1.

Introduction to data types and field

properties
Access for Microsoft 365 Access 2021 Access 2019 Access 2016 Access 2013 More...

Every table in Access is made up of fields. The properties of a field describe the
characteristics and behavior of data added to that field. A field's data type is the most
important property because it determines what kind of data the field can store. This article
describes the data types and other field properties available in Access, and includes additional
information in a detailed data type reference section.

2. In this article
 Overview
 When to use which data type
 Field size property
 Data types in relationships and joins
 Data type reference

3. Overview
Data types can seem confusing for example, if a field's data type is Text, it can store data that
consists of either text or numerical characters. But a field whose data type is Number can
store only numerical data. So, you have to know what properties are used with each data type.

A field's data type determines many other important field qualities, such as the following:

 Which formats can be used with the field.

 The maximum size of a field value.
 How the field can be used in expressions.
 Whether the field can be indexed.

A field's data type can be predefined or you will select a data type depending on how you
create the new field. For example, if you create a field from the Datasheet view and:

 Use an existing field from another table, the data type is already defined in the
template or in the other table.
 Enter data in a blank column (or field), Access assigns a data type to the field based on
the values that you enter or you can assign the data type and format for the field.
 On the Modify Fields tab, in the Fields & Columns group, click Add Fields, Access
displays a list of data types that you can select from.

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4. When to use which data type

Think of a field's data type as a set of qualities that applies to all the values that are contained
in the field. For example, values that are stored in a Text field can contain only letters,
numbers, and a limited set of punctuation characters, and a Text field can only contain a
maximum of 255 characters.

Tip: Sometimes, the data in a field may appear to be one data type, but is actually another.
For example, a field may seem to contain numeric values but may actually contain text values,
such as room numbers. You can often use an expression to compare or convert values of
different data types.

The following tables show you the formats available for each data type and explain the effect
of the formatting option.

5. Basic Types

Format Use to display

Short, alphanumeric values, such as a last name or a street address. Note,
Text beginning in Access 2013, Text data types have been renamed to Short
Text.
Number, Large Numeric values, such as distances. Note that there is a separate data type
Number for currency.
Currency Monetary values.
Yes/No Yes and No values and fields that contain only one of two values.
Date/Time, Date/Time: Date and time values for the years 100 through 9999.
Date/Time
Extended Date/Time Extended: Date and time values for the years 1 through 9999.
Text or combinations of text and numbers that can be formatted using color
Rich Text
and font controls.
Results of a calculation. The calculation must refer to other fields in the
Calculated Field same table. You would use the Expression Builder to create the calculation.
Note, Calculated fields were first introduced in Access 2010.
Attached images, spreadsheet files, documents, charts, and other types of
Attachment supported files to the records in your database, similar to attaching files to
e-mail messages.
Text or combinations of text and numbers stored as text and used as a
Hyperlink
hyperlink address.
Long blocks of text. A typical use of a Memo field would be a detailed
Memo product description. Note, beginning in Access 2013, Memo data types
have been renamed to Long Text.
Displays either a list of values that is retrieved from a table or query, or a
set of values that you specified when you created the field. The Lookup
Wizard starts and you can create a Lookup field. The data type of a Lookup
field is either Text or Number, depending on the choices that you make in
Lookup
the wizard.

Lookup fields have an additional set of field properties, which are located
on the Lookup tab in the Field Properties pane.

Note: Attachment and Calculated data types aren't available in .mdb file formats.
6. Number

Format Use to display

General Numbers without additional formatting exactly as it is stored.
Currency General monetary values.
Euro General monetary values stored in the EU format.
Fixed Numeric data.
Standard Numeric data with decimal.
Percentage Percentages.
Scientific Calculations.

7. Date and Time

Format Use to display

Display the date in a short format. Depends on your regional date and time
Short Date
settings. For example, 3/14/2001 for USA.
Medium
Display the date in medium format. For example, 3-Apr-09 for USA.
Date
Display the date in a long format. Depends on you're the regional date and time
Long Date
settings. For example, Wednesday, March 14, 2001 for USA.
Time Display the time only using a 12 hour format that will respond to changes in the
am/pm regional date and time settings.
Medium
Display the time followed by AM/PM.
Time
Time Display the time only using a 24 hour format that will respond to changes in the
24hour regional date and time settings

8. Yes/No

Data Type Use to display

Check Box A check box.
Yes/No Yes or No options
True/False True or False options.
On/Off On or Off options.

