Print Calculated Field Expression's Value to the Microsoft Access Immediate Window - vba

Question

I did a little Microsoft Access DAO stuff to create a [FullName] Calculated Field (cFld As Field2 object) in one of my tables (tblEmpls) as a concatenation of [FirstName] and [LastName] in the table via the statement: cFld.Expression = "[FirstName] & ' ' & [LastName]".
I then used the TableDef.Fields.Append method on the cFld object to add it to the table. All good.
Now, when I try to print that expression to the Immediate window via 'Debug.Print "The FullName field is: " & cFld.Expression', the Immediate window output is: "The Calculated Field is: [FirstName] & ' ' & [LastName]", not say, "The Calculated Field is: David Bailey" like I want.
I guess I need a way to syntactically 'dereference' my cFld.Expression object so it's value not its name is printed in the Access VBA's Immediate window?
By the way, the fields in the database appear as expected: [FirstName]: "David": [LastName]: "Bailey": and [FullName]: "David Bailey"
The question: How do I get the concatenated [FullName] value, say, "David Bailey" to print in the Immediate window, and not the field names construct: "[FirstName] & ' ' & [LastName]"?
The TableDef object created the Calculated Field in the table, but yes I needed a RecordSet object for iteration through the table's records. Minimum set of code showing this.
Sub AddCFld()
Dim db As Database
Dim tdef As TableDef
Dim rst As Recordset2
Dim fld As Field2
Dim strFldName As String
Set db = CurrentDb
strFldName = "FullName"
Set tdef = db.TableDefs("tblEmpls")
On Error Resume Next
Set fld = tdef.Fields(strFldName)
On Error GoTo 0
If Not fld Is Nothing Then
Debug.Print "Oops, the Calculated Field already exists: " & strFldName
Set fld = Nothing
Set tdef = Nothing
Exit Sub
End If
Set fld = tdef.CreateField(strFldName, dbText, 200)
fld.Expression = "[FirstName] & ' ' & [LastName]"
Debug.Print "The Calculated Field expression is: " & fld.Expression
tdef.Fields.Append fld
Set rst = db.OpenRecordset("tblEmpls")
Do While Not rst.EOF
Debug.Print "The Calculated Field value is: " & rst!FullName
rst.MoveNext
Loop
db.Close
Set fld = Nothing
Set tdef = Nothing
End Sub
Immediate window output.
AddCFld
The Calculated Field expression is: [FirstName] & ' ' & [LastName]
The Calculated Field value is: Nancy Davolio
The Calculated Field value is: Andrew Fuller
The Calculated Field value is: Janet Leverling
The Calculated Field value is: Margaret Peacock
The Calculated Field value is: Steven Buchanan
The Calculated Field value is: Michael Suyama
The Calculated Field value is: Robert King
The Calculated Field value is: Laura Callahan
The Calculated Field value is: Anne Dodsworth

Answer 1

Ok, changed my answer a little bit :)
In the Immediate window you should use .value instead of .Expression
Debug.Print "The FullName field is: " & rs!Fullname.Value
Here is an example code:
Option Compare Database
Option Explicit
Private Sub Form_Open(Cancel As Integer)
' Loop Recordset with Do-Until
Dim rs As DAO.Recordset
Set rs = CurrentDb.OpenRecordset("tblEmpls")
Do Until rs.EOF
Debug.Print "The fullName value is: " & rs!FullName.Value
rs.MoveNext
Loop
rs.Close
End Sub

Answer 2

Um, thanks very much, Micke. I guess I was trying to get the TableDef object to do what the RecordSet object was designed for. Oops! The TableDef object created the Calculated Field in the table, but yep I needed a RecordSet object to iterate through the table's records and print out the Calculated Fields therein to the Access Immediate window. My ignorance is now assuaged! (:>) Minimum set of code showing this ...
Sub AddCFld()
Dim db As Database
Dim tdef As TableDef
Dim rst As Recordset2
Dim fld As Field2
Dim strFldName As String
Set db = CurrentDb
strFldName = "FullName"
Set tdef = db.TableDefs("tblEmpls")
On Error Resume Next
Set fld = tdef.Fields(strFldName)
On Error GoTo 0
If Not fld Is Nothing Then
Debug.Print "Oops, the Calculated Field already exists: " & strFldName
Set fld = Nothing
Set tdef = Nothing
Exit Sub
End If
Set fld = tdef.CreateField(strFldName, dbText, 200)
fld.Expression = "[FirstName] & ' ' & [LastName]"
Debug.Print "The Calculated Field expression is: " & fld.Expression
tdef.Fields.Append fld
Set rst = db.OpenRecordset("tblEmpls")
Do While Not rst.EOF
Debug.Print "The Calculated Field value is: " & rst!FullName
rst.MoveNext
Loop
db.Close
Set fld = Nothing
Set tdef = Nothing
End Sub
Immediate window output ...
AddCFld
The Calculated Field expression is: [FirstName] & ' ' & [LastName]
The Calculated Field value is: Nancy Davolio
The Calculated Field value is: Andrew Fuller
The Calculated Field value is: Janet Leverling
The Calculated Field value is: Margaret Peacock
The Calculated Field value is: Steven Buchanan
The Calculated Field value is: Michael Suyama
The Calculated Field value is: Robert King
The Calculated Field value is: Laura Callahan
The Calculated Field value is: Anne Dodsworth