I need to update an Access VBA app with around 30 forms in it.
I have to amend a screen that seems to have been set up right at the start of the app, it uses a lot of SQL tables. Is there an way of finding my way to the start of the code?
I come from a procedural coding background and I am unused to code that doesn't have a start and an end; I also know a bit of VB, some ASP, some .Net and general computing.
When something "automagically" happens upon opening an Access database, it is almost always because
A "startup form" has been specified. (In Access_2010 that's done in File > Options > Current Database > Display Form.) ...or...
The database has a Macro named AutoExec which is automatically run when the database is opened (unless you bypass it by holding the [Shift] key down while opening).
In addition to #Gord's answer, there's a few things you need to know. I'm going to give you the quick & dirty version.
First, there's 2 types of code in Access. VBA & macros. Sometimes what's called a macro, is really VBA.
In Access, a macro is a set of instructions to do something to the database. It's very limited in what it can do. These are often used by novices who don't know how to program in VBA.
VBA is the real powerhouse behind the scenes. It can do everything a macro can do, but a whole lot more.
Access uses an Event-Driven / Object-Oriented (at least close enough for this discussion) interface. Do a Google search on those meanings. But very quickly, the listbox on a form is an object. It has properties (like width), methods (add an item), and events (click on an item).
To see the code, for macros look to to your navigation window to your left. For VBA (modules), look to the same window, or just press Alt-F11. VBA can be used standalone in a module, or behind the scenes of a form or report.
Once you get the hang of it, you'll find Access to be a handy RAD tool for small projects.
Good luck.
It appears that you already have found the form that opens when the app starts (if not, check out Gord Thompson's answer).
The first things that happen when an Access Form opens (the "start of the code", as you called it) are the Load and Open events.
If there is any code in this form that is connected to these events, then it's in the Form_Load() and Form_Open() functions in the code of the form.
Related
I decided to "tweak" an existing database to further manage multiple sources of income.
I copied the working database and created a "modification copy", just in case I messed things up horribly.
In the modified version, I have a button on a form (in fact, two different buttons with similar macro properties, just directed to do the same function to different reports.
The properties are your standard macro with an openreport, and a "where" condition.
Here's the problem. The macro has worked in the past, and continues to work on my "pre-modification" operating database.
On the modified database, after ensuring all the parameter elements are entered correctly, I can change the "view" to report view, and the macro seems to work just fine until I close the database.
As soon as I open the database, the buttons produce an error. See pic below.
The only way I seem to be able to resolve this odd button macro issue is by going into design view and adding a new button. I've discovered...I don't even need to embed a macro, just adding a new button seems to renew the macro operation...until I close and reopen the database. Then, I have to add a new button again to get the open database's macro to operate.
I can delete the new button added, and still have the macro buttons work, until I close and open the tweaked database.
I have zero VBA coding knowledge. I use Access's macro building tools and typically have to visit sites like this if I need to learn a new "trick" to get my database and it's various tools to do something.
I recently explored with the "subform" that can be seen above in the open form pic with the error message. My guess is that maybe that subform is somehow causing my macros to continuously fail???
Thanks for any help!
I've got a dozen macros that have 90% similar code. I've created 4 sets of VBA in an add-in file so that I don't have to revise a dozen different places any time a change needs to be made. The plan is to end up with:
specific code
universal code A
specific code
universal code B
The users are not particularly tech-savvy so I want to make the distribution as painless and idiot-proof as possible.
Also, the add-ins don't have to be visible--no one is going to run them on their own, they're just going to be embedded and called upon from other macros.
I've looked around online and the closest thing I've found is this How to combine multiple VBA macros into one add-in file for Excel
It still looks like this is geared more towards having multiple buttons, which I really don't need (or want...I don't actually want ANY buttons)
Not really sure what kind of code I could show to help with this problem, since I don't know if this is even possible to do.
Once you save the XLAM file you just have to click on Excel Add-ins under the Developer tab, browse to the folder where it is stored, and open. It will then appear as an add-in package that you can click on.
Before I start let me give you the background. I am working on a VBA project with Excel and the computer I am using has limited resources (and I have been asked to do as light as possible for fast execution time).
In my project I open multiple userform at different times, to apply filters on my sheet for example.
