ACC: No CanShrink Property for Check Boxes

• Microsoft Access versions 1.0, 1.1, 2.0, 7.0, 97

SYMPTOMS

Moderate: Requires basic macro, coding, and interoperability skills.

There is no CanShrink property for check boxes or option buttons on a form or report.

RESOLUTION

The following workaround demonstrates a method that uses a text box to simulate a check box on a report. Then, you can set the CanShrink property of the text box to Yes, and if the text box is not checked, it will shrink and will not be printed.

1. For a report based on a table with a Yes/No data type field called Check1, create a text box on the report with the following properties:

         Name: txtCheck1
         ControlSource: =IIf([Check1]=-1," X ")
         CanShrink: Yes
         BorderStyle (or BackStyle in Microsoft Access 7.0 and 97): Normal
   

   NOTE: The Name property must not be the same as any of the fields in the ControlSource property formula; otherwise a "#ERROR" message appears when you run the report.

2. Size and position the text box and its label so that it looks like a check box.

3. Change the Name property of the text box label control to lblCheck1.

4. Set the following properties for the report's detail section:

         CanShrink: Yes
         OnFormat: ShrinkNo
   

5. Create the following macro and save it as ShrinkNo:

         Macro Name   Condition         Action
         ----------------------------------------
         ShrinkNo     [Check1]=-1       SetValue
                      [Check1]=0        SetValue
   
         ShrinkNo Actions
         ----------------------------
         SetValue
            Item: [lblCheck1].Visible
            Expression: True
         SetValue
            Item: [lblCheck1].Visible
            Expression: False
   
   

6. Preview the report. The text box will shrink up if it is the only item sharing the same horizontal plane on the report. Do not overlap the text box with any other control positioned to the left or right of it. The ShrinkNo macro also hides the label for the text box.

REFERENCES

For more information about the CanShrink Property, search the Help Index for "CanShrink property."