ACC: GotoRecord Macro Action Behaves Unexpectedly

• Microsoft Access versions 2.0, 7.0, 97

SYMPTOMS

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

The GotoRecord macro action doesn't behave as you would expect when you use it in an AutoKeys macro. Instead of changing the record of the active form, it changes the record of a form in the background.

CAUSE

These symptoms appear when you use the GotoRecord action in an AutoKeys macro while a form is opened with a Timer event running.

RESOLUTION

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

NOTE: Visual Basic for Applications is called Access Basic in Microsoft Access version 2.0. For more information about Access Basic, please refer to the "Building Applications" manual.

To achieve the desired result of selecting the next or previous record on the active form when you press a predefined key, follow these steps:

1. Create a module and type the following line in the Declarations section:

         Option Explicit
   

2. Type the following procedures:

   In Microsoft Access 7.0 and 97:

         Function GotoPreviousRecord()
            On Error Goto GotoPreviousErrorHndlr
               ' Screen.ActiveForm.Name forces the GotoRecord action
               ' to be applied to the active form.
               DoCmd.GoToRecord acForm, Screen.ActiveForm.Name, acPrevious
            ExitGotoPreviousRecord:
               Exit Function
            GotoPreviousErrorHndlr:
               MsgBox Error$
               Resume ExitGotoPreviousRecord
         End Function
   
         Function GotoNextRecord()
            On Error Goto GotoNextErrorHndlr
               ' Screen.ActiveForm.Name forces the GotoRecord action
               ' to be applied to the active form.
               DoCmd.GoToRecord acForm, Screen.ActiveForm.Name, acNext
            ExitGotoNextRecord:
               Exit Function
            GotoNextErrorHndlr:
               MsgBox Error$
               Resume ExitGotoNextRecord
         End Function
   
      In Microsoft Access 2.0:
   
         Function GotoPreviousRecord()
            On Error Goto GotoPreviousErrorHndlr
               ' Screen.ActiveForm.Name forces the GotoRecord action
               ' to be applied to the active form.
               DoCmd GotoRecord A_FORM, Screen.ActiveForm.Name, A_PREVIOUS
            ExitGotoPreviousRecord:
               Exit Function
            GotoPreviousErrorHndlr:
               MsgBox Error$
               Resume ExitGotoPreviousRecord
         End Function
   
         Function GotoNextRecord()
            On Error Goto GotoNextErrorHndlr
               ' Screen.ActiveForm.Name forces the GotoRecord action
               ' to be applied to the active form.
               DoCmd GotoRecord A_FORM, Screen.ActiveForm.Name, A_NEXT
            ExitGotoNextRecord:
               Exit Function
            GotoNextErrorHndlr:
               MsgBox Error$
               Resume ExitGotoNextRecord
         End Function
   
   

3. Create an AutoKeys Macro and assign each key stroke to the macro action RunCode. The RunCode's Function Name argument is the appropriate custom function's name. If you used the examples above, it is either GotoPreviousRecord() or GotoNextRecord().

MORE INFORMATION

Steps to Reproduce Behavior

1. Open the sample database Northwind.mdb (or NWIND.MDB in version 2.0),

       and then Open the Employees form in Design view.
   

2. Add a text box to the form header section, and set its Name property to CurrentTime.

3. Set the TimerInterval property of the Employees form to 1000 (one second).

4. Set the OnTimer property of the Employees form to [Event Procedure] and click the Build button.

5. Type the following procedure for the OnTimer property's event procedure:

   NOTE: In version 2.0, the word Private before Sub is omitted by default.

         Private Sub Form_Timer()
            Me![CurrentTime] = Now()
         End Sub
   
       This procedure updates the time in the CurrentTime control once every
       second.
   
   

6. Create a macro named AutoKeys with the following settings:

         Macro Name  Action
         ----------------------
         {F2}        GotoRecord
         {F3}        GotoRecord
   
         {F2} Actions
          -----------
          GotoRecord
              Record: Previous
         {F3} Actions
          -----------
          GotoRecord
              Record: Next
   
   

7. Close and save the macro.

8. Open the Employees, Categories, and Customers forms. Make sure that either the Categories or Customers form is active.

9. Press the F3 key. Note that the AutoKeys macro does run but it selects the next record on the Employees form instead of the active form, as you would expect.

REFERENCES