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# Control Tip Text with Greg Regan
- URL: https://nolongerset.com/aug-control-tip-text/
- Published: 2025-01-26T15:45:10.000Z
- Updated: 2026-05-08T12:43:41.000Z
- Description: Why Built-in Access Tooltips Fall Short (and How to Fix Them) (an Access User Group talk with Greg Regan)
- Author: Mike Wolfe
- Tags: AUG Video Recap, #Import 2026-05-20 02:59

Ever wondered why the built-in tooltips in Access forms feel sluggish and often go unnoticed by users?

In this Access Express Australia user group presentation, Greg Regan demonstrates a practical solution for creating responsive, eye-catching tooltips that enhance the user interface of Access applications. His approach addresses the limitations of Access's native Control Tip Text feature by implementing a custom solution using standard Access controls, making it easy for developers to create more intuitive and professional-looking user interfaces.

Whether you're building icon-based interfaces or trying to make your Access applications look more modern, this presentation offers practical techniques for implementing tooltips that actually work the way users expect them to.

## The Case for Better Tooltips

### Why Custom Tooltips Matter

- Modern web applications have raised user expectations
- Standard Access tooltips are laggy and easy to miss
- Users often don't know tooltips exist without being told
- Professional-looking interfaces help solutions compete with web apps

### Current Limitations

- Built-in Control Tip Text is slow to appear
- Users can easily miss native tooltips
- Standard tooltips lack visual appeal
- Poor discoverability for new users

## Technical Implementation

### Core Components

- Image control for the icon
- Command button for the tooltip display
- Rectangle control for the backdrop
- Tag property stores tooltip text
- Mouse move events handle display logic

### Key Design Elements

- Command button provides clean, rounded corners
- Backdrop matches form background color
- Tooltip automatically sizes to text content
- Hidden backdrop enables smooth tooltip dismissal
- Positioning logic prevents tooltip from going off-screen

## Implementation Details

### Control Properties

- Image control: Contains tooltip text in Tag property
- Rectangle control: Default visibility set to No
- Command button: No tab stop, bring to front
- Backdrop: Center back arrangement

### Event Handling

- MouseMove on icon displays tooltip
- MouseMove on backdrop hides tooltip
- MouseMove on tooltip itself ensures proper dismissal
- Single event handler manages visibility

## Enhanced Features

### Advanced Version

- Callout-style tooltips available
- Multiple component parts for sophisticated look
- Custom images for different pointing directions
- More complex but visually appealing

### Accessibility Considerations

- Potential for keyboard navigation support
- Hybrid solutions using transparent command buttons
- Focus indicators for better usability
- Multiple ways to trigger tooltips

## Conclusion

Greg's presentation demonstrates that with some creative thinking and basic Access controls, developers can create sophisticated tooltip solutions that rival modern web applications. While the basic implementation uses just a command button and rectangle control, the technique can be extended to create more elaborate tooltip designs, making Access applications both more professional and more user-friendly.

## Recording

The full recording is available on [YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KLLyXAVfoNw):

## Join Live!

Want to get even more out of these presentations? Join the live Access User Group events! The next upcoming events are listed on the [AUG Event Calendar](https://accessusergroups.org/calendar/?ref=nolongerset.com).

Attending live gives you the opportunity to:

- Interact directly with presenters during Q&A sessions
- Network with other Access developers
- Share your own experiences and challenges
- Get immediate answers to your specific questions
- Participate in group discussions

With multiple user groups across different time zones (and languages!), you're sure to find a meeting time that works for your schedule.

### Acknowledgements

- *Base cover image generated by FLUX-schnell*
- *Initial draft generated by Claude-3.5-Sonnet*