OLE Object OLE objects, such as Word documents.

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9. Field size property

After you create a field and set its data type, you can set additional field properties. The field's
data type determines which other properties that you can set. For example, you can control the
size of a Text field by setting its Field Size property.
For Number and Currency fields, the Field Size property is especially important, because it
determines the range of field values. For example, a one-bit Number field can store only
integers ranging from 0 to 255.

The Field Size property also determines how much disk space each Number field value
requires. Depending on the field size, the number can use exactly 1, 2, 4, 8, 12, or 16 bytes.

Note: Text and Memo fields have variable field value sizes. For these data types, Field Size
sets the maximum space available for any one value.

For more details about field properties and how they work with the different data types go to
the Data type reference section. Also read the article Set the field size.

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10. Data types in relationships and joins

A table relationship is an association between common fields in two tables. A relationship can
be one-to-one, one-to-many, or many-to-many.

A join is a SQL operation that combines data from two sources into one record in a query
recordset based on values in a specified field that the sources have in common. A join can be
an inner join, a left outer join, or a right outer join.

When you create a table relationship or add a join to a query, the fields that you connect must
have the same or compatible data types. For example, you cannot create a join between a
Number field and a Text field, even if the values in those fields match.

In a relationship or a join, fields that are set to the AutoNumber data type are compatible with
fields that are set to the Number data type if the Field Size property of the latter is Long
Integer.

You cannot change the data type or the Field Size property of a field that is involved in a
table relationship. You can temporarily delete the relationship to change the Field Size
property. However, if you change the data type, you won't be able to re-create the relationship
without first also changing the data type of the related field. For more information on tables
see the article, Introduction to tables.

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11. Data type reference

When you apply a data type to a field, it contains a set of properties that you can select. Click
on data types below for more information.

 Attachment
 AutoNumber
 Calculated
 Currency
  Date/Time and Date/Time Extended
 Hyperlink
 Memo
 Number
 Large Number
 OLE Object
 Text
 Yes/No

12. Attachment

Purpose Used in a field that allows attaching files or images to a record. For example, if
you have a job contacts database, you can use an attachment field to attach a photo of the
contact, or attach documents such as a resume. For some file types, Access compresses each
attachment as you add it. Attachment data types are available only in .accdb file format
databases.

Types of attachments that Access compresses

When you attach any of the following file types, Access compresses the file.

 Bitmaps, such as .bmp files

 Windows Metafiles, including .emf files
 Exchangeable File Format files (.exif files)
 Icons
 Tagged Image File Format files

You can attach many kinds of files to a record. However, some file types that may pose
security risks are blocked. As a rule, you can attach any file that was created in one of the
Microsoft Office programs. You can also attach log files (.log), text files (.text, .txt), and
compressed .zip files. For a list of supported image file formats, see the table later in this
section.

List of blocked file types

Access blocks the following kinds of attached files.

.ade .ins .mda .scr

.adp .isp .mdb .sct
.app .its .mde .shb
.asp .js .mdt .shs
.bas .jse .mdw .tmp
.bat .ksh .mdz .url
.cer .lnk .msc .vb
.chm .mad .msi .vbe
.cmd .maf .msp .vbs
.com .mag .mst .vsmacros
.cpl .mam .ops .vss
.crt .maq .pcd .vst
 .ade .ins .mda .scr
.csh .mar .pif .vsw
.exe .mas .prf .ws
.fxp .mat .prg .wsc
.hlp .mau .pst .wsf
.hta .mav .reg .wsh
.inf .maw .scf

13. Supported field properties

Property Use
The label text that is displayed for this field by default in forms, reports, and
queries. If this property is empty, the name of the field is used. Any text string is
Caption allowed.

An effective caption is usually brief.

Required Requires that each record has at least one attachment for the field.

