Utilizing Access and VBA: copying information between forms - forms

Searched around a bit and could not find an existing post with my exact question.
I am creating an Access (2003) database utilizing multiple forms and tables that need to communicate and share information with one another (i.e. - first/last name, etc.). The main form/table, "Personnel", will hold a majority of the information, yet the other forms/tables will only hold information pertinent to certain situations/circumstances, so not every entry in "Personnel" will have a concurrent entry in "Hired", for example. If a record with the same name already exists, I would like a MsgBox to tell me so and open that entry (in the form, for editing), if not a new entry would be created, auto-populated with pre-selected fields (i.e. - first/last name).
After an option is selected from a pull-down menu, the appropriate form is accessed/opened, "Hired", for example (This part works).
The copying information across forms does not work.
Dim rstPers, rstHired As DAO.recordset
Dim LastName As String
If status = "hired" Then
DoCmd.OpenForm "Hired Information"
Set rstPers Forms!Personnel.RecordsetClone
Set rstHired Forms![Hired Information].RecordsetClone
????
...
End If
I have tried to do this multiple ways but nothing seems to work. Nothing populates in the new Form or table. Am I looking at it the wrong way? Should I try a different approach?
Hope my explanation makes sense. Thanks for any help.
-Charles

You have a bad approach indeed.
Your forms are linked to a table. So you should avoid as much as possible to manipulate or retrieve a form's data directly using a recordsetclone, instead try to retrieve this data directly from the table.
So if you want to open your "hired information" form:
Dim RS As Recordset
Dim IDperson As String
IDperson = me.ID ' or whatever
Set RS = CurrentDb.OpenRecordset("SELECT ID FROM TableHired WHERE ID='" & IDperson & "'")
If RS.BOF Then
' No record exist - Open form in record creation
DoCmd.OpenForm "FormHired", acNormal, , , acFormAdd
Else
' record exists, open form and position it oon the record's ID
DoCmd.OpenForm "FormHired", acNormal, , "ID='" & RS!ID & "'", acFormEdit
End If
Of course it won't work like this as you didn't provide enough info.
Review this code and adapt it with your fields name (IDs), table name (TableHired) and FormName (FormHired) and following the situation on where and how you will trigger it. Also if your ID is not a string, you should remove the quotes in the SQL

Related

How to explicitly save or close a recordset when a form deactivates?

I apologize if this is too vague a question, but we're having the following problem:
We use a search form to find a record, then load it in a bound-control form where changes are made. Then we return to the search form and open another record. When we do that, the form's BeforeUpdate property fires a 3020 error, "Update without Add New or Edit" and stepping through the code it's referring to the FIRST opened record. This is strange because there is no explicit update call, but after much trial and error I think the error is thus:
Record #1 is opened via the form and changes are made. Record #2 is opened on that same form without closing the first recordset. Even though we now re-opened the form with the second record, Access still assumes we're editing record 1, i.e. that we're trying to edit 2 records concurrently. Same as though we had a datasheet form and we edited one row and then tried to edit a second row without saving the first. What I want to be able to do is have it automatically do an update on the first record when the form deactivates so loading a new record doesn't cause this conflict.
So the bottom line is this: **Is there a way, on say the form's Dirty or Deactivate event, that we can force the form's recordset to update and close ** before loading a second record?
I hope I made this clear enough, it's a complex problem, so any small guidance would help. Btw, you may ask, "Why are you running the same code to open the same form twice?" Good question! Hey it's an old and badly written app (the thing has GoSubs in it for Pete's sake) but I have no choice but to make the best of a bad situation.
EDIT: I was asked to post code, which is reasonable, but it's in several different places. So I have the data form, it has a "Search" button to go back to the search form for opening another record. The search button on the data entry form is:
Private Sub CommandSearch_Click()
On Error GoTo Err_CommandSearch_Click
DoCmd.OpenForm "Reference Form", acNormal 'This is the form that does the searching
Exit_CommandSearch_Click:
Exit Sub
Err_CommandSearch_Click:
MsgBox Err.Description
Resume Exit_CommandSearch_Click
End Sub
When a record is selected on that search form, then the new form is opened with this code. Now this is where it gets tricky. I'm not the original programmer, as I said I think it was written in Access 97 by someone after taking an hour to read "Access for Dummies" :). But it always looks like only one copy of the form is open, so maybe it's re-opening it?
Public Sub CommandLoadCase_Click()
Dim LoadUTUCaseNumber As String, lengthUTUCaseNumber As Integer
lengthUTUCaseNumber = InStr(Forms![Reference Form]![Reference Query SubForm]![UTU Case Number], "-") - 1
If (lengthUTUCaseNumber = 0) Then
LoadUTUCaseNumber = ""
Else
LoadUTUCaseNumber = Left$(Forms![Reference Form]![Reference Query SubForm]![UTU Case Number], lengthUTUCaseNumber)
End If
On Error Resume Next
Forms![Case Appeal_Add-On Form].UTUCaseKeyToFind = LoadUTUCaseNumber
DoCmd.OpenForm "Case Appeal_Add-On Form", acNormal, , , , , LoadUTUCaseNumber
'Case Appeal Add On Form referred to here is the data entry form I refer to above.
End Sub
Finally, the Error 3020 (Update without Add/Edit) is occurring after it executes this line on the data entry form. (I know the code is complicated which is why I didn't enter it at first).
Private Sub Form_BeforeUpdate(Cancel As Integer)
[UTU Claim Sequence Key] = [UTU Claim Alpha Sequence] & CStr([UTU Claim Numeric Sequence])
End Sub

