20 min read
Field Properties and Formatting
The Field Properties pane fine-tunes a selected field: size, format, default value, validation, required, and caption.
You will learn: what field properties are. how Field Size, Format, Required, and Default Value work. You will do: open Members in Design View. set four properties on FullName and City.
In Design View, each field has settings in the Field Properties pane below the grid. Click a field name. The pane shows properties for that field only.
Riverside Public Library stores members in Members. You will refine FullName and City in RiversideLibrary.accdb.
Open Design View
Goal
Open the Members table in Design View.
Field properties are edited in Design View, not in the datasheet grid.
Open the database
Where
Do this
Verification
Check your work
You are correct if all of these are true:
- The Field Properties pane lists settings for FullName.
- Click City — the list changes to City's properties.
If something looks wrong
Fix
Field list
| Field Name | Data Type |
|---|---|
| MemberID | AutoNumber |
| FullName | Short Text |
| City | Short Text |
| Phone | Short Text |
Field Properties — MemberID
- Field Name
- MemberID
- Data Type
- AutoNumber
- Primary Key
- Yes
Click a row in the field list. In Access, the properties pane below updates for that field only.
Field Size
Goal
Set Field Size to 50 on FullName.
Field Size limits how many characters Short Text can store. Names rarely need the full 255.
Select FullName
Where
Do this
Verification
Check your work
You are correct if all of these are true:
- Field Size reads 50 when FullName is selected. Phone and City keep their own sizes.
If something looks wrong
Fix
Format
Format controls how Access displays a value. It does not change the data type.
On Members, Short Text fields like FullName usually leave Format blank. Format matters more on Date/Time, Currency, and Yes/No fields — for example Short Date on LoanDate in the Loans table, or True/False on Paid in Fines.
What: Check Format on FullName.
Steps: 1. Click FullName in Design View. 2. Find Format in Field Properties. 3. Leave it blank for a name field.
Expected result: FullName stores plain text. No special display pattern is needed.
Required
Goal
Set Required to Yes on FullName.
A member without a name cannot be saved.
Select FullName
Where
Do this
Verification
Check your work
You are correct if all of these are true:
- Required reads Yes for FullName.
- Access refuses a blank FullName on save in Datasheet View.
If something looks wrong
Fix
Default Value
Goal
Set Default Value to London on City.
Default Value fills a field on every new row before staff type. They can change it.
Select City
Where
Do this
Verification
Check your work
You are correct if all of these are true:
- A new member row shows London in City.
- If you type Bristol before saving, Bristol is stored — not London.
If something looks wrong
Fix
"London". Default Value applies on new records, not rows that already exist.Four properties on Members
| Property | What it does on FullName or City |
|---|---|
| Field Size = 50 on FullName | FullName can store up to 50 characters |
| Format blank on FullName | Name displays as plain text |
| Required = Yes on FullName | Blank name refused on save |
| Default Value = London on City | New rows start with London in City |
Practice
Swipe or use the arrows to move between questions.
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You will learn: the difference between Required and validation rules. field rules vs table rules. You will do: set Required on FullName. add a City validation rule. see what a table rule is for.
Required refuses blank values. Validation rules refuse values that fail a test — even when the field is not empty.
Riverside Public Library allows these cities only: London, Manchester, Bristol, Leeds. Access checks both with properties and expressions.
Required = Yes on FullName
Goal
Set Required = Yes on FullName.
Every member needs a name.
Open Design View
Where
Do this
Verification
Check your work
You are correct if all of these are true:
- Saving a row with blank FullName shows an error.
- MemberID still fills automatically.
If something looks wrong
Fix
Field Validation — City
Goal
Allow only London, Manchester, Bristol, and Leeds in City.
A validation rule is a stricter check than data type alone.
Select City
Where
Do this
Verification
Check your work
You are correct if all of these are true:
- Typing Londn and leaving the field shows your validation text.
- Bristol saves normally.
If something looks wrong
Fix
Field Rule vs Table Rule
Two levels of validation
| Field validation rule | Table validation rule |
|---|---|
| On one field — City or Phone | On the whole record — can compare two fields |
| City In ("London","Manchester","Bristol","Leeds") | [ReturnDate] Is Null Or [ReturnDate] >= [LoanDate] |
| Runs when that field changes | Runs when the record is saved |
Members uses field rules for City. Table validation belongs on Loans — for example ReturnDate must not be before LoanDate.
To set a table rule: open Loans in Design View, click the table selector (grey box where the row and column headings meet), then open Validation Rule on the Table Properties tab.
Practice
Swipe or use the arrows to move between questions.
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Field Notes: Fine-Tuning a Field
With a field selected in Design View, the Field Properties pane at the bottom offers further control, and the exact options change based on the data type selected:
- Field Size — the maximum length for Short Text, or the numeric precision for a Number field. - Format — how a value is displayed (for example, a date shown as "5 March 2026" versus "5/3/26") without changing the value actually stored. - Default Value — a value automatically filled in for every new record, which can still be changed while entering data. - Validation Rule and Validation Text — a condition a value must meet to be accepted, paired with a friendly custom error message shown if it's violated. - Required — whether a field must be filled in before a record can be saved. - Caption — a friendlier label shown on forms and reports in place of the field's plain internal name.
More lessons in Microsoft Access · Next: Primary Keys and Why They Matter · Previous: Choosing the Right Data Type for Each Field