14. Supported image file formats

Access supports the following graphic file formats without the need for additional software
being installed on your computer.

 Windows Bitmap (.bmp files)

 Run Length Encoded Bitmap (.rle files)
 Device Independent Bitmap (.dib files)
 Graphics Interchange Format (.gif files)
 Joint Photographic Experts Group (.jpe, .jpeg, and .jpg files)
 Exchangeable File Format (.exif files)
 Portable Network Graphics (.png files)
 Tagged Image File Format (.tif and .tiff files)
 Icon (.ico and .icon files)
 Windows Metafile (.wmf files)
 Enhanced Metafile (.emf files)

15. File naming conventions

The names of your attached files can contain any Unicode character supported by the NTFS
file system that is used in Microsoft Windows NT. In addition, file names must follow the
following guidelines:

 Names must not exceed 255 characters, including the file name extensions.
 Names cannot contain the following characters: question marks (?), quotation marks
("), forward or backward slashes (/ \), opening or closing brackets (< >), asterisks (*),
vertical bars or pipes (|), colons (:), or paragraph marks (¶).

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16. AutoNumber
Purpose Use an AutoNumber field to provide a unique value that serves no other purpose
than to make each record unique. The most common use for an AutoNumber field is as a
primary key, especially when no suitable natural key (a key that is based on a data field) is
available.

An AutoNumber field value requires 4 or 16 bytes, depending on the value of its Field Size
property.

Suppose that you have a table that stores contacts' information. You can use contact names as
the primary key for that table, but how do you handle two contacts with exactly the same
name? Names are unsuitable natural keys, because they are often not unique. If you use an
AutoNumber field, each record is guaranteed to have a unique identifier.

Note: You should not use an AutoNumber field to keep a count of the records in a table.
AutoNumber values are not reused, so deleted records can result in gaps in your count.
Moreover, an accurate count of records can be easily obtained by using a Totals row in a
datasheet.

17. Supported field properties

Property Use
Determines the amount of space that is allocated for each value. For AutoNumber
fields, only two values are allowed:

 The Long Integer field size is used for AutoNumber fields that are not used
as replication IDs. This is the default value. You should not change this
value unless you are creating a replication ID field.

Note: Replication is not supported in databases that use a new file format,
such as .accdb.
Field Size
This setting makes AutoNumber fields compatible with other Long Integer
Number fields when they are used in relationships or joins. Each field
value requires 4 bytes of storage.

 The Replication ID field size is used for AutoNumber fields that are used
as replication IDs in a database replica. Do not use this value unless you
are working in or implementing the design of a replicated database.

Each field value requires 16 bytes of storage.

Determines whether AutoNumber field increments with each new value or uses
random numbers. Select one of the following:

 Increment Starts with the value 1 and incrementally increases by 1 for

New
each new record.
Values
 Random Starts with a random value and assigns a random value to each
new record. Values are of the Long Integer field size, and range from -
2,147,483,648 to 2,147,483,647.

Format If you are using an AutoNumber field as a primary key or as a Replication ID, you
Property Use
should not set this property. Otherwise, choose a number format that meets your
specific needs.
The label text that is displayed for this field by default in forms, reports, and
queries. If this property is empty, the name of the field is used. Any text string is
Caption allowed.

An effective caption is usually brief.

Specifies whether the field has an index. There are three available values:

 Yes (No duplicates) Creates a unique index on the field.

 Yes (Duplicates OK) Creates a non-unique index on the field.
 No Removes any index on the field.

Indexed Note: Do not change this property for a field that is used in a primary key.
Without a unique index, it is possible to enter duplicate values, which can break
any relationships in which the key is a part.

Although you can create an index on a single field by setting the Indexed field
property, some kinds of indexes cannot be created in this manner. For example,
you cannot create a multi-field index by setting this property.
Smart
Attaches a smart tag to the field. Smart tags were deprecated in Access 2013.
Tags
Text
Specifies the default alignment of text within a control.
Align

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18. Calculated

Purpose Use to store the results of a calculation.

The calculation must refer to other fields in the same table. You would use the Expression
Builder to create the calculation. Note, Calculated data types were first introduced in Access
2010. Calculated data types are available only in .accdb file format databases.

