Form Control Methods in MS Access | Why Unbound Form Control Offer Better Flexibility

When building applications in Microsoft Access, the way you design your forms plays a big role in how users interact with data. Access offers different form control methods, such as Single Bound Forms, Continuous Bound Forms, and Unbound Form Controls—each with its own strengths and limitations. Bound forms are quick to set up and automatically save data, but this convenience can sometimes reduce control and lead to unwanted or incomplete records. In this article, we’ll look at all form control methods in MS Access and explain, in a simple and practical way, why unbound form controls offer better flexibility, give you more control over data entry, and create a smoother, more user-friendly experience.

Practical Process by Creating Table

Practically, we will create an Employee table that includes the fields listed below. For adding a new employee, a bound form can be used, which can be created through the Form Wizard by selecting the table and required fields.

Field Name	Data Type	Purpose
`EmpID`	AutoNumber (Primary Key)	Unique ID for the log entry.
`EmpStatus`	Text	Status of the Employee either Active or Inactive
`EmpDepartment`	Text	Department (e,g,. Manager, Operations, Lahor, Accounts)
`EmpJoinDate`	Date/Time	Joining date of the employee
`EmpFirstNam`	Text	First Name of the Employee
`EmpLastName`	Text	Last Name of the Employee
`EmpGender`	Text	Employee Gender (Male, Female)
`EmpAge`	Number	Age of the Employee in Number of Years
`EmpContact`	Text	Contact Number
`EmpAddress`	Text	Address of the Employee
`EmpDutyHouts`	Number	Duty Hours as per JD
`EmpBasicSalary`	Currency	Basic or sometimes called fixed salary
`EmpAllowance`	Currency	Allowances other than the basic salary
`EmpTotalSalary`	Calculated	Total calculated salary = Basic + Allowance

Complete Video Tutorial

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Bound Form Controls — What They Are

A bound form control is a form element such as a text box, combo box, or checkbox that is directly connected to a field in a table or query. Because of this connection, the control automatically displays data when the form opens, and any changes made by the user are saved back to the database without needing extra code. The form itself relies on a record source, which is usually a table or query, to determine what data is loaded and shown in the form.

Types of Bound Form Views

Bound forms can show data in different layouts:

1) Single Bound Form Control

Shows one record at a time.
Each control (textbox, combo box, etc.) represents a field in that single record.
Typical for record-by-record data entry or editing.

Characteristics

Displays only one record at a time.
Great when users need to focus on editing one item.

Pros

Easy to build — drag fields from Field List and Access handles data sync.
Automatic data saving — data changes are written back to the database automatically.
Minimal code — no programming required for basic CRUD.

Cons

Users can only see one record at a time, which might slow down tasks where you compare records.
Editing logic (like validation before save) may require extra events/code if you don’t want automatic saving.

2) Continuous Bound Form Control

A Continuous Bound Form displays multiple records in a list-like way:

The form’s Default View property is set to Continuous Forms.
Controls are bound (just like single form), but they show many records at once in a repetitive layout.

This method is similar to a single employee addition bound form; the only difference is the form properties, which will be set to Continuous so that a list of records can be displayed.

Characteristics

Looks like a subform or datasheet but keeps custom formatting.
Each row repeats the bound controls for each record.

Pros

Users can scan multiple records at once.
Still benefits from automatic data binding and CRUD operations.
Good for lists, search results, or admin panels.

Cons

Bound controls are tied to the same control objects, so formatting tricks may behave unexpectedly.
Continuous unbound controls (if used) can’t show different values per row without special techniques.

2. Unbound Form Controls — What They Are

An unbound control is not tied directly to any field in a table or query. It may be used for labels, calculated values, navigation (buttons), or controls that are filled and saved using code.

An unbound form has no Record Source, meaning:

Nothing is automatically loaded from tables into the form.
You fill controls with data using code usually from the Submit Button Onclick event code.
You save data using code (e.g., SQL INSERT/UPDATE via VBA).

