The following table lists Microsoft Access and Visual Basic properties by programming task.
Table 2 Properties by Programming Task
| Category | Task | Property |
| Application object | Determine the object in which a macro or Visual Basic code is running | CodeContextObject |
| Determine whether the current Microsoft Access application was started by user or through OLE Automation | UserControl | |
| Collection object | Count the number of objects in a Collection object | Count (Visual Basic) |
| Combo box/list box | Bind a combo box or list box to a table field | BoundColumn |
| Determine the list index value of an item in a combo box or list box | ListIndex |
Table 2 Properties by Programming Task (continued)
| Category | Task | Property |
| Determine the number of rows in a combo box or list box | ListCount | |
| Specify the width of the list box portion of a combo box | ListWidth | |
| Refer to a column or row in a combo box or list box | Column | |
| Specify whether to allow multiple selections in a list box | MultiSelect | |
| Determine if an item in a list box is selected | Selected | |
| Restrict text entry in a list | LimitToList | |
| Specify the column widths or hide a column in a multiple-column combo box or list box | ColumnWidths | |
| Specify the number of columns in a combo box or list box | ColumnCount | |
| Specify the number of rows in a list box | ListRows | |
| Specify the text contained in a text box or in the text box portion of a combo box | Specify the text contained in a text box or in the text box portion of a combo box | |
| Specify whether values are automatically filled in when you type in a combo box | AutoExpand | |
| Specify the source for a list box | RowSource, | |
| Display a single row of column headings for list boxes, combo boxes, and OLE objects that accept column headings | ColumnHeads |
Table 2 Properties by Programming Task (continued)
| Category | Task | Property |
| Database properties | Set startup options | AppTitle, AppIcon, StartupForm, StartupShowDBWindow, StartupShowStatusBar, StartupMenuBar, StartupShortcutMenuBar, AllowFullMenus, AllowShortcutMenus, AllowBuiltInToolbars, AllowToolbarChanges, AllowBreakIntoCode, AllowSpecialKeys, AllowBypassKey |
| Set summary properties | Title, Subject, Author, Manager, Company, Category, Keywords, Comments | |
| Data source | Specify the source of a control’s data | ControlSource |
| Specify underlying records for a form or report | RecordSource | |
| Refer to underlying records |
Bookmark, RecordsetClone |
|
| Specify a filter for a table, form, or query and apply the filter | Filter, FilterOn | |
| Specify how to sort records in a table, form, report, or query and apply sort | OrderBy, OrderByOn | |
| Set the name of a bitmap to load in a command button or toggle button, or as a background for a form or report | Picture | |
| Specify whether an object’s picture is linked or embedded | PictureType | |
| Specify a numeric value for controls included in an option group | OptionValue | |
| Keep a running sum in a text box | RunningSum |
Table 2 Properties by Programming Task (continued)
| Category | Task | Property |
| Determine whether the current record has been modified since it was last saved | Dirty | |
| Display | Specify form views | DefaultView, ViewsAllowed |
| Specify how to size a picture or other object | SizeMode | |
| Specify gridline effects on a datasheet | DatasheetCellsEffect, DatasheetGridlinesBehavior, DatasheetGridlinesColor | |
| Automatically center a form when it is displayed | AutoCenter | |
| Specify the display of columns or rows in Datasheet view | ColumnHidden, ColumnWidth, FrozenColumns, RowHeight | |
| Specify font characteristics |
DatasheetFontHeight, ,
, , , FontBold, FontItalic, FontName, FontSize, FontUnderline, FontWeight |
|
| Specify text to display in title bar | Caption | |
| Specify text to display in status bar | StatusBarText | |
| Specify text, number, and date format | AddColon, DecimalPlaces, | |
| Align text | LabelAlign, TextAlign | |
| Automatically resize form window | AutoResize | |
| Specify the order of fields in Datasheet view | ColumnOrder | |
| Specify whether a form or report is repainted | Painting | |
| Editing | Enable or disable editing | AllowAdditions, AllowDeletions, AllowEdits, DataEntry, RecordsetType |
| Specify whether data in a control can be changed | Locked, Enabled |
Table 2 Properties by Programming Task (continued)
| Category | Task | Property |
| Specify type of locking | LockEdits, RecordLocks | |