19. Supported field properties

Property Use
The result of this calculation will be stored in the calculated column. If this
Expression
column has been saved, then only saved columns can be used in this expression.
Result Type The result of the calculation will be displayed as this data type.
Determines the way that the field appears when it is displayed or printed in
datasheets or in forms or reports that are bound to the field. You can use any
Format
valid number format. In most cases, you should set the Format value to match
the result type.
Decimal
Specifies the number of decimal places to use when displaying numbers.
Places
Caption The label text that is displayed for this field by default in forms, reports, and
 Property Use
queries. If this property is empty, the name of the field is used. Any text string
is allowed.

An effective caption is usually brief.

Text Align Specifies the default alignment of text within a control.

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20. Currency

Purpose Use to store monetary data.

Data in a Currency field is not rounded off during calculations. A Currency field is accurate to
15 digits to the left of the decimal point and 4 digits to the right. Each Currency field value
requires 8 bytes of storage.

21. Supported field properties

Property Use
Determines the way that the field appears when it is displayed or printed in
datasheets or in forms or reports that are bound to the field. You can use any
Format
valid number format. In most cases, you should set the Format value to
Currency.
Decimal
Specifies the number of decimal places to use when displaying numbers.
Places
Displays editing characters to guide data entry. For example, an input mask
Input Mask
might display a dollar sign ($) at the beginning of the field.
The label text that is displayed for this field by default in forms, reports, and
queries. If this property is empty, the name of the field is used. Any text string is
Caption allowed.

An effective caption is usually brief.

Default Automatically assigns the specified value to this field when a new record is
Value added.
Validation Supplies an expression that must be true whenever you add or change the value
Rule in this field. Use in conjunction with the Validation Text property.
Validation Enter a message to display when a value that is entered violates the expression
Text in the Validation Rule property.
Required Requires that data be entered in the field.
Indexed Specifies whether the field has an index. There are three available values:

 Yes (No duplicates) Creates a unique index on the field.

 Yes (Duplicates OK) Creates a non-unique index on the field.
 No Removes any index on the field.

Note: Do not change this property for a field that is used in a primary key.

Although you can create an index on a single field by setting the Indexed field
 Property Use

property, some kinds of indexes cannot be created in this manner. For example,
you cannot create a multi-field index by setting this property.
Smart Tags Attaches a smart tag to the field. Smart tags were deprecated in Access 2013.
Text Align Specifies the default alignment of text within a control.

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22. Date/Time and Date/Time Extended

Purpose Use to store date and time-based data.

23. Supported field properties

Property Use
The label text that is displayed for this field by default in forms, reports,
and queries. If this property is empty, the name of the field is used. Any text
Caption string is allowed.

An effective caption is usually brief.

Automatically assigns the specified value to this field when a new record is
Default Value
added.
Format Determines the way that the field appears when it is displayed or printed in
datasheets, or in forms or reports that are bound to the field. You can use a
predefined format or build your own custom format.

List of predefined formats

 General Date By default, if the value is a date only, no time is

displayed; if the value is a time only, no date is displayed. This
setting is a combination of the Short Date and Long Time settings.

Examples

o 4/3/07
o 05:34:00 PM
o 4/3/07 05:34:00 PM
 Long Date Same as the Long Date setting in the regional settings
of Windows. Example: Saturday, April 3, 2007.
 Medium Date Displays the date as dd-mmm-yyyy. Example: 3-
Apr-2007.
 Short Date Same as the Short Date setting in the regional settings
of Windows. Example: 4/3/07.

Warning: The Short Date setting assumes that dates between 1/1/00
and 12/31/29 are twenty-first century dates (that is, the years are
assumed to be 2000 to 2029). Dates between 1/1/30 and 12/31/99
are assumed to be twentieth century dates (that is, the years are
Property Use

assumed to be 1930 to 1999).

 Long Time Same as the setting on the Time tab in the regional
settings of Windows. Example: 5:34:23 PM.
 Medium Time Displays the time as hours and minutes separated
by the time separator character, followed by an AM/PM indicator.
Example: 5:34 PM.
 Short Time Displays the time as hours and minutes separated by
the time separator, by using a 24-hour clock. Example: 17:34.

