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Access 2000: Introduction to Application Development

Access 2000: Introduction to Application Development. Lesson 1: Designing Applications. Objectives. Examine the application development process Preview an existing application Decide where to automate your application. About Access Applications.

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Access 2000: Introduction to Application Development

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  1. Access 2000:Introduction to Application Development

  2. Lesson 1:Designing Applications

  3. Objectives • Examine the application development process • Preview an existing application • Decide where to automate your application

  4. About Access Applications • Access application – an Access database that contains all the objects necessary for users to work with data, as well as specific property settings and macros that automate data entry tasks • Access applications are event-driven; they respond when a user performs an action • Event – any action a user performs, such as entering text, opening a form or clicking on a button

  5. Examining the Application Development Process • Three major phases of application development: • Determine user requirements • Design the application interface • Involve users to identify and resolve potential problems before building them into the interface • Limit the scope of each screen to a specific task • Limit user actions to necessary tasks • Define the database configuration

  6. Deciding Where to Automate Your Application • Create event-driven applications by writing macros and event procedures for events to which you want your application to respond • Three categories of events in applications: • Keyboard event – occurs when the user presses a keyboard key • Mouse event – occurs when the user moves or drags the mouse, or clicks a mouse button • Program event – occurs when the application loads, opens or closes a form or report

  7. Lesson 2:Using Advanced Tools and Controls

  8. Objectives • Use the Performance Analyzer • Use a combo box to find records • Calculate values from subform controls

  9. Using the Performance Analyzer • The Performance Analyzer evaluates and optimizes the performance of objects in a database • The Performance Analyzer lists three kinds of analysis results: • Recommendations • Suggestions • Ideas for optimization • Access can automatically perform recommendations and suggestions • You must perform idea optimizations on your own

  10. Using a Combo Box to Find Records • Using the Combo Box Wizard: • Use the Combo Box Wizard to add an unbound combo box control to a form • Modifying the Combo Box Drop-Down List: • Modify what displays in a drop-down list by changing its RowSource property • Modify the SQL statement to reflect the desired drop-down list display

  11. Calculating Values from Subform Controls • To display calculated values in a main form based on values in a subform: • Create a calculated control in the footer of a subform • Refer to the subform calculated control from the unbound text box control in the main form • Hide the form footer if the subform is a continuous form by setting its Visible property to No

  12. Lesson 3:Creating Dialog Boxes

  13. Objectives • Set dialog box form properties • Add dialog box controls • Enhance dialog boxes

  14. Setting Dialog Box Form Properties • Dialog box – a specialized form that displays on top of other forms, stays open until a user closes it, and prevents a user from accessing other database objects while it is open • To create a dialog box: • Open a new, unbound form • Specify format properties to make the unbound form display and function as a dialog box

  15. Creating Option Groups • Option group – a type of control that contains a set of related buttons that provide a limited set of choices for the user • An option group consists of: • An option group frame • Option buttons inside the option group frame • Option buttons created outside the option group frame and then dragged into the frame will not become part of the option group

  16. Creating Command Buttons • Command buttons allow the user to execute or cancel the current task • Specify a default and a cancel button for a dialog box: • Default button – a button that is selected automatically when the user presses ENTER • Cancel button – a button that is selected automatically when the user presses ESC • The default button should be the one most often chosen by users • The cancel button exits a dialog box without performing any other tasks

  17. Enhancing Dialog Boxes • Enhance a dialog box by: • Adding labels • Setting a default value (default option button) • Setting the Pop Up and Modal properties • The default option button should be the one most often chosen by users • Pop Up property – specifies that the dialog box will display on top of onscreen objects • Modal property – specifies that the dialog box must close before the user can access any other database object

  18. Lesson 4:Using Macros

  19. Objectives • Create macros • Attach macros to events on forms • Use the Macro Builder • Create conditional macros • Create macro groups

