Microsoft Access:  Select Multiple Objects on a Form or Report

If you have created a form or report in Access, you should already know that you can select multiple objects in Design view by starting at any point outside a control, click and drag a rectangle over the objects that you want to select.

But, did you know that you can specify whether the rectangle that you drag over objects needs to touch only the object(s) or must enclose them completely to select them? To change this behavior:

1. On the Tools menu, click Options and select the Forms/Reports tab.
2. Click one of the options under Selection Behavior.
   • Select Partially enclosed to let the selection rectangle cover only part of an object(s).
   • Select Fully enclosed to require the selection rectangle to fully encompass the object(s).

You can also remove one or more objects from the selected group, by holding [Shift] and then click the object(s) that you want to remove.

If you have any questions regarding this tip or need help implementing it in your own projects, contact Ranelle Maltas, Application Support Associate, at 472-0585 or e-mail at rmaltas2@unl.edu.