COMPREHENSIVE
Access Tutorial 10
Automating Tasks with Macros
XP
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Objectives• Design a switchboard and dialog box for a
graphical user interface• Run and add actions to macros• Single step a macro• Create a macro• Add a macro to a macro group• Add a command button to a form• Attach a macro to a command button
XPObjectives• Create a dialog box form• Add a list box to a form• Use an SQL statement to fill a list box with object
names• Create a macro group• Use the Switchboard Manager to create a
switchboard• Modify a switchboard
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XPImplementing a Graphical User Interface• A user interface is what you see and use when you
communicate with a computer program• A graphical user interface (GUI) (pronounced “gooey”)
displays windows, dialog boxes, command buttons, other controls, and graphical pictures, called icons, that you use to communicate with a program
• A switchboard is a form that appears when you open a database and that provides controlled access to the database’s forms, reports, and queries
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XPImplementing a Graphical User Interface
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XPIntroduction to Macros• A macro is an action, or a set of actions, that you
want Access to perform automatically for you
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XPDirectly Running an Existing Macro• In the Macro window, click the Run button in the Tools
group on the Design tab on the RibbonOr• In the Macro group on the Database Tools tab on the
Ribbon, click the Run Macro button, select the macro name in the Macro Name list box in the Run Macro dialog box, and then click the OK button
Or• In the Macros group in the Navigation Pane, right-click
the macro name, and then click Run on the shortcut menu
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XPDirectly Running an Existing Macro
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XPAdding Actions to a Macro
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XPSingle Stepping a Macro• Single stepping executes a macro one action at a time,
pausing between actions• In the Macro window, click the Single Step button in the
Tools group on the Design tab on the Ribbon• Click the Run button in the Tools group on the Design
tab on the Ribbon• In the Macro Single Step dialog box, click the Step
button to execute the next action, click the Halt button to stop the macro, or click the Continue button to execute all remaining actions in the macro and turn off single stepping
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XPCreating a Macro• Click the Create tab on the Ribbon• In the Other group on the Create tab, click the
Macro button• Click the Save button on the Quick Access
Toolbar, type the macro name in the Macro Name text box, and then press the Enter key
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XPCreating an Action by Dragging• Make sure the Macro window and the
Navigation Pane are open• Drag an object from the Navigation Pane to an
Action box in the Macro window. Access adds the appropriate macro action and sets its arguments to their default values
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XPCreating an Action by Dragging
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XPCreating an Action by Dragging
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XPMacro Groups• A macro group is a macro that contains other
macros
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XPAdding a Macro to a Macro Group• Open the macro group in the Macro window. (For a macro group,
the Macro Names button is already selected.)• Type the macro name in the Macro Name column, select the
action in the Action column, type an optional comment in the Comment column, and then use the Action Arguments pane to set the macro’s arguments
• If the macro consists of more than one action, enter the remaining actions in the rows immediately following the first macro action. Leave the Macro Name column blank for each additional action
• Save the macro group
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XPAdding a Macro to a Macro Group
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XPAdding a Command Button to a Form
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XPAdding a List Box to a Form• Switch to Design view, if necessary• If necessary, click the Use Control Wizards button in the Controls group on the
Design tab to deselect it• Click the List Box tool in the Controls group on the Design tab• Position the pointer’s plus symbol where you want to place the upper-left
corner of the list box, and then click the mouse button• If you use the List Box Wizard, complete the dialog boxes to choose the source
of the list, select the fields to appear in the list box, size the columns, select the field that will provide the data for the field in the main form, choose to remember the value for later use or store it in a field, and then enter the value to appear in the list box label
• If you do not use the List Box Wizard, set the Row Source property and size the list box
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XPAdding a List Box to a Form
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XPUsing SQL• SQL (Structured Query Language) is a standard
language used in querying, updating, and managing relational databases
• Open the query in Datasheet view or Design view• Click the SQL View button on the status bar, or
right-click the query tab (or title bar) and click SQL View on the shortcut menu, or click the View arrow in the Views group on the Ribbon and click SQL View
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XPUsing SQL
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XPAdding a Command Button to a Form Using Control Wizards• If necessary, click the Use Control Wizards tool in the Controls
group on the Design tab so that it is selected• Click the Button tool in the Controls group on the Design tab• Position the pointer’s plus symbol where you want to place the
upper-left corner of the command button, and then click the mouse button
• Complete the Command Button Wizard dialog boxes to select the action category and the action for the command button, enter the text to display on the command button, select a picture for the button, and then enter a name for the button
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XPAdding a Command Button to a Form Using Control Wizards
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XPCreating a Macro Group• Click the Create tab on the Ribbon• In the Other group on the Create tab, click the Macro button• In the Show/Hide group on the Design tab, click the Macro
Names button• Enter the macros in the macro group by entering each macro
name in the Macro Name column and the corresponding action(s) in the Action column. Enter comments as needed in the Comment column, and set arguments as needed in the Action Arguments pane
• Click the Save button on the Quick Access Toolbar, enter the macro group name in the Macro Name text box, and then click the OK button
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XPCreating a Macro Group
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XPCreating a Switchboard• To create the switchboard, you’ll use the Access
Switchboard Manager• The Switchboard Manager also creates a table,
named Switchboard Items, which contains records describing the command buttons on the switchboard
• The Switchboard Manager allows you to create only one Switchboard form for a database, but the switchboard can contain many pages
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XPCreating a Switchboard
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