Lists of components that you can use in custom formats

Type any combination of the following components to build a custom

format. For example, to display the week of the year and day of the week,
type ww/w.

Important: Custom formats that are inconsistent with the date/time settings
specified in Windows regional settings are ignored. For more information
on Windows regional settings, see Windows Help.

Separator components

Note: Separators are set in the regional settings of Windows.

: Time separator. For example, hh:mm

/ Date separator. For example, mmm/yyyy

Any short string of characters, enclosed in quotation marks ("") Custom

separator. Quotation marks are not displayed. For example, "," displays a
comma.

Date format components

d Day of the month in one or two numeric digits, as needed (1 to 31).

dd Day of the month in two numeric digits (01 to 31).

ddd First three letters of the weekday (Sun to Sat).

dddd Full name of the weekday (Sunday to Saturday).

w Day of the week (1 to 7).

ww Week of the year (1 to 53).

m Month of the year in one or two numeric digits, as needed (1 to 12).

Property Use

mm Month of the year in two numeric digits (01 to 12).

mmm First three letters of the month (Jan to Dec).

mmmm Full name of the month (January to December).

q The quarter of the year (1 to 4).

y Number of the day of the year (1 to 366).

yy Last two digits of the year (01 to 99).

yyyy Displays all digits in a year for 0001-9999 depending on the date and
time data type supported range.

Time format components

h Hour in one or two digits, as needed (0 to 23).

hh Hour in two digits (00 to 23).

n Minute in one or two digits, as needed (0 to 59).

nn Minute in two digits (00 to 59).

s Second in one or two digits, as needed (0 to 59).

ss Second in two digits (00 to 59).

Clock format components

AM/PM Twelve-hour clock with the uppercase letters "AM" or "PM," as

appropriate. For example, 9:34PM.

am/pm Twelve-hour clock with the lowercase letters "am" or "pm," as

appropriate. For example, 9:34pm.

A/P Twelve-hour clock with the uppercase letter "A" or "P," as

appropriate. For example, 9:34P.

a/p Twelve-hour clock with the lowercase letter "a" or "p," as appropriate.
For example, 9:34p.

AMPM Twelve-hour clock with the appropriate morning/afternoon

designator as defined in the regional settings of Windows.

Predefined formats
 Property Use

c Same as the General Date predefined format.

ddddd Same as the Short Date predefined format.

dddddd Same as the Long Date predefined format.

ttttt Same as the Long Time predefined format.

Enter a fractional precision to specify the number of digits to the right of
Decimal Places
the decimal point (1-7).
(Date/Time
Extended only)
No custom format is available.
IME Mode Controls the conversion of characters in East Asian versions of Windows.
IME Sentence
Controls the conversion of sentences in East Asian versions of Windows.
Mode
Specifies whether the field has an index. There are three available values:

 Yes (No duplicates) Creates a unique index on the field.

 Yes (Duplicates OK) Creates a non-unique index on the field.
 No Removes any index on the field.
Indexed
Note: Do not change this property for a field that is used in a primary key.

Although you can create an index on a single field by setting the Indexed
field property, some kinds of indexes cannot be created in this manner. For
example, you cannot create a multi-field index by setting this property.
Displays editing characters to guide data entry. For example, an input mask
Input Mask
might display a dollar sign ($) at the beginning of the field.
Required Requires that data be entered in the field.
Specifies whether to show the Date Picker control.
Show Date
Picker Note: If you use an input mask for a Date/Time field, the Date Picker
control is unavailable regardless of how you set this property.
Attaches a smart tag to the field. Smart tags were deprecated in Access
Smart Tags
2013.
Text Align Specifies the default alignment of text within a control.
Supplies an expression that must be true whenever you add or change the
Validation Rule
value in this field. Use in conjunction with the Validation Text property.
Enter a message to display when a value that is entered violates the
Validation Text
expression in the Validation Rule property.

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24. Hyperlink

Purpose Use to store a hyperlink, such as an e-mail address or a Web site URL.

