About right-to-left behavior in tables

The direction for new tables is determined by the Default direction setting on the International tab in the Options dialog box (Tools menu).

For tables in a Microsoft Access database (.mdb), the direction of an existing table can be "flipped" from right to left, or the reverse, in Design view by changing the table's Orientation property. In Datasheet view, table direction in both an Access database and a Microsoft Access project (.adp) can be "flipped" by setting Direction in the Datasheet dialog box (Format menu).

The direction and layout of several features that support tables, such as the Design view window, the Index window, frozen columns, and key visual characteristics such as Field Properties descriptions and tabs, the current record indicator, and grid column order are determined by the user interface you are currently using.

Text and Memo fields are assigned General alignment and Context reading order. Visual layout is automatically adjusted based on the language of the first character entered in a field when General alignment is set to Text mode in the International tab in the Options dialog box (Tools menu). Alignment can then be overridden by creating a custom format by using the format control character, the exclamation point (!), in the Format property. Reading order, however, cannot be changed. You can create tables with more sophisticated right-to-left field properties and data entry features if you create a form that uses your table as a record source, and then view the form in Datasheet view.