ACC2: Dynamically Synchronizing Two Forms Using Code

• Microsoft Access version 2.0

SUMMARY

Advanced: Requires expert coding, interoperability, and multiuser skills.

This article describes how to synchronize a form to the current record in a subform using Access Basic. The method described in this article searches a recordset returned by the form's RecordsetClone property and synchronizes the form's bookmarks with the Recordset.

This article assumes that you are familiar with Access Basic and with creating Microsoft Access applications using the programming tools provided with Microsoft Access. For more information about Access Basic, please refer to the "Building Applications" manual.

MORE INFORMATION

The following example demonstrates how to synchronize the Products form to the current record in the Categories Subform form in the sample database NWIND.MDB.

CAUTION: Following the steps in this example will modify the sample database NWIND.MDB. You may want to back up the NWIND.MDB file, or perform these steps on a copy of the NWIND database.

1. Open the NWIND database.

2. Open the Categories Subform form in Design view.

3. Set the form's OnCurrent property to the following event procedure:

         '**********************************************************
         'Sub Form_Current()
         '**********************************************************
   

             'If the Product ID is blank, then exit the Sub.
             If IsNull(Me![Product Id]) Then
                 Exit Sub
             End If
   
             'Dimension variables.
             Dim formname As String, SyncCriteria As String
             Dim f As Form, rs As Recordset
   
             'Set the formname to "Products," the form that will be
             'synchronized.
             formname = "Products"
   
             'Check to see if the Products form is open. If it
             'is not open, open it.
             If Not SysCmd(SYSCMD_GETOBJECTSTATE, A_FORM, formname) Then
                 DoCmd OpenForm formname
             End If
   
             'Define the form object and Recordset object for
             'the Products form.
             Set f = Forms(formname)
             Set rs = f.RecordsetClone
   
             'Define the criteria used for the synchronization.
             SyncCriteria = "[Product Id]=" & Me![Product Id]
   
             'Find the corresponding record in the Products form to
             'the current record in the subform.
             rs.FindFirst SyncCriteria
   
             'If a record exists in the Products form, find the
             'matching record.
             If rs.nomatch Then
                 MsgBox "No match exists!", 64, formname
             Else
                 f.bookmark = rs.bookmark
             End If
   
         '**********************************************************
         'End Sub
         '**********************************************************
   
   

4. Save and then close the Categories Subform form.

5. Open the Categories form in Form view. When you open the Categories form, the subform's OnCurrent event procedure will be triggered, causing the Products form to be opened if it is not already open.

   Forms!Categories![Categories Subform].Form

REFERENCES

For an example of how to dynamically synchronize two forms in Microsoft Access for Windows 95 version 7.0, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

   ARTICLE-ID: Q149940
   TITLE:      ACC: Dynamically Synchronizing Two Forms Using Code (95/97)

Microsoft Access "Building Applications," version 2.0, Chapter 4, "Using Forms to Collect, Display, and Filter Information," page 84, and Chapter 11, "Working with Sets of Records," pages 255-259

For more information about the SysCmd() function, search for "SysCmd," and then "SysCmd Function" using the Microsoft Access Help menu.