MS Access Multiple Instances of Single Form for different clients

Another question that stumps me.
I have a continuous form that shows a list of all of our clients at the law firm I work at here. Right now you can double click on a client name where a form (frmContactSummary) then opens up to display all the information for that client.
Problem is, as it is currently designed only one form can be open for a client at a time.
We want to be able to open multiple versions or instances of frmContactSummary.
I borrowed code from Allen Browne's site, which is as follows:
Option Compare Database
Option Explicit
'Author: Allen J Browne, July 2004
'Email: allen#allenbrowne.com
'Found at: http://allenbrowne.com/ser-35.html
Public clnClient As New Collection 'Instances of frmClient.
Function OpenAClient() 'ContactID As Integer
'Purpose: Open an independent instance of form frmClient.
Dim frm As Form
'Debug.Print "ID: " & ID
'Open a new instance, show it, and set a caption.
Set frm = New Form_frmContactSummary
frm.Visible = True
frm.Caption = frm.Hwnd & ", opened " & Now()
'Append it to our collection.
clnClient.Add Item:=frm, Key:=CStr(frm.Hwnd)
Set frm = Nothing
End Function
This works in a way, but it only opens up the first record in our Contact table. We want the instance to open on a specific record, or ID from the Contacts table.
I tried this code near the end:
frm.RecordSource = "select * from Contacts where [ID] = " & ContactID
But it did not work.. :-(
Any advise would be much appreciated! Thank you!
Ok, when you create a instance of a form, you can’t use the common approach of a where clause like this:
Docmd.OpenForm "frmContactSummary",,,"id = " & me!id
The above of course would work for opening one form.
However, in your case, you need:
Create a new instance of the form
Move/set the form recordsource to ID
Display the form
So we need a means to move or set the form to the ID of the row we just clicked on.
So right after we create the form, then add this line of code:
Set frm = New Form_frmContactSummary
Frm.RecordSource = "select * from Contacts where id = " & me!id
And rest of your code follows.
It not clear if the PK (key) of the table Contacts is “id”, or “ContactID”
So your code will be:
Frm.RecordSource = "select * from Contacts where id = " & me!id
Or
Frm.RecordSource = "select * from Contacts where Contactid = " & me!ContactID
Simply replace “ContactID” in above with a actual PK id used in table contacts. The "Id" has nothing to do with the collection. We are simply building a SQL statement that will pull/set the form to the one row. So the only information required here is what is the PK name in your continues form, and what is the PK name in your frmContactsSummary. (they will be the same name in both forms, and should thus be the same in the sql statement.