  20. Creating Macros • Macro – a set of one or more actions that you can use to automate tasks • There are 53 pre-defined macro actions you can use to create macros • When you run a macro, the macro actions execute in the order in which they appear in the Macro window • Most macros require action arguments • Action argument – an expression, operator, object name or combination of objects that provide additional information needed by the macro to perform its actions • For example: you must specify the name of a form to open or a report to print

  21. Attaching Macros to Events on Forms • For a macro to execute automatically, it must be attached to an event in your application • To attach a macro to an event on a form: • Open the form in Design view and display the Event properties for the object to which you want to attach the macro • Display the drop-down list for the appropriate event property, then click on the macro you want to attach to the object • For example: Command buttons have macros attached to them that govern their actions when a user clicks on them

  22. Using the Macro Builder • Use the Macro Builder to create a macro and attach it to an event in one step • To use the Macro Builder: • Open the form in Design view and display the Event properties for the object to which you want to attach the macro • Click on the Build button for the desired property • Enter the macro actions, comments and action arguments, as required

  23. Creating Conditional Macros • Conditional macro – a macro that executes only when certain conditions are met • To create a conditional macro: • Display the Condition column in the Macro window and enter an expression in it that can be evaluated as either True or False • If the condition is True, the action associated with the condition will execute • If the condition is False, the action associated with the condition will not execute

  24. Creating Macro Groups • You can group two or more related macros in one macro group • To create a macro group: • Display the Macro Name column in the Macro window and specify a name for each individual macro • When you save the Macro window, the name you specify becomes the macro group name • You reference the individual macros by using the macro group name, period (.), then the individual macro name • For example: ReportsDialog.Preview refers to the Preview macro in the ReportsDialog macro group

  25. Lesson 5:Controlling Data Entry

  26. Objectives • Restrict user access to fields • Set form properties • Set the open mode • Close forms automatically • Specify default values for fields • Conditionally set the Visible property

  27. Restricting User Access to Fields • Locked property – specifies whether data in a control can be edited • Enabled property – specifies whether a control can receive user input • Tab Stop property – specifies whether a user can access a control by pressing the TAB key • If Enabled = No, a user cannot access the control and it appears dimmed • If Locked = Yes, a user can access the control but not edit the data • If Enabled = No and Locked = Yes, a user cannot access the control but it displays normally • If Tab Stop = No, a user cannot tab to the control

  28. Setting Form Properties • AllowAdditions property – specifies whether a user can add records using a form • AllowDeletions property – specifies whether a user can delete records using a form • AllowEdits property – specifies whether a user can edit existing records using a form • DataEntry property – specifies whether a form opens to allow data entry and whether existing records display

  29. Setting the Open Mode • You can set three open modes for a form: • Add mode – specifies that a user can add new records using a form • Edit mode – specifies that a user can add new records and edit existing records using a form • Read Only mode – specifies that a user cannot add or edit records using a form • The open mode of a form overrides its property settings

  30. Closing Forms Automatically • To close a form automatically after a user adds a record: • Create a macro that includes a Close action • Specify the name of the form you want to close • Attach the macro to the form’s AfterInsert or AfterUpdate event • AfterInsert event – an event that occurs when a user adds a new record to a table • AfterUpdate event – an event that occurs when a user adds a new record or edits and saves changes to an existing record

  31. Specifying Default Values for Fields • Specify default values for fields to increase data entry speed and accuracy • To specify a default value for a field: • Open the form and display the Data properties for the appropriate control • In the Default Value text box, type an expression that yields the default value; or use the Expression Builder to build an expression that yields the default value

  32. Conditionally Setting the Visible Property • Conditionally set the Visible property to hide a control in situations when it would not be appropriate for a user to access the control • To conditionally set the Visible property for a control: • Create a conditional macro and add a SetValue action that will execute if the condition is True • Specify the appropriate action arguments to set the Visible property to No • Attach the macro to an appropriate event