| Specify how a linked OLE object is updated | UpdateOptions | |
| Specify data entry | DefaultValue, InputMask, ValidationRule, ValidationText, DataEntry | |
| Determine or specify the value of a control | Value | |
| Determine the value of a bound control before it was edited | OldValue | |
| Determine or specify characteristics of the selected text | SelLength, SelStart, | |
| Error trapping | Return the number of an error | Number |
| Return a descriptive string associated with an error | Description | |
| Return the name of the object or application that originally generated the error. | Source | |
| Return a system error code produced by a call into a dynamic-link library (DLL) | LastDLLError | |
| Events | Occurs when a user opens, resizes, or closes a form or report | OnClose, OnLoad, OnOpen, OnResize, OnUnload |
| Occurs when a user adds, changes, or deletes data | AfterDelConfirm, , AfterUpdate, , , , OnChange, , OnDelete, , OnUpdated | |
| Occurs when a user creates or applies a filter | OnFilter, OnApplyFilter | |
| Occurs when a user changes the focus | OnActivate, OnDeactivate, , OnExit, , OnLostFocus |
Table 2 Properties by Programming Task (continued)
| Category | Task | Property |
| Occurs when a user interacts with the keyboard or mouse | OnClick, OnDblClick, , OnKeyPress, , OnMouseDown, , | |
| Occurs when a user changes to Print Preview | OnFormat, OnPrint, , OnNoData, OnPage | |
| Occurs when a Microsoft Access error is generated in a form or report | OnError | |
| Occurs on an interval specified by the TimerInterval property | OnTimer | |
| Specify the interval between Timer events | TimerInterval | |
| Determine the prefix of an event procedure name | EventProcPrefix | |
| Form/report design | Specify when an object is displayed or printed | DisplayWhen |
| Automatically add a label to new controls | AutoLabel | |
| Generate an automatic tab when the last character permitted by a text box’s input mask is typed | AutoTab | |
| Specify whether a tab moves to a new record or page | Cycle | |
| Specify the effect of pressing the ENTER key in a text box | EnterKeyBehavior | |
| Determine if a form or report is bound to an empty recordset | HasData | |
| Specify whether a group header is repeated on the next page or column | RepeatSection | |
| Determine if report section will continue on the next page | WillContinue | |
| Determine if report section began on a previous page | HasContinued | |
| Specify whether report groups are kept together by page or by column | GrpKeepTogether |
Table 2 Properties by Programming Task (continued)
| Category | Task | Property |
| Specify text that appears in a screen tip | ControlTipText | |
| Specify whether the What’s This button is added to a form’s title bar | WhatsThisButton | |
| Specify whether the Close button on a form is enabled | CloseButton | |
| Specify the Cancel button | Cancel | |
| Specify the Default button | Default | |
| Specify whether lines separate sections or records on a form | DividingLines | |
| Specify the text in the status bar | StatusBarText | |
| Specify a control’s place in the tab order on a form | TabIndex | |
| Specify whether a control can receive the focus in Form view | TabStop | |
| Display record selectors or scroll bars | RecordSelectors, ScrollBars | |
| Display the Control menu, Maximize button, or Minimize button | ControlBox, MinMaxButtons, BorderStyle | |
| Specify a string expression that identifies the name of a form, report, section, or control | Name | |
| Display navigation buttons and a record number box on a form | NavigationButtons | |
| Specify grid alignment units | GridX, GridY | |
| Specify whether to display shortcut menus on a form | ShortcutMenu | |
| Determine whether a form or report uses printer or screen fonts | LayoutForPrint | |
| Specify a palette for a form or report | PaintPalette, PaletteSource | |
| Determine the palette used to create the bitmap for a command button or toggle button | ObjectPalette |
Table 2 Properties by Programming Task (continued)
| Category | Task | Property |
| Specify how records in a form or report are linked to records in a subform, subreport, or embedded object | LinkChildFields, LinkMasterFields | |
| Hide or display an object or a section | Transparent, Visible, DisplayWhen | |
| Specify the color of an object or a section | BackColor, BackStyle, FillColor, ForeColor, Transparent | |
| Specify border appearance | BorderColor, , BorderWidth | |
| Create special effects | SpecialEffect | |
| Specify the placement and proportion of a picture | PictureAlignment, PicturePages, PictureTiling, PictureSizeMode, SizeMode | |
