ACC: Understanding Event Order in MS Access 95 and 97

• Microsoft Access versions 7.0, 97

SUMMARY

Novice: Requires knowledge of the user interface on single-user computers.

In Microsoft Access 7.0 and 97, a single action, such as clicking the mouse or pressing a key, can trigger several different events that occur in a particular order. Knowing when and in what order events occur can help you to create macros and procedures that run in response to specific actions.

MORE INFORMATION

The sample database Orders.mdb has two forms called ShowEvents and EventHistory that can help you learn the order of events in Microsoft Access. If you use the ShowEvents form, Microsoft Access automatically opens the EventHistory form and displays all the form and control events in order as they occur in the ShowEvents form. For example, as you click the mouse, select a field, press TAB to move through controls, or move from record to record in the ShowEvents form, these events are listed in the EventHistory form.

The listing of events is accomplished by an event procedure called ShowEvent that is assigned to all form and control event properties in the ShowEvents form. Each time the ShowEvent procedure is called, it sets the value of a text box control in the EventHistory form to include the event that has just occurred in the ShowEvents form.

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