ACC97: Troubleshooting ASP Forms That Do Not Display in Browser

• Microsoft Access 97

SUMMARY

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

This article discusses reasons why a Web browser displays a blank screen when you browse an ASP file created from a Microsoft Access 97 form, and provides troubleshooting steps for resolving the problem.

MORE INFORMATION

There are three common reasons why a Web browser may not display an ASP file created from a Microsoft Access 97 form.

Incorrect Server URL

You entered an incorrect Server URL (Uniform Resource Locator) in the Microsoft Active Server Pages Output Options dialog box when you exported the form to ASP format.

To resolve this problem, export the form again and recreate the ASP files. Specify the correct Server URL in the Microsoft Active Server Pages Output Options dialog box that appears when you export the form.

When you create ASP files, Microsoft Access creates several files. The Server URL information in an ASP file stores the location of supporting ASP files that are necessary to display the form. The Server URL is the location where the ASP files are stored on your Web server. For example, if you store ASP files in the \ASPsamp folder on the \\PubTest server, http://pubtest/aspsamp/ is your Server URL. If you enter an incorrect Server URL when you create the ASP files, the main ASP file may not be able to locate a supporting ASP file, causing the Web browser to display nothing.

Forms Exported to ASP Require Microsoft Internet Explorer 3.0 or Later

Microsoft Access 97 forms in ASP format require the HTML Layout Control. You must browse the form using Microsoft Internet Explorer, version 3.0 or later, with the ActiveX HTML Layout control installed.

NOTE: The HTML Layout Control does not exist for Macintosh computers.

NOTE: You can browse other Microsoft Access database objects in ASP file format using any Web browser.

The ActiveX HTML layout control is typically installed when you run Setup for Microsoft Internet Explorer version 3.0 or later. However, the Setup program gives you the option not to install the control. If you do not install it, your Web browser cannot display a Microsoft Access 97 form in ASP format.

If you use the Microsoft Internet Explorer Administration Kit (IEAK) to redistribute customized installations of Internet Explorer, be sure to include the HTML Layout Control if you want to browse ASP files created from Microsoft Access 97 forms.

To check if the HTML Layout Control is on your computer, verify that the file Isctrls.ocx is in your Windows\System folder. If it is not, you can install it from Microsoft's Web site at the following address:

   http://www.microsoft.com/workshop/author/cpad/

   C:\Windows\System\Regsvr32.exe C:\Windows\System\Isctrls.ocx

   ARTICLE-ID: Q161983
   TITLE     : ACC97: Regsvr32.exe Available on MSL

   ARTICLE-ID: Q159325
   TITLE     : ACC97: Server and Browser Requirements for Publish to Web
               Wizard

The Form That You Exported Is Too Complex

When you export forms to ASP format, Microsoft Access 97 automatically generates the VB Script you need to support features such as basic navigation buttons, combo boxes, and subforms. No VB Script is generated for any code behind a form, nor for any expressions in controls or properties. If your form relies on Visual Basic for Applications code or expressions to run successfully, then you may receive error messages when you browse the ASP file, or your Web browser may not display anything at all.

For example, the Customer Orders form in the Northwind sample database contains two subforms. The LinkMasterFields property of the second subform refers to a field in the first subform, and the Current event of the first subform contains code that requeries the second subform as you browse records. If you export the Customer Orders form to ASP format, your Web browser will not display it because the VB Script that Microsoft Access 97 generates does not include the expression in the LinkMasterFields property of the second subform, or the code in the OnCurrent property of the first subform.

If the ControlSource of the Address text box on the Northwind sample database Customers form is deleted, the resulting .asp page will have a blank Address field and all the fields above it will be missing.

If the ControlSource is given an expression, like = "soup", the .asp Address text box contains "#Expression", and the controls above it are visible on the form.

You can work around this behavior by exporting forms that do not require code behind them, and that do not require expressions in their controls and properties.

REFERENCES

For more information about exporting ASP files, search the Help Index for "ASP files, or ask the Microsoft Access 97 Office Assistant.

For more information about troubleshooting problems with ASP forms, please see the following articles in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

   ARTICLE-ID: Q164002
   TITLE     : ACC97: Web Browser Error Opening Subform in ASP File

   ARTICLE-ID: Q164008
   TITLE     : ACC97: Subforms Appear Blank When Browsing ASP Files on NT
               4.0

Keywords          : FmsSubf IntAsp IntPubWiz kbinterop
Version           : 97
Platform          : WINDOWS
Hardware          : x86
Issue type        : kbtshoot