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Succeeding in Business with Microsoft Access 2013

Automating Database Processing

Chapter 6

Succeeding in Business with Microsoft Access 2013 2

Chapter Introduction

• Design and implement user-friendly menu– Called navigation form

• Macros– Automate repetitive tasks– Add functionality to reports and forms


Tools Covered in This Chapter

• Access Options• Action Catalog• AutoExec macro• AutoKeys• Breakpoints• Events• Macros


Tools Covered in This Chapter (cont’d.)

• Macro groups• Macro security• Navigation Forms• Splash screen• Trust Center• Visual Basic for Applications (VBA)


Level 1 Objectives: Automating Tasks with Navigation Forms and Macros

• Create a well-designed navigation form to provide a user interface for a database

• Automate tasks by creating basic macros• Specify what happens when a database opens


Understanding Navigation Forms

• Navigation Form– Special kind of form – Appears when database opened– Makes database navigation similar to a web site

• Main navigation form and subform control automatically built in


Understanding Navigation Forms (cont’d.)

• Can add buttons to main navigation form to work with– Tables– Forms– Queries– Reports

• Drag and drop object to form and create tab– Selecting tab allows instant view of the objects

• Appear in hierarchical format


Designing Navigation Forms

• Main navigation form serves as menu for users when database is opened

• Review objects, plan categories to organize the objects on tabs

• Control user access to tables • Sketch a design for the navigation form


Creating Navigation Forms

• Create lower level of the hierarchy first– Create tabs by drag and drop of object onto form

• Then create navigation form to be used as main menu• Click Navigation button in Forms group of CREATE tab

– Select tab layout– Change title and change format, if necessary– Drag forms from Navigation Pane to the [Add New] tab– Use Layout view and Form Selector button to change form

location or size• Repeat until all needed forms are on the navigation form


Creating Navigation Forms (cont’d.)

• Preview all forms in Form View– Test to ensure working correctly

• Create forms for reports as created for forms– Preview and test all tabs to ensure working correctly

• Create main form to provide easy navigation through database

• Last item on main form should be a button to close the database


Formatting a Main Menu

• Steps to changing the format of a main menu– Open the navigation form in Design view– Change formatting elements• Color• Labels• Images• Lines

– To change size and position properties, double click Form Selector button and change entries on form’s Property Sheet


Understanding Basic Macros

• Macro – Action or series of actions – Save time and ensure accuracy– Automate repetitive tasks– Composed of series of actions organized in

sequence in which they should be performed• Create macro– Using Macro window


Creating a Macro

• Create Access macro in Macro window• Select the CREATE tab, and then click the Macro

button in the Macro & Code group• Action catalog – Select features wanted– Actions to be performed– Click the Add New Action list arrow in the Macro

Builder– Scroll through list to action you want


Creating a Macro (cont’d.)

• Action arguments– Provide additional information for performing

macro action– Arguments needed vary depending on selected

action chosen• Save macro with descriptive name, using mcr

prefix


Running a Macro

• Three ways to run a macro:– In MACRO TOOLS DESIGN tab, click the Run button

in the Tools group– On DATABASE TOOLS Tab, click the Run Macro

button in the Macro group• Select the macro in the Run Macro dialog box, click OK

– In the Navigation Pane, click Macros, right-click the macro name, and then click Run


Editing a Macro

• Use Macro Builder to edit• Rearrange order of actions – Move up or Move down arrow or drag action line to new

position• Insert new action between two existing actions – Click Add New Action and select the action– Move or drag the new action between the two other

actions• Delete action– Click action then click the Delete button


Setting Start-up Options

• Start-up options– Access performs when database opens

• Set options using Access Options feature• Bypass Start-up Options– Press and hold down Shift key when opening

database


Specifying Current Database Options

• Options– Display Form– Display Navigation pane– Allow Full Menus


Figure 6.21: Access Options dialog box with options for the current database


Creating a Splash Screen

• Splash screen– Displays when database opens– Contains• Logo• Text such as contact information

• Can only display splash screen or Navigation form automatically


Creating a Splash Screen (cont’d.)

• AutoExec– Special macro– Runs when database opens– Before Access Options dialog box options– Can use to display splash screen

• Create splash screen form in Design view


Creating an AutoExec Macro

• Click the Macro button in the Macros & Code group on the CREATE tab

• In the Macro Builder, select the actions you want the macro to perform

• Select or enter the appropriate arguments• Save the macro using the name AutoExec


Level 1 Summary

• Navigation Form– Special kind of form – Appears when database opened

• Macro– Use to automate repeated actions

• Access Options dialog box• Splash screen


Level 2 Objectives:Creating Advanced Macros

• Consolidate automated tasks by creating a macro group

• Specify conditions and events for macros• Troubleshoot macros


Understanding Macro Groups

• Macro group – Two or more macros placed in same macro file– Consolidate related macros – Manage large numbers of macros

• Only group name displayed as macro object in Navigation pane


Creating a Macro Group

• Logical to organize similar macros within group• To create:

