access vba concatenate single column query into a single line result - vba

Question

I have a new database to help produce documents for order processing.
I have a query set up with only one column of results (Product Codes) determined by the order selected on the main form.
I need to be able to use this information to name my file aka
(Customer) (Product1)+(Product2)+(Product....) (Location)
I have the code to generate the line (Customer) (Product1) (Location) and am trying to get either a concatenate function or a loop function or something to get all the products to line up with a "+" in between each "line".
I have a query (Query1) set up to give me the exact data I need...
SELECT tblREF_Chemical.Abbr
FROM qry_AX_LineItems_DISTINCT INNER JOIN tblREF_Chemical ON
qry_AX_LineItems_DISTINCT.ItemId = tblREF_Chemical.[Item Number]
GROUP BY tblREF_Chemical.Abbr, qry_AX_LineItems_DISTINCT.SALESID,
tblREF_Chemical.[Proper Shipping Name]
HAVING (((qry_AX_LineItems_DISTINCT.SALESID)=[Forms]![frm_SalesOrderEntry]!
[Combo617]) AND ((tblREF_Chemical.[Proper Shipping Name]) Is Not Null));
I have a button set up on my main form to test the data output and then I intend to add the code to my code for DoCmd.Output file name.
So far the only code that has worked is...
Private Sub Command1492_Click()
Dim i As Integer
Dim db As DAO.Database
Dim rst As DAO.Recordset
Dim SQL As String
Set db = CurrentDb
SL = [Forms]![frm_SalesOrderEntry]![Combo617]
SQL = "SELECT * FROM ALL_SalesOrderItemsLineDates WHERE
ALL_SalesOrderItemsLineDates.SALESID = '" & SL & "';"
Set rst = db.OpenRecordset(SQL)
For i = 0 To DCount("*", "ALL_SalesOrderItemsLineDates",
"ALL_SalesOrderItemsLineDates.SALESID = '" & [Forms]![frm_SalesOrderEntry]!
[Combo617] & "'") - 1
Debug.Print DLookup("[Abbr]", "[tblREF_Chemical]", "[Item Number]= '" &
rst.Fields("ItemID") & "'")
rst.MoveNext
Next i
rst.Close
End Sub
I can't seem to add additional where statements within this code or use my actual query or the system presents errors at the db.OpenRecordset line of code (Errors 3061 and 3078).
Even ignoring those problems the output is multi-line and I need it to be used in a single string of text for the document name.
UPDATE1:
I am working with the code to use my query directly...
Dim i As Integer
Dim db As DAO.Database
Dim rst As DAO.Recordset
Dim SQL As String
Set db = CurrentDb
SL = [Forms]![frm_SalesOrderEntry]![Combo617]
SQL = "SELECT tblREF_Chemical.Abbr "
SQL = SQL & "FROM qry_AX_LineItems_DISTINCT INNER JOIN tblREF_Chemical ON qry_AX_LineItems_DISTINCT.ItemId = tblREF_Chemical.[Item Number] "
SQL = SQL & "GROUP BY tblREF_Chemical.Abbr, qry_AX_LineItems_DISTINCT.SALESID, tblREF_Chemical.[Proper Shipping Name] "
SQL = SQL & "HAVING ((qry_AX_LineItems_DISTINCT.SALESID)='" & SL & "'"
SQL = SQL & "AND ((tblREF_Chemical.[Proper Shipping Name]) Is Not Null)); "
Set rst = db.OpenRecordset(SQL)
Dim s As String
Do While rst(0) Is Not Null
s = s & "+" & rst(0)
rst.MoveNext
Loop
rst.Close
Debug.Print s
Unfortunately I'm now getting a run-time error 3061 - Too few parameters. Expected 1.
I have double checked my spellings and ran the query just to be sure and no matter how many results the query is getting (functioning as expected) I am still getting this error.
UPDATE2:
Through more research I learned that queries can have, for lack of better words, invisible coding. I am updating my code to remove the inner query from my query to simplify the amount of "research" my VBA has to do.
Private Sub Command1492_Click()
Dim i As Integer
Dim db As DAO.Database
Dim rst As DAO.Recordset
Dim SQL As String
Set db = CurrentDb
SL = [Forms]![frm_SalesOrderEntry]![Combo617]
SQL = "SELECT tblREF_Chemical.Abbr "
SQL = SQL & "FROM ALL_SalesOrderItemsLineDates INNER JOIN tblREF_Chemical ON ALL_SalesOrderItemsLineDates.ItemId = tblREF_Chemical.[Item Number] "
SQL = SQL & "GROUP BY tblREF_Chemical.Abbr, ALL_SalesOrderItemsLineDates.SALESID, tblREF_Chemical.[Proper Shipping Name]"
SQL = SQL & "HAVING ((ALL_SalesOrderItemsLineDates.SALESID)='" & SL & "'"
SQL = SQL & "AND ((tblREF_Chemical.[Proper Shipping Name]) Is Not Null)); "
Set rst = db.OpenRecordset(SQL)
Dim s As String
Do While rst(0) Is Not Null 'Debug error here!
s = s & "+" & rst(0)
rst.MoveNext
Loop
rst.Close
Debug.Print s
End Sub
Unfortunately I'm still getting a run-time error, but now it is 424 Object required and the debug takes me to the "Do While" line.
I think this is a step forward, but still a little stuck.
Update3:
Since the debug was taking me to the "Do While" line I returned to my functioning code and replaced the loop function with an integer based code.
Thank you #Harassed Dad! Your code was a giant help! Using your idea for a string rather than going straight to a debug.print was genius.
The below replaces my code starting where I was having issues.
Dim s As String
For i = 0 To DCount("*", "ALL_SalesOrderItemsLineDates", "ALL_SalesOrderItemsLineDates.SALESID = '" & SL & "'") - 1
s = s & "+" & rst.Fields("Abbr")
rst.MoveNext
Next i
rst.Close
Debug.Print s
My results are displaying with only one hiccup.
+CHA+DEEA+EEP+MEC+PERC+PM+PROP
There is an extra "+" at the beginning, but I'm sure I can find the solution to this tiny problem.
I hope these notes can help someone in the future. Thank you all for your help!