A hyperlink can be a UNC path or a URL. It can store up to 2048 characters.

25. Supported field properties

Property Use
Allow Zero Allows entry (by setting to Yes) of a zero-length string ("") in a Hyperlink,
Length Text, or Memo field.
Determines whether to track field value changes. There are two settings:

 Yes Tracks changes. To view the field value history, right-click the
field, and then click Show column history.
Append Only
 No Does not track changes.

Warning: Warning Setting this property to No deletes any existing field

value history.
The label text that is displayed for this field by default in forms, reports, and
queries. If this property is empty, the name of the field is used. Any text
Caption string is allowed.

An effective caption is usually brief.

Automatically assigns the specified value to this field when a new record is
Default Value
added.
Determines the way that the field appears when it is displayed or printed in
Format datasheets or in forms or reports that are bound to the field. You can define a
custom format for a Hyperlink field.
IME Mode Controls the conversion of characters in East Asian versions of Windows.
IME Sentence
Controls the conversion of sentences in East Asian versions of Windows.
Mode
Specifies whether the field has an index. There are three available values:

 Yes (No duplicates) Creates a unique index on the field.

 Yes (Duplicates OK) Creates a non-unique index on the field.
 No Removes any index on the field.
Indexed
Note: Do not change this property for a field that is used in a primary key.

Although you can create an index on a single field by setting the Indexed
field property, some kinds of indexes cannot be created in this manner. For
example, you cannot create a multi-field index by setting this property.
Required Requires that data be entered in the field.
Attaches a smart tag to the field. Smart tags were deprecated in Access
Smart Tags
2013.
Text Align Specifies the default alignment of text within a control.
Unicode Compresses text that is stored in this field when less than 4,096 characters
Compression are stored.
Validation Supplies an expression that must be true whenever you add or change the
Rule value in this field. Use in conjunction with the Validation Text property.
Enter a message to display when a value that is entered violates the
Validation Text
expression in the Validation Rule property.
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26. Memo

Purpose Use to store a block of text that is more than 255 characters long and is formatted
text. Note, beginning in Access 2013 Memo data type has been renamed to Long Text.

27. Supported field properties

Property Use
Allow Zero Allows entry (by setting to Yes) of a zero-length string ("") in a Hyperlink,
Length Text, or Memo field.
Determines whether to track field value changes. There are two settings:

 Yes Tracks changes. To view the field value history, right-click the
field, and then click Show column history.
Append Only
 No Does not track changes.

Warning: Setting this property to No deletes any existing field value

history.
The label text that is displayed for this field by default in forms, reports, and
queries. If this property is empty, the name of the field is used. Any text
Caption string is allowed.

Tip: An effective caption is usually brief.

Automatically assigns the specified value to this field when a new record is
Default Value
added.
Determines the way that the field appears when it is displayed or printed in
Format datasheets or in forms or reports that are bound to the field. You can define a
custom format for a Memo field.
IME Mode Controls the conversion of characters in East Asian versions of Windows.
IME Sentence
Controls the conversion of sentences in East Asian versions of Windows.
Mode
Specifies whether the field has an index. There are three available values:

 Yes (No duplicates) Creates a unique index on the field.

 Yes (Duplicates OK) Creates a non-unique index on the field.
 No Removes any index on the field.
Indexed
Note: Do not change this property for a field that is used in a primary key.

Although you can create an index on a single field by setting the Indexed
field property, some kinds of indexes cannot be created in this manner. For
example, you cannot create a multi-field index by setting this property.
Required Requires that data be entered in the field.
Attaches a smart tag to the field. Smart tags were deprecated in Access
Smart Tags
2013.
Text Align Specifies the default alignment of text within a control.
Unicode Compresses text that is stored in this field when less than 4,096 characters
 Property Use
Compression are stored.
Validation Supplies an expression that must be true whenever you add or change the
Rule value in this field. Use in conjunction with the Validation Text property.
Enter a message to display when a value that is entered violates the
Validation Text
expression in the Validation Rule property.

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28. Number

Purpose Use to store a numeric value that isn't a monetary value. If you might use the
values in the field to perform a calculation, use the Number data type.