  33. Lesson 6:Using Dialog Boxes to Get Report Criteria

  34. Objectives • Create a dialog box for a report • Modify underlying queries • Modify reports • Test and refine dialog boxes

  35. Creating a Dialog Box for a Report • The first step in giving users the ability to filter records in a report is to create a dialog box that will accept user input for use as query criteria • To create a dialog box that will accept user input: • Create a dialog box and add unbound text box controls for each user-supplied criteria • Set the Name and Format properties for the unbound text box controls • Create and attach macros for the dialog box, as appropriate

  36. Modifying Underlying Queries • The second step in giving users the ability to filter records in a report is to keep the dialog box open so you can reference its user-supplied value as you specify the criteria of a query based on that value • To keep a dialog box open: • Set the Visible property to No • To reference a value a user types in the dialog box: • Open the dialog box • Create an expression in the appropriate Criteria cell in the query design grid that references the control in the dialog box

  37. Modifying Reports • The third step in giving users the ability to filter records in a report is to modify appropriate report properties to display and close needed dialog boxes as the macro executes • To display a dialog box when a user previews or prints a report: • Create a macro that opens the dialog box form and attach it to the report’s OnOpen event • To close a dialog box when a user closes a report: • Create a macro that closes the dialog box form and attach it to the report’s OnClose event

  38. Testing and Refining Dialog Boxes • Ensure that you test all features included in the dialog box and test it in relation to other forms in the application • To test a dialog box: • Open the dialog box as many times as necessary to test each feature • Record and repair any errors or problems

  39. Testing and Refining Dialog Boxes (cont’d) • If, while testing the dialog box, you encounter results that could confuse an inexperienced user, create message boxes to tell the user what to do next • To create a message box: • Create a macro and include the MsgBox action • Type the message you want the message box to display in the Message action argument • Specify settings for the remaining action arguments as appropriate

  40. Lesson 7:Creating Custom Switchboards

  41. Objectives • Create switchboard forms • Create macros for switchboard controls • Assign macros to switchboard controls

  42. Creating Switchboard Forms • Switchboard forms are forms that contain option or command buttons that users can click on to execute application tasks • Switchboards serve as menus for an application • Switchboard options should logically group related tasks and forms in the application • You can create as many switchboards as necessary • Switchboards can display other switchboards

  43. Creating and Assigning Macros to Switchboard Controls • Switchboard controls open forms or display other switchboards • As with controls on any form, you create macros or event procedures to perform application tasks associated with the controls • After you create the macros or event procedures, assign them to the appropriate controls in the switchboard

  44. Lesson 8:Enhancing Applications

  45. Objectives • Create keyboard shortcut macros • Create control tips and status bar messages • Set startup properties • Adjust objects and view enhancements

  46. Creating Keyboard Shortcut Macros • Create keyboard shortcuts by creating a macro group named AutoKeys, in which you assign macro actions to key combinations • The actions you assign to shortcut key combinations within a database will override the default Access key assignments • Enter symbols in the Macro Name column of the AutoKeys macro group to specify particular key combinations

  47. Creating Control Tips and Status Bar Messages • Control tips and status bar messages provide helpful information and instructional text about controls in a form • Control tip – text that displays in a pop-up window when a user positions the mouse pointer over a control • Status bar message – text that displays in the status bar when a control is activated

  48. Setting Startup Properties • Startup properties determine the way an application appears when opened • Use the Startup dialog box to set startup properties, which can include: • Specifying the text that will display in the application title bar • Specifying the form to display automatically when the application opens, such as the switchboard • Specifying to hide the Database window when the application opens • Press and hold the SHIFT key when opening a database to bypass the startup settings

  49. Adjusting Objects and Viewing Enhancements • After you enhance an application, you might need to adjust macros or forms to accommodate the changes you made • In the Trailer Park application, you will: • Write a macro action to redisplay the hidden Database window from within a macro • Write a macro action to exit Access from within the macro • Test the application enhancements

  50. Lesson 9:Using Database Utilities

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