Buttons and shortcut menu
Buttons and shortcut menus are available in the Data Explorer. You can right-click any item in the Data Explorer to see a shortcut menu with the following options:
- Add to Report
Use this option to add a table or stored procedure to your new report. This option is also available by clicking the Add button on the Data Explorer.
- Add to Favorites
Use this option to add a selected data source to the Favorites folder. This option is also available by clicking the Add Favorite button on the Data Explorer.
- Remove from Report
Use this option to remove a table or stored procedure from your report. This option is also available by clicking the Remove button on the Data Explorer.
- Properties
Use this option to obtain detailed information on the selected database connection. This option is available only from the Shortcut menu.
- Rename Favorite
Use this option to rename a data source in the Favorites folder. This option is available only from the Shortcut menu.
- Delete Favorite
Use this option to remove a data source from the Favorites folder.
The following buttons complement the selection available on the Shortcut menu:
- Add
Adds the selected table or stored procedure to the report. A check mark is added in front of the name of tables or stored procedures added to the report.
- Remove
Removes the selected table or stored procedure from the report. The check mark in front of the name of the table or stored procedure is removed.
- Add to Favorites
Adds the selected data source to your Favorites folder.
- Delete Favorite
Removes the selected data source from your Favorites folder.
- Options
Provides access to the options you can set globally on the Database tab of the Options dialog box.
- Help
Displays an on-line help topic for the Data Explorer.
- Close
Closes the Data Explorer and continues on to the Design tab with the Field Explorer visible.
Finding, connecting to, and creating new data sources
Several options are available within the folders of the Data Explorer to help you find, connect to, or create new data sources.
ODBC folder
You can choose the options Create New Data Source, or Connect Using File Data Source from within the ODBC folder.
The Create New Data Source option guides you through the creation of a new ODBC data source by providing a creation Expert. After you have created a data source, it is added to the ODBC folder.
The Connect Using File Data Source lets you select an ODBC file data source located outside the default directory. Use the ODBC File DSN dialog box to locate the file DSN you want to connect to.
Existing data sources shown under the ODBC folder display a power cord icon when a connection has been made.
File Data Sources folder
You can use the Find Database File option to browse for a file data source to connect to. After double-clicking this option, the Open dialog appears. Use the familiar Windows layout of the Open dialog box to find and open the file data source of your choice.
More Data Sources folder
OLE DB Data Sources
You will find two options under the OLE DB subfolder:
- Make New Connection
This option lets you create a Data Link (an OLE DB data source using a non-file-based Data Link) using the Data Link Properties dialog box.
- Connect Using Data Link File
This option lets you connect to an existing Data Link File, or create a new Data Link File using the Select Data Link File dialog box.
Other Data Sources
For other type of data sources within the More Data Sources folder, you can make a connection by double-clicking it in the tree view. Subsequent connections allow you to select Make New Connection in the same subfolder.
Existing data sources shown under the ODBC folder display a power cord icon when a connection has been made.