| Specify the direction of a line | LineSlant | |
| Graphics | Draw | CurrentX, CurrentY, DrawMode, DrawStyle, DrawWidth, FillColor, FillStyle, ScaleHeight, ScaleLeft, ScaleMode, ScaleTop, ScaleWidth |
| Help | Specify the name or identification number of a Help topic | HelpContext (Visual Basic), HelpContextID (Microsoft Access), HelpFile (Microsoft Access), HelpFile(Visual Basic) |
| Macros | Specify the name of a macro or an event procedure to run when an event occurs | See the Events category of this table |
| Specify whether a macro repeats while a button remains pressed | AutoRepeat | |
| Specify the name of a menu bar macro | MenuBar, ShortcutMenuBar | |
| Miscellaneous | Enable a control to receive the focus | Enabled |
| Determine the number of controls on a form or report | Count (Microsoft Access) | |
| Determine the view you’re currently in | CurrentView |
Table 2 Properties by Programming Task (continued)
| Category | Task | Property |
| Determine if a control is selected in form Design view | InSelection | |
| Determine which control last received the focus | PreviousControl | |
| Refer to a stored string expression when a form is opened | OpenArgs | |
| Store extra information about a form, report, section, or control needed by your database | Tag | |
| Object linking and embedding (OLE) | Get a description of linked object data | Item |
| Determine the display and behavior of an OLE object |
Action, AutoActivate,
DisplayType, SizeMode |
|
| Determine the type of OLE object | Class, OLEClass, OLEType, | |
| Link and update data | SourceDoc, SourceItem, | |
| Specify a linked or embedded OLE Automation object in a control | Object | |
| Specify an operation to perform | Action, ObjectVerbs, ObjectVerbsCount, Verb | |
| Determine the address of an OLE object | lpOLEObject | |
| Determine the palette used to create an OLE object | ObjectPalette | |
| Object references | Refer to the active object | ActiveControl, , ActiveReport, ActiveDatasheet |
| Return the name or type of the active object |
CurrentObjectName, CurrentObjectType |
|
| Refer to a section | Section | |
| Refer to a form or report | Form, Me, Report | |
| Refer to a form or report that contains a control or section | Parent | |
| Refer to a subform, subreport, or linked object | SourceObject |
Table 2 Properties by Programming Task (continued)
| Category | Task | Property |
| Refer to a form module or report module | Module | |
| Return the DAO DBEngine object | DBEngine | |
| Printing | Count the number of times the current section in a report is formatted or printed |
FormatCount, PrintCount |
| Specify the printing of sections |
ForceNewPage, KeepTogether (Sections), , , , PageFooter, , PrintSection |
|
| Specify the printing of duplicate data | HideDuplicates | |
| Specify a page number or the total number of pages | Page, Pages | |
| Determine whether lines and rectangles are replaced by rules when using a laser printer | FastLaserPrinting | |
| Specify printer driver and printer information | PrtDevMode, PrtDevNames, PrtMip | |
| Query design | Customize column headings in a crosstab query | ColumnHeadings |
| Specify information for a make-table or append query | DestConnectStr, , | |
| Specify information for a pass-through query | LogMessages, , | |
| Specify information for a query using external data | Source, SourceConnectStr, | |
| Specify a name for an input table or query | Alias | |
| Specify records to return | TopValues, UniqueRecords, | |
| Specify the number of seconds to wait before a timeout error occurs when a query is run on an Open Database Connectivity (ODBC) database | ODBCTimeout |
Table 2 Properties by Programming Task (continued)
| Category | Task | Property |
| Specify whether to show all fields from the underlying tables | OutputAllFields | |
| Specify permissions to view or run a query | RunPermissions | |
| Records | Move between records | Bookmark |
| Enable record filtering | AllowFilters | |
| Size and position | Return the height and width of a form | WindowHeight, WindowWidth |
| Determine the height and width of a window containing a form | InsideHeight, InsideWidth | |
| Specify position of a label or control | LabelX, LabelY, Left, | |
| Specify size of control | Height, Width | |
| Specify the position of the current section | CurrentSectionLeft, | |
| Automatically size a section or control when it’s printed | CanGrow, CanShrink | |
| Sorting and grouping | Create a group footer or header | GroupFooter, |
| