Adding hyperlinks in MS Access is slightly different from adding Hyperlinks to Word or Excel or PowerPoint, as Access allows more options and is comparatively more effective. It however requires some initial planning and has more features than other products of MS office. Hyperlinks in MS access have four parts in total, one compulsory and three optional.
Hyperlinking in MS Access
Hyperlinks basically link the element from the database to an external source of information. It could be a web page or a document or an address. It saves extra space from the database and allows the user to display the data effectively and in a more user friendly fashion. Of many data types which Microsoft Access supports, Hyperlink data type is one. Access uses this data type to identify addresses (webpage or document) and treats them as links which on click allows the users to navigate the location or webpage.
In MS Access, hyperlinks have four components, and the mandatory component is Web Address of the link. The other three components are display text, sub address and screentip which makes MS Access more dynamic.
- Display text allows the hyperlinks to be more organized and informative.
- Sub address can be used to specify a link or location in a web page from the Access database.
- Screentip option is useful for hyperlinks as it provides extra information about the link when the mouse is hovered over the link. Using this feature, users can avoid complexities in data representation and add relevant information to the hyperlink.
How to Hyperlink in Access
The template of the hyperlink entry looks like this:
Display text# the name of file# reference within the file# optional screen tip#
It must be remembered that pound ‘#’ should be used correctly to insert the hyperlink. Users can open the Insert Menu to provide hyperlink, and by default Access fills the other fields but if a users wishes to change the details, they can. In fact, only the “display text” section of the field is displayed. To edit and view the contents, users can either press F2 or right click on the hyperlink and from the context menu and choose edit hyperlink. After editing or moderating the parts, users can click OK.
Here is an example of hyper-linking in MS Access.
If Jack wishes to open an image in MS Paint as he clicks on a particular link, displaying the text ‘Image’, he should provide the following hyperlink content.
Image#D:\Pictures\Image.jpeg#
D:\Pictures\Image.jpeg is the address of the file Jack wishes to link. So if he clicks the link, the desired image would open separately in MS Paint.
Similarly, hyperlinks could be added to link documents, spreadsheets, images, email addresses and website links in MS Access.
If the user wishes to skip one of the parts, he or she can do so by putting two consecutive pounds (##) in the hyperlink indicating that the missing part is purposely omitted.
Synopsis
Inserting a Hyperlink is MS Access is easy and quick. It’s a dynamic feature that links the element from datasheet to some external document or webpage.
When you are placing a lot of trust in your Access database, you should also invest in an Access recovery application for protecting your valuable data.
Author Introduction:
Vivian Stevens is a data recovery expert in DataNumen, Inc., which is the world leader in data recovery technologies, including recover Sql Server and excel recovery software products. For more information visit www.datanumen.com