As I just said resources are limited and I want to know if frmFilters.Hide is enough to close the userform or if there is a better way to do so ?
I've read about Unload Me but I'm not sure how it's working because I'll apply filters from my form and I need to keep them once the form is closed until the user totally close the Excel file.
Is there a situation where Unload Me is better than frmFilters.Hide ?
Regards,
Teasel
I found an interesting answer to my question I thought it would be useful to post it here.
Unload me
Unload me
Removes the form from the memory and stop the application if you do so on the main form of your project. Every modification that you did in your form will be lost.
Hide
myForm.Hide
Only hide the form. If you do so on the main form of your application, this will not end the program (the debug mode would still be running for example). Every modification that you do in your form will be kept for the next time you show your form.
Which one to use?
Depends of the situation I believe. In my project, my form was made to be open/close multiple times so I chose to only hide it to avoid having to allow memory for my form every time.
My company creates workbooks for clients that contain ActiveX controls (in most cases we need the extra functionality as compared to Form Controls). When we create them, they work fine on our end, but when we zip them up and send them to our clients, they open the WB and the ActiveX controls are no longer ActiveX controls, if you right click it, it behaves like a picture.
I feel like this is due to the MS ActiveX debacle. I have had them run the Fix It and making sure all the MS Office components were closed, and had them reboot, but still nothing.
I am pulling out my hair, and have asked on other forums if anyone else has had this issue, and what they have done to fix it. Thanks in advance.
Could you please check in client system whether macros and active x controls are enabled in Trust center setting?
https://support.office.microsoft.com/en-us/article/Enable-or-disable-macros-in-Office-documents-7b4fdd2e-174f-47e2-9611-9efe4f860b12?CorrelationId=fe6a4d24-f4d9-4c6b-afa0-40d2828ad22e&ui=en-US&rs=en-US&ad=US
use above link if needed.
Try closing excel and deleting the .EXD files from your computer.
Source: http://www.mrexcel.com/forum/excel-questions/296750-command-button-turned-into-image.html
While saving the Excel document, save it as "Macro enabled workbook".xlsm
In my case, the worksheet prompts a non responsive error sometimes. When I reopen it, Excel repairs it and turns all active X check boxes (sometimes drop down list and command buttons) into images. It happened many times and I had to spend a lot of my time recreating them and liking to cells.
I experienced a similar problem when Excel repaired a file; this may be similar to what's happening with the Zipped file. FormControl Buttons don't appear to have the same problems but I see you want to keep the additional functionality of the ActiveX Control.
You may be able to make use of the code I created by inserting one Form Control button that runs the Sub RepairMissingButtons() that your clients can press to restore the images to CommandButtons. This currently fixes buttons for any selected sheets, so you'd want to first identify which sheets need to be selected (or add a form control button on each sheet that needs the repair done).
You'd need to modify the Sub CreateButton() to meet your needs (currently requires hard-coding the Caption, BackColor and any other ActiveX properties that may have been lost by the button being converted to an image):
Reverse Excel ActiveX command buttons erroneously converted to images after corrupted file repair
Having this problem, activex controls sometimes change to pictures.
Many places around the internet the answer is: Use form controls, well as far as I can tell form controls don't actually do anything useful.
Even Microsoft's support site says, recommend using form controls, how can that be the answer. being able to interact with VBA is as far as I can tell the only reason to use Microsoft applications instead of free ones.
Is it possible to create a macro in MS Office (in this case Word) that will change other macro code? I was trying to find information but no results.
I have a doc which works as a template. Content of template is changed and then saved to another file. However it is important to have current date in it. It cannot be self-updated. Those docs go to folder of people and it is important to know when they get the document, so it must be simply data (or something that does not update).
I was thinking about an on-start event macro that would input current date and on exit it would ask "Do you want self-update functionality" Yes / No
If Yes, delete that event. However I have no idea if it is possible. If it is I still don't know how to search for it.
No this is not possible. In VBA, unlike some lower level languages when you define an event you can not disable it, even using other VBA code.
In C# or VB.NET, Java or C++ you can disable an event by un-wiring it from the handler, but this is not possible in VBA.
Maybe if you be more clear on what you need I can give you a better answer.