Macros

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Macros Switchboards
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Introduction

• The Access database window is used for
  development and maintenance of the database by
  technical staff
• The end user needs a different interface
• Ease of use
• Prevent accidental change of objects

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Custom Interface

• One may design a special interface
• Containing only the options a user needs to see
• Normally this would be a set of nested menus
  providing access to forms, reports, and queries

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Switchboard

• Menu of options
• Special Access form that appears when one opens
  the database
• Controls user access
• Typically switchboards contain
• Command buttons
• Restricted menu bar no design change options
• Hidden toolbar so user doesnt change design
• Shortcut keys (hot keys) underlined characters
  used with Alt key
• Text boxes and pictures for clarity and visual
  appeal

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Switchboard

• Gains its power from Macros and Visual Basic for
  Applications (VBA)
• Macro
• Series of commands that Access performs
  automatically
• Automates repetitive tasks
• Each command is called an action
• For example, open a form, print selected records,
  display a query
• One builds macros by selecting actions from lists
• Best for small applications and simple tasks

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VBA

• Also automates tasks
• Programming language requiring knowledge of
  syntax
• Many advantages over using macros
• Allows more sophisticated customizations
• Best for large applications and complicated tasks
• Better error handling
• One has much more control over options

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Actions

• Action instruction to perform an operation
• May add from list box
• May drag database object to design row to add a
  default action

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Actions Created by Dragging

• Object Dragged Action Created
• Table OpenTable
• Query OpenQuery
• Form OpenForm
• Report OpenReport
• Macro RunMacro

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Event

• Taking a certain course of action causes an event
  to occur
• End users usually initiate events
• For example,
• Clicking a button
• Pressing a key
• There are many events in Access
• When you open a form, you perform the Open event
• When the form becomes the active window, the
  Active event has occurred
• When you close a form window, you perform the
  Close event

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Event Property

• How an object responds when an event occurs
• Each object has many events associated with it
• For example,
• OnClick event property for a command button
  specifies what happens when it is clicked
• A macro or VBA code could designate what happens

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Macro Groups

• One may combine macros into groups
• Macro groups contain other macros
• These are easier to manage, not so many macro
  objects
• May define macro names within the group
• Then reference individual macros in a group by
  name

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Switchboards

• Custom set of menus
• Provides a customized graphical user interface
• Allowing the end user to select and run the
  database objects
• Without using the Access database design windows

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Switchboards

• Creation steps
• Create macro group containing the menu macros
• Create nested set of switchboard forms with
  command buttons to act as control menus
• Associate macros with command buttons

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End