Answer 1

Private Sub Command1492_Click()
Dim i As Integer
Dim db As DAO.Database
Dim rst As DAO.Recordset
Dim SQL As String
Set db = CurrentDb
SL = [Forms]![frm_SalesOrderEntry]![Combo617]
SQL = "SELECT tblREF_Chemical.Abbr "
SQL = SQL & "FROM qry_AX_LineItems_DISTINCT INNER JOIN tblREF_Chemical ON "
SQL = SQL & "qry_AX_LineItems_DISTINCT.ItemId = tblREF_Chemical.[Item Number] "
SQL = SQL & "GROUP BY tblREF_Chemical.Abbr, qry_AX_LineItems_DISTINCT.SALESID, "
SQL = SQL & "tblREF_Chemical.[Proper Shipping Name] "
SQL = SQL & "HAVING (((qry_AX_LineItems_DISTINCT.SALESID)='" & SL & "'" 'edit here
SQL = SQL & "AND ((tblREF_Chemical.[Proper Shipping Name]) Is Not Null)); "
Set rst = db.OpenRecordset(SQL)
Dim s as string
Do While rst(0) is not null
s = s & "+" & rst(0)
rst.MoveNext
Loop
rst.Close
Debug.print s
End Sub

Answer 2

Your main issue is a missing space before the AND in HAVING clause.
For this very reason of readability and maintainability, consider using QueryDefs for parameterized queries (an industry best practice) to run your saved query in VBA for several reasons:
You avoid the need to concatenate or enclose quotes or escape literals by effectively divorcing SQL code from VBA (application layer) code.
MS Access will not allow you to save a query with syntax issues but VBA string queries can have such issues found at runtime.
MS Access's engine compiles and caches saved queries to best execution plan which especially helps for aggregate queries with joins. This is why saved queries are usually more efficient than VBA string queries run on the fly.
SQL (save below as a saved query)
Query now uses table aliases and HAVING conditions are moved to WHERE since no aggregate is being used.
PARAMETERS idparam LONG;
SELECT t.Abbr
FROM qry_AX_LineItems_DISTINCT q
INNER JOIN tblREF_Chemical t ON q.ItemId = t.[Item Number]
WHERE (((q.SALESID) = [idparam])
AND ((t.[Proper Shipping Name]) Is Not Null))
GROUP BY t.Abbr, q.SALESID, t.[Proper Shipping Name];
VBA
Dim db As DAO.Database, qdef AS DAO.QueryDef, rst As DAO.Recordset
Dim SQL As String, s As String
Set db = CurrentDb
' INITIALIZE SAVED QUERY
Set qdef = db.QueryDefs("mySavedQuery")
' BIND PARAMETER
qdef![idparam] = [Forms]![frm_SalesOrderEntry]![Combo617]
' OPEN RECORDSET
Set rst = qdef.OpenRecordset()
Do While rst(0) Is Not Null
s = s & "+" & rst(0)
rst.MoveNext
Loop
rst.Close
Debug.Print s
Set rst = Nothing: Set qdef = Nothing: Set db = Nothing