– Click CREATE tab on the ribbon, click Macro button in the Macros & Code group

– Click the Action Catalog button in the Show/Hide group on the DESIGN tab

– Add the Submacro Action to the Macro Builder– Enter unique name in the Submacro box– Click Add New Action arrow and select an action, select or enter

the arguments– Repeat for each macro you want in group– Save the macro group using mcr prefix


Running the Macros in a Macro Group

• Clicking Run Button on the DESIGN tab runs only the first macro in the group

• Run particular macro within group– Click the Run Macro button in the Macro group on

the DATABASE TOOLS tab– Select the list arrow to choose the macro name– Click the macro name– Click OK


Assigning AutoKeys to Macros in a Macro Group

• AutoKeys macro group – Assign macro to key or key combination• Type key or key combination • Use special notation

– ^ for CTRL– + for Shift

• Uses subset of SendKeys command– Built-in commands to send keystrokes to Access databases

• Save group as AutoKeys


Creating the Navigation Form to Run Macros Using Command buttons

• Command button executes a series of actions• Use a command button to run a macro– Create the macro that specifies the actions you

want to perform– Add a command button, assigning the macro


Assigning a Macro to a Command Button Control

• Click the Button control in the Controls group on the DESIGN tab

• Click in form where button is to be placed– Command Button Wizard starts• Select Miscellaneous category and the Run Macro action• Select from available macros

– Repeat until all desired buttons are on form– Save form


Specifying Conditions and Events for Macros

• Specify conditions for performing macro actions • Associate macro with controls• Event-driven programming– Running macro when user interacts with object

• Event – State, condition, or occurrence that Access recognizes

• Event property– Specifies how object responds when event occurs


Specifying Where Conditions in a Macro

• Where condition argument• Refer to controls on form that are not

currently active– Use control’s complete name– Format• [control]![objectName]![controlName]


Troubleshooting Macros

• Macros containing arguments– Especially error prone

• Error types– Syntax error– Logic error– Run-time error

• Troubleshooting tools– Print macro code– Single stepping through execution of macro– Use Visual Basic Editor


Printing Macros

• On DATABASE TOOLS tab, click the Database Documenter button– The Documenter dialog box opens– Click the Macros tab, select one or more macros

to print– Click the Options button to select which details

you want to print• Properties, actions and arguments, permissions

– Open report in Print Preview; print


Single Stepping a Macro

• In the Macro design window, select MACRO TOOLS DESIGN tab– Click the Single Step button– Click the Run button in the Tools group– Macro Single Step dialog box opens; Access performs

the first action in the macro– Click the Step button to execute the next action

• Click Continue to stop single stepping and resume normal operation of the macro

• Click the Stop All Macros button to stop running


Setting Breakpoints

• Breakpoint– Code inserted in macro– Signals where to stop macro

• Examine values of actions, controls, and arguments macro using

• Open macro in the Microsoft Visual Basic for Applications window– Shows macro as it appears in VBA code– Examine details of macro code in VBA window


Setting Breakpoints (cont’d.)

• Immediate pane– Displays current value of controls and arguments– Display and evaluate using ? Operator


Level 2 Summary

• Macro group• Conditions for macros• Assign macro to buttons• Debug macros


Level 3 Objectives:Macro Conditions

• Assign a macro to an object event• Run a macro when a form opens or a report

prints• Use a macro to validate data


Exploring Macro Conditions

• Macro conditions – Logical expressions that result in true or false

answer– Depending on outcome • Macro can perform one set of actions or another

• Select a macro that contains an If condition– Drag the program flow action to Macro Builder• Set condition to test


Exploring Macro Conditions (cont’d.)

• If condition true – Use SetValue action– Two arguments: Item and Expression

• If condition false– Use Else If condition– Provides alternate action to perform


Assigning a Macro to an Object Event

• Assign macro to object – By specifying macro name in event property of

object• Event categories– Report– Section


Table 6.4: Report events

Table 6.5: Section events


Using Message Boxes with Forms

• Form events can also trigger macros• Use to – Validate data – Set values – Navigate between forms– Filter, find, and print records


Using Message Boxes with Forms (cont’d.)

• MessageBox command• Opens message box – Displays warning or informational message– MessageBox(“Message”, Sum of button and icon

values, “Title”)– Returns value depending on which button clicked– Create condition that checks to see which button

users click


Using Message Boxes with Reports

• When conditions in macro references name of control from source – Source must be open when condition tested– Can hide window while macro tests condition

• MessageBox action– Opens message box and displays warning or

informational message– Similar to using MessageBox command


Using Message Boxes with Reports (cont’d.)

• MessageBox action arguments – Message – Beep – Type– Title


Validating Data with Macros

• Validation field properties have limits• Validate data using more than one rule and

more than one validation message– Create macro

• Domain aggregate functions– Calculate statistics for set of records (recordset) or

domain, from table or query• DCount function– DCount(expression, table or query, condition)


Level 3 Summary

• Conditional expressions in macros• Assign macros to events• Message boxes– MessageBox command– MessageBox action

• Validate data with macros


Chapter Summary

• Navigation Form– Provides main menu for Access application

• Macro – Automates repetitive tasks– Can use conditional expressions– Associate with command buttons or other controls

• Troubleshooting– Find errors in macros by stepping though each

statement

Ch06 cmpt110

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