29. Supported field properties

Property Use
The label text that is displayed for this field by default in forms, reports, and
queries. If this property is empty, the name of the field is used. Any text string is
Caption allowed.

An effective caption is usually brief.

Decimal
Specifies the number of decimal places to use when displaying numbers.
Places
Default Automatically assigns the specified value to this field when a new record is
Value added.
Field Size Select one of the following:

 Byte — Use for integers that range from 0 to 255. Storage requirement
is 1 byte.
 Integer — Use for integers that range from -32,768 to 32,767. Storage
requirement is 2 bytes.
 Long Integer — Use for integers that range from -2,147,483,648 to
2,147,483,647. Storage requirement is 4 bytes.

Tip: Use Long Integer when you create a foreign key to relate to
another table's AutoNumber primary key field.

 Single Use for numeric floating point values that range from -3.4 x
1038 to 3.4 x 1038 and up to seven significant digits. Storage
requirement is 4 bytes.
 Double Use for numeric floating point values that range from -1.797 x
10308 to 1.797 x 10308 and up to fifteen significant digits. Storage
requirement is 8 bytes.
 Replication ID Use for storing a globally unique identifier required for
replication. Storage requirement is 16 bytes. Note that replication is not
supported using the .accdb file format.
 Decimal Use for numeric values that range from -9.999... x 1027 to
 Property Use
9.999... x 1027. Storage requirement is 12 bytes.

Tip: For best performance, always specify the smallest sufficient Field Size.
Determines the way that the field appears when it is displayed or printed in
Format datasheets, or in forms or reports that are bound to the field. You can use any
valid number format.
Specifies whether the field has an index. There are three available values:

 Yes (No duplicates) Creates a unique index on the field.

 Yes (Duplicates OK) Creates a non-unique index on the field.
 No Removes any index on the field.
Indexed
Note: Do not change this property for a field that is used in a primary key.

Although you can create an index on a single field by setting the Indexed field
property, some kinds of indexes cannot be created in this manner. For example,
you cannot create a multi-field index by setting this property.
Displays editing characters to guide data entry. For example, an input mask
Input Mask
might display a dollar sign ($) at the beginning of the field.
Required Requires that data be entered in the field.
Smart Tags Attaches a smart tag to the field. Smart tags were deprecated in Access 2013.
Text Align Specifies the default alignment of text within a control.
Validation Supplies an expression that must be true whenever you add or change the value
Rule in this field. Use in conjunction with the Validation Text property.
Validation Enter a message to display when a value that is entered violates the expression
Text in the Validation Rule property.

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30. Large Number

Purpose Use to store a Large numeric value that isn't a monetary value. If you might use
the values in the field to perform a calculation, use the Large Number data type.

31. Supported field properties

Property Use
The label text that is displayed for this field by default in forms, reports, and
queries. If this property is empty, the name of the field is used. Any text string is
Caption allowed.

An effective caption is usually brief.

Decimal
Specifies the number of decimal places to use when displaying numbers.
Places
Default Automatically assigns the specified value to this field when a new record is
Value added.
Format Determines the way that the field appears when it is displayed or printed in
 Property Use
datasheets, or in forms or reports that are bound to the field. You can use any
valid number format.
Specifies whether the field has an index. There are three available values:

 Yes (No duplicates) Creates a unique index on the field.

 Yes (Duplicates OK) Creates a non-unique index on the field.
 No Removes any index on the field.
Indexed
Note: Do not change this property for a field that is used in a primary key.

Although you can create an index on a single field by setting the Indexed field
property, some kinds of indexes cannot be created in this manner. For example,
you cannot create a multi-field index by setting this property.
Displays editing characters to guide data entry. For example, an input mask
Input Mask
might display a dollar sign ($) at the beginning of the field.
Required Requires that data be entered in the field.
Smart Tags Attaches a smart tag to the field. Smart tags were deprecated in Access 2013.
Text Align Specifies the default alignment of text within a control.
Validation Supplies an expression that must be true whenever you add or change the value
Rule in this field. Use in conjunction with the Validation Text property.
Validation Enter a message to display when a value that is entered violates the expression
Text in the Validation Rule property.

