How to create expandable/retractable form MS Access 2013 VBA? - vba

Question

I am creating a data entry form for one of my database tables. For one of the sections, I have the text field with ONLY the caption: "Description 1" showing. If the Description 1 textbox is filled out by the user, I want it to show the Description 2 textbox. If the user fills out the Description 2 textbox, the Description 3 textbox will show up and so on up to 10 Description textboxes. Is there a way to hide the extra text boxes kind of like when you fill out the information while creating a macro? For example when you click Create --> Macro, there is only a dropdown box for you to select an action. If you choose Open Form and hit enter, 6 more text boxes with captions appear.
Is there a way to get that kind of functionality in a form? Also, in the Macro builder, it dynamically rearranges the page for you, can this also be done with the form?

Answer 1

Follow these steps:
Mark the visible property as false
Add OnChange event for each textbox.
Write the VBA code to determine if the next control will be showed or hide. Note, the Me!FormControlItem.Text is accessible only if the control is focused.
There is the 3 functions for each control.
Private Sub text1_Change()
If Not Trim(Me!text1.Text) = "" Then
Me!Text2.Visible = True
Me!Label2.Visible = True
ElseIf Not Trim(Me!Text2) = "" Then
Me!Text2.Visible = True
Me!Label2.Visible = True
Else
Me!Text2.Visible = False
Me!Label2.Visible = False
End If
End Sub
Private Sub Text2_Change()
If Not Trim(Me!Text2.Text) = "" Then
Me!Text3.Visible = True
Me!Label3.Visible = True
ElseIf Not Trim(Me!Text3) = "" Then
Me!Text3.Visible = True
Me!Label3.Visible = True
Else
Me!Text3.Visible = False
Me!Label3.Visible = False
End If
End Sub
Private Sub Text3_Change()
If Not Trim(Me!Text3.Text) = "" Then
Me!Text4.Visible = True
Me!Label4.Visible = True
ElseIf Not Trim(Me!Text4) = "" Then
Me!Text4.Visible = True
Me!Label4.Visible = True
Else
Me!Text4.Visible = False
Me!Label4.Visible = False
End If
End Sub
Enjoy!