MS Access VBA: Closing Transaction without destroying Form's class module variables

I have an unbound form used to enter constituent data. I can't use subforms because data is spread across multiple tables and linked with foreign keys. Since I want to use the field validation rules to validate, I use a transaction to make sure new records are committed in an all-or-nothing fashion. I don't want names committed without addresses, etc.
The form is designed to iterate over a recordset, "tempImportRs", to give the user an opportunity to make sure the data looks OK and to manually correct or skip invalid entries. It works by populating the form's fields with values from tempImportRs for each entry. There's also a subform that searches for similar records and displays them to the user to decide if this is really a new person or if they already exist in the DB with somewhat different info.
I am running into a problem using this "tempImportRs" recordset, which persists for the lifetime of the form and is used by various methods in the form, alongside Access's transactions (which I don't understand very well, admittedly). If at any point I close the transaction like
WrkSp.Close
then my tempImportRs object will disappear and give me "Requires object" type errors. If I don't close the transaction, which is bad practice anyway, my form will work like I want for up to maybe a dozen records before giving me the error "Could not start transaction; too many transactions already nested."
How can I close the transaction cleanly, without destroying "tempImportRs"?
Here is a very simplified version of the VBA code for my form:
Public tempImportRs As RecordSet
Sub TryToAddRecords()
'Try to add the data from the now-populated form fields to my tables'
On Error GoTo Error_TryToAddRecords
Dim WrkSp As Workspace
Set WrkSp = DBEngine.Workspaces(0)
WrkSp.BeginTrans
'In my real code I use several recordsets to store the imported data'
'but I am simplifying here by using just one:'
Dim someOtherRs As Recordset
Set someOtherRs = CurrentDb.OpenRecordset("tblNamesAddressesEtc")
'...Do stuff using several other recordsets and '
'the form fields populated from tempImportRs'
someOtherRs.Update
WrkSp.CommitTrans
Exit_TryToAddRecords:
someOtherRs.Close
'I leave tempImportRs open for now.'
'WrkSp.Close <--This is what messes up tempImportRs'
Set someOtherRs = Nothing
Set WrkSp = Nothing
Exit Sub
Error_TryToAddRecords:
MsgBox Err.Description & vbNewLine & _
"Please fix the field and try again."
Resume Exit_TryToAddRecords
End Sub
Private Sub GoButton_click
Set tempImportRs = CurrentDb.OpenRecordset("tblTempImport")
If !tempImportRs.EOF
'<populate the form fields with the current '
'tempImportRs data here>'
TryToAddRecords
tempImportRs.MoveNext
Else
tempImportRs.close
Set tempImportRs = Nothing
MsgBox "All records imported"
End If
End Sub
This is not a problem specific to transactions and workspaces, but a more general matter of program structure. You should just make the workspace persist for the duration of the form, and commit to it multiple times. You don't need to make a new workspace for each transaction.
So, treat the workspace just like tempImportRs is treated in the code example. You can both set and close WrkSp in the GoButton_click sub. Don't set or close it in the TryToAddRecords function.
You will also have to make sure to roll back with WrkSp.Rollback if there's an error, add that line to Error_TryToAddRecords.
Public tempImportRs As RecordSet
Dim WrkSp As Workspace
'...
Private Sub GoButton_click
Set tempImportRs = CurrentDb.OpenRecordset("tblTempImport")
Set WrkSp = DBEngine.Workspaces(0) 'move this here
If !tempImportRs.EOF
'<populate the form fields with the current '
'tempImportRs data here>'
TryToAddRecords
tempImportRs.MoveNext
Else
tempImportRs.Close
Set tempImportRs = Nothing
'close the workspace here when you're done with tempImportRs
WrkSp.Close
Set WrkSp = Nothing
MsgBox "All records imported"
End If
End Sub
PS: Sorry folks for asking and answering this dumb question, I had a mental block and thought the issue was about managing workspaces and not a simpler matter of code design. Maybe this will still help someone someday.

