switch it back into the list view which is a view that I prefer since it allows me to see more objects here in the navigation pane.

Finally, if you need more working space in the main area of the interface you can collapse the navigation pane all together using the shudder bar open close button which is this one right here on the right side. When you click it, it reduces the navigation pane to just sliver on the left. Go and click it again to lock it open. Now, one of the most useful keyboard short cuts in all of access is the F11 key. When you tap it, it reduces the navigation pane in size. Tap it again and you'll reveal it. This will allow us to quickly get the navigation pane off the screen so that we have more area to work on the main interface.

So that's the navigation pane It's the central hub for the entire database. Getting around your objects using the navigation pane is really easy. And with so many options to group, sort and filter your objects to meet your exact needs, means that you could be moving around from object to object in the most efficient manner possible.