Displaying a recordset on a form in Access 2010 using VBA - forms

Question

I'm developing a data retrieval application in Access 2010 in which the user chooses which table, columns, and rows to view by selecting listbox entries. The VBA code generates a SQL statement from these choices and then creates an ADBDB.Recordset object from this.
How can I display the recordset records in Access? None of the grid controls work in Access 2010 and the subform just isn't designed for this purpose. Can someone recommend another strategy?

Answer 1

You could save the SELECT statement as a named query, then open the query as a datasheet. It's not really a form, but somewhat form-like.
Call DatasheetFromSql(strSql)
Public Sub DatasheetFromSql(ByVal pSql As String)
Const cstrQuery As String = "qryDiscardMe"
Dim db As DAO.Database
Dim qdf As DAO.QueryDef
Dim strMsg As String
On Error GoTo ErrorHandler
Set db = CurrentDb
db.QueryDefs.Delete cstrQuery
Set qdf = db.CreateQueryDef(cstrQuery, pSql)
DoCmd.OpenQuery cstrQuery, , acReadOnly
ExitHere:
On Error GoTo 0
Set qdf = Nothing
Set db = Nothing
Exit Sub
ErrorHandler:
Select Case Err.Number
Case 3265 ' Item not found in this collection. '
Resume Next
Case Else
strMsg = "Error " & Err.Number & " (" & Err.description _
& ") in procedure DatasheetFromSql"
MsgBox strMsg
GoTo ExitHere
End Select
End Sub
I opened the query read-only. If you want to allow users to edit the data returned by their custom queries, I would not recommend this approach. Instead I would invest the effort in the approach HK1 offered because it can support better control of the user data changes.
With the query opened as a datasheet, you can use Screen.ActiveDatasheet to inspect its properties. At least some of the methods are also available to you. For example you could resize/reposition the datasheet like this:
Screen.ActiveDatasheet.Move Left:=0, Top:=0, Width:=(4 * 1440), Height:=(3 * 1440)
The units are twips (1440 twips / inch), so that would make the width 4 in., height 3 in., and move it to the upper left corner of the Access window.

Answer 2

Here's what I think you'll have to do to get this kind of functionality.
You'll first need to create enough of the correct controls on a form to handle every possible scenario. You'll then need to set the form to be a datasheet form so that it appears as a grid.
Now set the controlsource on your controls to correspond with one of the fields in the recordset. On every control that is not in use needs to have it's ColumnHidden property set to true. You'll also have to change the caption of the associated label to show the appropriate column name for each control that will be visible.
Now, bind that form to your ADO recordset object.
Me.Recordset = rst
'or
Me.Subform1.Form.Recordset = rst
Is this a perfect solution? Most certainly not. Access doesn't have anything that compares to the DataGridView in .Net or even to the Grid controls that are used in VB6. In my opinion, you're really pushing the limits of Access to try to get this sort of functionality. It's like swimming upstream. You'll find that everything you do is going to be fairly difficult and some things just aren't going to be possible.