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32. OLE Object

Purpose Use to attach an OLE Object, such as a Microsoft Office Excel spreadsheet, to a
record. If you want to use OLE features, you must use the OLE Object data type.

In most cases, you should use an Attachment field instead of an OLE Object field. OLE
Object fields support fewer file types than Attachment fields support. In addition, OLE Object
fields do not let you attach multiple files to a single record.

33. Supported field properties

Property Use
The label text that is displayed for this field by default in forms, reports, and
queries. If this property is empty, the name of the field is used. Any text string is
Caption allowed.

An effective caption is usually brief.

Required Requires that data be entered in the field.
Text
Specifies the default alignment of text within a control.
Align

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34. Text

Purpose Use to store up to 255 characters of text. Note, beginning in Access 2013 the Text
data type has been renamed to Short Text.

35. Supported field properties

Property Use
Allow Zero Allows entry (by setting to Yes) of a zero-length string ("") in a Hyperlink,
Length Text, or Memo field.
The label text that is displayed for this field by default in forms, reports, and
queries. If this property is empty, the name of the field is used. Any text
Caption string is allowed.

An effective caption is usually brief.

Automatically assigns the specified value to this field when a new record is
Default Value
added.
Enter a value from 1 to 255. Text fields can range from 1 to 255 characters.
For larger text fields, use the Memo data type.

Field Size Tip: For best performance, always specify the smallest sufficient Field Size.

For example, if you are storing postal codes of a known length, you should
specify that length as the Field Size.
Determines the way that the field appears when it is displayed or printed in
Format datasheets or in forms or reports that are bound to the field. You can define a
custom format for a Text field.
IME Mode Controls the conversion of characters in East Asian versions of Windows.
IME Sentence
Controls the conversion of sentences in East Asian versions of Windows.
Mode
Specifies whether the field has an index. There are three available values:

 Yes (No duplicates) Creates a unique index on the field.

 Yes (Duplicates OK) Creates a non-unique index on the field.
 No Removes any index on the field.
Indexed
Note: Do not change this property for a field that is used in a primary key.

Although you can create an index on a single field by setting the Indexed
field property, some kinds of indexes cannot be created in this manner. For
example, you cannot create a multi-field index by setting this property.
Required Requires that data be entered in the field.
Attaches a smart tag to the field. Smart tags were deprecated in Access
Smart Tags
2013.
Text Align Specifies the default alignment of text within a control.
Unicode Compresses text that is stored in this field when less than 4,096 characters
Compression are stored.
Validation Supplies an expression that must be true whenever you add or change the
 Property Use
Rule value in this field. Use in conjunction with the Validation Text property.
Enter a message to display when a value that is entered violates the
Validation Text
expression in the Validation Rule property.

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36. Yes/No

Purpose Use to store a Boolean value.

37. Supported field properties

Property Use
The label text that is displayed for this field by default in forms, reports, and
queries. If this property is empty, the name of the field is used. Any text string is
Caption allowed.

An effective caption is usually brief.

Default Automatically assigns the specified value to this field when a new record is
Value added.
Determines the way that the field appears when it is displayed or printed in
datasheets, or in forms or reports that are bound to the field. Select one of the
following:
Format
 True/False Displays the value as either True or False.
 Yes/No Displays the value as either Yes or No.
 On/Off Displays the value as either On or Off.

Specifies whether the field has an index. There are three available values:

 Yes (No duplicates) Creates a unique index on the field.

 Yes (Duplicates OK) Creates a non-unique index on the field.
 No Removes any index on the field.
Indexed
Note: Do not change this property for a field that is used in a primary key.

Although you can create an index on a single field by setting the Indexed field
property, some kinds of indexes cannot be created in this manner. For example,
you cannot create a multi-field index by setting this property.
Text Align Specifies the default alignment of text within a control.
Validation Supplies an expression that must be true whenever you add or change the value
Rule in this field. Use in conjunction with the Validation Text property.
Validation Enter a message to display when a value that is entered violates the expression
Text in the Validation Rule property.