The expression we have created in the Expression Box now
appears as shown in Illustration 11.
Illustration 11: Our Newly Assembled Expression in the
Expression Box
The Select Query dialog appears as shown in Illustration
12.
Illustration 12: Partial View of the Select Query Dialog,
with New Expression Shown (compressed)
The expression we have created is in place, although it may
be compressed, as shown. We can always reopen the Expression Builder to review
or edit the expression by right-clicking and selecting Build ... from the context
menu, should the need arise.
27.
Right-click the field containing the expression we have created.
28.
Select Build... from the context menu that appears.
29.
Carefully type the caption Net Price: over the existing Expr1:,
changing nothing else in the expression.
The Expression Box should now appear as shown in Illustration
13.
Illustration 13: The Expression, after Modification of
Caption
30.
Click OK.
31.
Select View -->
Datasheet View from the top menu.
(The Datasheet View icon at the left of the Access
toolbar, just below the File menu item (as shown in Illustration 14)
is an alternative means of achieving the same action.)
Illustration 14: Icon Selection Option for Selecting
Datasheet View
The view changes to display the results of the calculated
field (Illustration 15) for the entire column. A quick check of the
math indicates that the correct Net Price is reflected.
Illustration 15: Datasheet View of the Calculated Field
32.
If desired, Select File -->
Save as and save the query, with a meaningful name and location.
Our options abound at this point; we can convert the query
to a Make Table query, or insert the calculation into an existing table
or report in other ways. MS Access offers us a rich set of options in the
creation and use of calculated fields.
Conclusion
...
With
this tutorial article, Create a Calculated Field with the Expression Builder, we have begun the new MS Access for the Business Environment series. Our objective in this lesson was
to introduce calculated fields
in MS Access, focusing on the practical steps of their creation in a simple
business scenario. We briefly explored the concept of calculated fields,
introduced the MS Access Expression Builder as a straightforward
means of creating and editing them, and provided a practical walkthrough of the
process of creating a sample Net Price calculated field.
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