Master Forms and ReportsMIS 421

The Challenge

• Improve work flow by minimizing repetitive tasks.

• Create forms/reports with a consistent look and feel:– Color

– Layout

– Fonts

– Buttons

– Properties, etc.)

– Solution – Master Forms and Reports

DefinitionA master form or master report is a template from which

other forms and reports can be created.

ProcedureCreate the master.Copy the master to create a new document.

BenefitsConsistent look and feelTime savings

Sample Master Form

Set standard …

Properties

Events

(c.f. Design Standards)

For forms that display just one record at a time

Add standard …ButtonsLogoText

Creating a Close button1. On the Design ribbon

enable the Control Wizards button. (Magic wand)

2. Select the Button button. Then click on the form.

3. In the Command Button Wizard window, selectForm Operations and Close Form. Then Next.

1. Wizard2. Button

Creating a Close button4. Choose your text or

picture.

5. On the last page of the wizard, give the button a meaningful name, beginning with cmd, such as cmdCloseForm.

A Note about the Close button

If you test the Close button on your Master form it will throw this error message and the form will not close.

Explanation. That’s okay. The Wizard has created a button_Click event procedure for you. That procedure tests to see if the form has any “dirty” data (i.e. modified, but not yet saved to the database). The error shown above occurs because your Master Form has no data source. When you use your Master Form to make new forms, those forms will have a data source and the Close button will work properly.

We will discuss some forms that have no data source later in the quarter.

Multiple Masters

• Form and Report Masters– Creating a Report Master is similar to the process just described for

form.• A Master for each type of form

– In this workshop you have created a form master that is appropriate for forms that show only one record at a time.

– You may want to create additional masters, e.g. …• Master for forms that show multiple records at once• Master for forms that show no data records (e.g. switchboard

forms or splash forms• Master for forms that offer choices, e.g. pop-ups or navigation

forms• Master for subforms

– You will learn to create these other types of forms later in the quarter.