Answer 3

for an ADP Project where you can't have local MS Access query definitions, you can create a datasheet form with multiple textboxs named txt1, txt2,.... txt30 and labels name lbl1 ... lb30 and this code will set the form.recordsource and set the textbox.controlsource and the label.caption to the appropriate fields from an ADO recordset object. This form will allow you to view your ADO Recordset similar to the Docmd.OpenQuery method.
You must pass the ADO recordset's SQL statement to the form using the OpenArgs property of the form. the code below shows the VBA code to call\open the form (which shows the ADO Recordset like a query) and pass your sql string. The vba code on the form's load event will set all the control properties, resize the columns that have data and hide the columns that do not have a corresponding field from the ado recordset:
'stevekirchner 09/29/2012 Replace Access parameterized query with SQL Server in-line function
'DoCmd.OpenQuery "qry_SearchMaster_CaseTitles", , acReadOnly
strsql = "Select * from dbo.UDF__qry_SearchMaster_CaseTitles ('%" & Me.tbxSearchTerm.Value & "%') "
Call Display_ADO_Recordset_from_Datasheet_Form(strsql, "frm_Display_ADO_Recordset_Result1")
'create a non-form module and put the code for the sub Display_ADO_Recordset_from_Datasheet_Form
'and function fIsLoaded in it (this will allow you make several forms to view ADO recordset and
'call the code from one place\module):
Sub Display_ADO_Recordset_from_Datasheet_Form(sSQL As String, sFormName As String)
On Error GoTo Error_Handler
If fIsLoaded(sFormName) Then
DoCmd.Close acForm, sFormName
End If
DoCmd.OpenForm sFormName, acFormDS, , , acFormReadOnly, , OpenArgs:=sSQL
Exit_Sub:
Exit Sub
Error_Handler:
MsgBox Err.Description & " Error No: " & CStr(Err.Number)
Resume Exit_Sub
End Sub
Function fIsLoaded(ByVal strFormname As String) As Boolean
On Error GoTo Error_Handler
'Returns False if form is not open or True if Open
If SysCmd(acSysCmdGetObjectState, acForm, strFormname) <> 0 Then
If Forms(strFormname).CurrentView <> 0 Then
fIsLoaded = True
End If
End If
Exit_Function:
Exit Function
Error_Handler:
MsgBox Err.Description & " Error No: " & CStr(Err.Number)
fIsLoaded = False
Resume Exit_Function
End Function
'Create a datasheet view form (named frm_Display_ADO_Recordset_Result1) with 30 textboxes and 30
'30 labels named txt1 - txt30 and lbl1 - lbl30 and put this code in the form's module:
Option Compare Database
Private Sub Form_Load()
On Error GoTo Error_Handler
Dim conn As ADODB.Connection
Dim rs As ADODB.Recordset
Dim rsClone As ADODB.Recordset
Dim strsql As String
Set conn = CurrentProject.Connection
Set rs = New ADODB.Recordset
strsql = Me.OpenArgs
rs.Open strsql, conn, adOpenStatic, adLockOptimistic
Set rsClone = rs.Clone
Call Update_Form_Controls("your text goes here", strsql, rsClone)
Exit_Sub:
rs.Close
conn.Close
Set rs = Nothing
Set conn = Nothing
Exit Sub
Error_Handler:
MsgBox Err.Description & "; Error Number : " & Err.Number, vbOKOnly
Resume Exit_Sub
End Sub
Sub Update_Form_Controls(Header_Label As String, SQL As String, CloneRS As Recordset)
Dim rsCount As Integer
Dim i As Integer
On Error GoTo Error_Handler
Me.Form.Caption = Replace(SQL, "Select * From ", "Display: ")
rsCount = CloneRS.RecordCount
If rsCount <= 0 Then
MsgBox "The Query did not return any data to view", vbOKOnly
DoCmd.Close
Else
Me.Form.SetFocus
Me.RecordSource = SQL
i = 1
Do Until i = 31
Me("lbl" & i).Caption = ""
Me("txt" & i).ControlSource = ""
Me("txt" & i).ColumnHidden = True
i = i + 1
Loop
i = 1
With CloneRS
For Each Field In .Fields
On Error Resume Next
Me("lbl" & i).Caption = .Fields(i - 1).Name
Me("txt" & i).ControlSource = .Fields(i - 1).Name
Me("lbl" & i).Visible = True
Me("txt" & i).ColumnHidden = False
Me("txt" & i).SizeToFit
i = i + 1
'Debug.Print Field.Name
On Error GoTo 0
Next Field
End With
End If
Exit_Sub:
Me.Requery
Exit Sub
Error_Handler:
MsgBox Err.Description & "; Error Number : " & Err.Number, vbOKOnly
Resume Exit_Sub
End Sub

Answer 4

I don't use ADO but simply VBA, in which case above approach is wrong: one doesn't need any means for displaying an existing recordset in a form, but should on the contrary define an adequate recordset within the form !
Instead of creating MyDataBase.OpenRecordset ("SELECT … [SQL query] ;"), just set the form's RecordSource to the very same query definition:
Forms![MyDisplayForm].RecordSource = "SELECT … [SQL query] ;"
Forms![MyDisplayForm].Requery
For me this works perfectly (Windows 7 pro ×64 / MS Office pro ×64)