2 If there is already data in the table, click the New Record button ( 1 ). 3 The insertion point moves to the first field in the first empty row. 3 If the first field contains (New), press to move past it. 2 Note: A field that contains (New) is an AutoNumber field, and Access will fill it in. 4 Type an entry in the selected field. 5 Press to move to the next field. l Some fields have special selectors that you can use to make an entry, such as a calendar. 6 Repeat steps 4 to 5 until all fields have been filled in for that record.

Access compresses attachment files when possible, but they still greatly add to the file size. Instead of attaching related documents, you can hyperlink to them. Set up a field’s type as Hyperlink (see Chapter 4) and then create a link to the original file rather than embed the whole file into the database. The only disadvantage of this method is that if the original file is moved, you must update the link in Access. qxd 11/30/06 12:22 AM Page 30 Insert an OLE Object You can use the object linking and embedding (OLE) field type to store data files of various types.

In a form, an attachment field appears as a box. When selected, it has selection handles and some buttons above it. l The Attachments button opens the Attachments dialog box, as an alternative to double-clicking the field. l When the field contains an attachment, an icon for it appears here. You can double-click the icon to open the file. l When there are multiple attachments, you can move between them with the Previous and Next buttons. qxd 11/30/06 12:22 AM Page 28 Open, Save, and Remove File Attachments RE After you have attached files to a record, you can open those files and review them at any time.