In the unbound form control process for adding a new employee, we will create a new form that is not linked to any table.

New Employee Addition using Unbound Form Control Submit Button Code

Private Sub Command27_Click()
'This is unbound form and unbound textboxes code
'First of all, we will check the empty mandatory textboxes and return a msg

If IsNull(Me.txtempStatus) = True Or IsNull(Me.txtempDepartment) = True Or IsNull(Me.txtempJoinDate) = True Or _
IsNull(Me.txtempFirstName) = True Or IsNull(Me.txtempDutyHours) = True Or IsNull(Me.txtempBasicSalary) = True Then

    MsgBox "Please fill mandatory fields first.", vbExclamation, "Empty Fields"
    Exit Sub
        Else
           Set rstNE = CurrentDb.OpenRecordset("tbl_employee", dbOpenDynaset, dbSeeChanges)
           With rstNE
            .AddNew
            .Fields("empstatus") = Me.txtempStatus
            .Fields("empDepartment") = Me.txtempDepartment
            .Fields("empJoinDate") = Me.txtempJoinDate
            .Fields("empFirstName") = Me.txtempFirstName
            .Fields("empLastName") = Me.txtempLastName
            .Fields("empGender") = Me.txtempGender
            .Fields("empAge") = Me.txtempAge
            .Fields("empContact") = Me.txtempContact
            .Fields("empAddress") = Me.txtempAddress
            .Fields("empDutyHours") = Me.txtempDutyHours
            .Fields("empBasicSalary") = Me.txtempBasicSalary
            .Fields("empAllowance") = Me.txtempAllowance
        'Total Salary field is Auto Calculated field from the table, so need to update from unbound text box
            .Update
        End With
        Set rstNE = Nothing
        DoCmd.Close acForm, "frm_employeeU"
End If
End Sub

Complete Video Tutorial

Free Download MS Access Open Source File

Unbound Single Form

Form has no record source.
Controls are independently filled based on logic (e.g., via combo lookup, buttons).
Good for search forms, dashboards, custom entry forms requiring strict control.

Pros

Total flexibility over when/how data is displayed.
You control exactly when saving occurs (e.g., only when user clicks Submit).
Avoids accidental saves or half-filled records.

Cons

More coding needed (e.g., VBA for inserts/updates).
You must manually handle navigation (next/previous), validations, etc.
Cannot use native bound form features (e.g., indexed navigation buttons).

3. Summary: Pros & Cons at a Glance

Method	Primary Use	Pros	Cons
Single Bound Form	Record-by-record editing	Easy to build, auto save	Limited view, implicit saves
Continuous Bound Form	Multi-record display	Fast scanning, bound features	Harder formatting & custom logic
Unbound Form	Custom interfaces	Full control, custom save	More coding, manual processes

4. Why I Prefer Unbound Form Controls

Here are common reasons (which you can tailor to your own screenshots and video references):

Control Over Data Entry

The great thing about unbound forms is that nothing is set in stone until you hit ‘Submit.’ It works exactly how most of us expect a website to behave, you fill everything out, check it over, and then click save. This approach makes for a much smoother user experience because it prevents those ‘oops’ moments where half-finished info or accidental typos get saved to the database automatically.

More Predictable Navigation

Instead of Access automatically moving between records or inadvertently saving partial changes when the user tabs out or closes the form, the unbound approach gives exact control over navigation, saving, and validation.

Greater Validation Flexibility

You can validate all fields together before committing anything. For example:

Required fields
Cross-field logic
Business rules

Custom Workflows

Unbound forms allow complex workflows such as:

Multi-step entry
Wizard-style processes
Bulk updates
Audit & logging control

This level of control often outweighs the extra coding effort—especially in applications where data accuracy and UX matter.

Form Control Methods in MS Access | Why Unbound Form Control Offer Better Flexibility

Practical Process by Creating Table