ACC: Form Controls to Increment and Decrement a Date

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

SUMMARY

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

This article describes how to create form controls that increment or decrement a date. After a date control is initialized to the date stored in the computer, command buttons are used to increment or decrement the displayed date.

MORE INFORMATION

The following example demonstrates how to create controls on a form that can be used to increment or decrement the displayed date:

1. Create a new form not based on any table or query and name it Date Selector.

2. Add the following unbound text box for the date value:

         Object: Text Box
         ----------------------
         Name: Call Date
         Format: General Date
         Default Value: =Date()
         Locked: Yes
         SpecialEffect: Sunken
   

   NOTE: The Name property is called the ControlName property in Microsoft Access 1.0 and 1.1.

3. Add the following command buttons to change the date value:

         Object: Command Buttons
         -----------------------
         Name: Decrease
            Caption: <
            AutoRepeat: Yes
            OnClick: Change Date
         Name: Advance
            Caption: >
            AutoRepeat: Yes
            OnClick: Change Date
   
        NOTE: The OnClick property is called the OnPush property in versions
        1.0 and 1.1.
   
   

4. Create a macro to increase and decrease the date:

         Macro Name  Condition                                   Action
         ----------------------------------------------------------------
         Change Date Screen.ActiveControl.ControlName="Advance"  SetValue
                     ... GoToControl
                     ... GoToControl
                     Screen.ActiveControl.ControlName="Decrease" SetValue
                     ... GoToControl
                     ... GoToControl
   
         Change Date Actions
         --------------------------------------------------
         SetValue
            Item: Forms![Date Selector]![Call Date]
            Expression: Forms![Date Selector]![Call Date]+1
         GoToControl
            Control Name: [Call Date]
         GoToControl
            Control Name: [Advance]
         SetValue
            Item: Forms![Date Selector]![Call Date]
            Expression: Forms![Date Selector]![Call Date]-1
         GoToControl
            Control Name: [Call Date]
         GoToControl
            Control Name: [Decrease]
   
   

5. Open the Date Selector form. The date will default to the computer's date. Click the > button to increase the date. Click the < button to decrease the date.

REFERENCES

For more information about the Screen.ActiveControl property, search the Help Index for "ActiveControl," or ask the Microsoft Access 97 Office Assistant.