ACC: Cannot Set Attributes Property in Visual Basic Code

• Microsoft Access versions 7.0, 97

SUMMARY

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

When you use the CreateTableDef() method to create a table that is linked to a table in another Microsoft Access database or to an ODBC data source, you cannot set the Attributes property to dbAttachedTable or dbAttachedODBC. These constants are always read-only. When you create the linked table, you must to set the Connect property and the SourceTableName property. This automatically sets the Attributes property to dbAttachedTable or to dbAttachedODBC, whichever is appropriate. However, you can set the Attributes property to dbAttachExclusive or dbAttachSavePWD.

Note that once you have appended the table to the database, the Attributes property is read-only.

This article 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.

MORE INFORMATION

The following sample procedure creates a linked table whose Attributes property is dbAttachedTable:

1. Start Microsoft Access and create a blank database.

2. Create a new module and type the following line in the Declarations section if it is not already there:

         Option Explicit
   

3. Type the following procedure:

         Sub CreateLinkedTable()
            Dim dbLocal As Database
            Dim tbfNewAttached As TableDef
   
            Set dbLocal = CurrentDb()
            Set tbfNewAttached = dbLocal.CreateTableDef("MyEmp")
   
            With tbfNewAttached
              .Connect = ";database=<your path to Northwind>"
              .SourceTableName = "Employees"
            End With
   
            dbLocal.TableDefs.Append tbfNewAttached
         End Sub
   
   

4. To test this function, type the following line in the Debug window, and then press ENTER:

         CreateLinkedTable
   

   ?currentdb.TableDefs("MyEmp").Attributes = dbAttachedTable

To create a table that is linked exclusively, change the With...End With statement in the procedure in step 3 to the following:

   With tbfNewAttached
      .Connect = ";database=<your path to Northwind>"
      .SourceTableName = "Employees"
      .Attributes = dbAttachExclusive
   End With

   ?currentdb.TableDefs("MyEmp").Attributes = dbAttachedTable +
    dbAttachExclusive

   With tbfNewAttached
      .Connect = "ODBC;DSN=sqltest;UID=sa;PWD="
      .SourceTableName = "employee"
   End With

   ?currentdb.TableDefs("MyEmp").Attributes = dbAttachedODBC

REFERENCES

For more information about the Attributes property, search the Help Index for "Attributes property."