Check marks are much easier
to read than a line of yes/no’s across a report page. But what if the Access table you
have to work with uses text boxes for yes/no fields? You do not have to change the
field’s data type in the table to make your report more readable. You simply
create check boxes for those fields when designing the report.

Say you are
reporting on which students passed a course. In the Student Records table, if
the student passed, Yes is entered in the Passed
field. If the student did not pass, No is entered.

With the report opened in
Design view, follow these steps to create check boxes for the Passed field:

  1. Click on the
    Check Box button in the Toolbox.
  2. Click on the
    Field List button in the Report Design toolbar.
  3. Drag the Passed
    field from the field list to the report.
  4. Format the check box as desired.

Access will print the Passed
field as a check box control on your report.

Miss a tip?

Check out the Microsoft Access archive, and catch up on our most recent Access tips.

Help users increase productivity by automatically signing up for TechRepublic’s free Microsoft Office Suite newsletter, featuring Word, Excel, and Access tips, delivered each Wednesday.