Passing arguments to Access Forms created with 'New'

I have a form called 'detail' which shows a detailed view of a selected record. The record is selected from a different form called 'search'. Because I want to be able to open multiple instances of 'detail', each showing details of a different record, I used the following code:
Public detailCollection As New Collection
Function openDetail(patID As Integer, pName As String)
'Purpose: Open an independent instance of form
Dim frm As Form
Debug.Print "ID: " & patID
'Open a new instance, show it, and set a caption.
Set frm = New Form_detail
frm.Visible = True
frm.Caption = pName
detailCollection.Add Item:=frm, Key:=CStr(frm.Hwnd)
Set frm = Nothing
End Function
PatID is the Primary Key of the record I wish to show in this new instance of 'detail.' The debug print line prints out the correct PatID, so i have it available. How do I pass it to this new instance of the form?
I tried to set the OpenArgs of the new form, but I get an error stating that OpenArgs is read only. After researching, OpenArgs can only be set by DoCmd (which won't work, because then I don't get independent instances of the form). I can find no documentation on the allowable parameters when creating a Form object. Apparently, Microsoft doesn't consider a Constructor to be a Method, at least according to the docs. How should I handle this? (plz don't tell me to set it to an invisible text box or something) Thanks guys, you guys are the best on the net at answering these questions for me. I love you all!
Source Code for the multi-instance form taken from: http://allenbrowne.com/ser-35.html
Inside your Form_detail, create a custom property.
Private mItemId As Long
Property Let ItemID(value as Long)
mItemId = value
' some code to re query Me
End Property
Property Get ItemId() As Long
ItemId = mItemId
End Property
Then, in the code that creates the form, you can do this.
Set frm = New Form_detail
frm.ItemId = patId
frm.Visible = True
frm.Caption = pName
This will allow you to pass an ID to the new form instance, and ensure it gets requeried before making it visible. No need to load all of the results every time if you're always opening the form by Newing it. You let the property load the data instead of the traditional Form_Load event.
This works because Access Form modules are nothing more than glorified classes. Hope this helps.
You could try applying a filter:
frm.Filter = "[ID] = " & patID
frm.FilterOn = True
The Record Source of the Detail form will need to be set to the table to which the ID belongs.
UPDATE
As you requested, here is the code to set the RecordSource:
frm.RecordSource = "select * from TableName where [ID] = " & patID
This is probably cleaner than using a filter given that a user can remove the filter (depending on the type of form).

update through vba new record, currently opened in a form

I have a question regarding updating new record through VBA.
First - the assumptions.
I've made a form called "assortment", that displays a set of records and a sobreport that shows related invntory. I've put the button on it: "Add new record". This opens the second form "inventory_details" that is intended to enter and view the inventory spcific data. That inventory is of that specific assortment type. So - I've passed the assortment_id to the inventory_details form through the DoCmd.OpenForm like:
DoCmd.OpenForm stFormName, , , , acFormAdd, , Me.assortment_id
The data source of the "inventory_details" form is a query that contains the assortment table joined to the inventory table by the inventory_id. What is the best way to add this id passed by an OpenArgs to the currently opened new record and refresh the form to show related assortment data?
I was trying to do this like:
Private Sub Form_Open(Cancel As Integer)
Dim assortmentId As Integer
If (Not IsNull(Me.OpenArgs)) Then
assortmentId = Me.OpenArgs()
Set rst = Me.Recordset
rst.Edit
rst.assortment_id_assortment = assortmentId
Me.Requery
End If
End Sub
but it gives me an error "3021 " No current record"...
Here are some suggestions,
. Make sure you define the variable rst
. Check for EOF Condition to make sure your recordset contains rows
If rst.EOF Then
MsgBox "The Recordset is empty."
End If
. Why clone an MS-Access recordset?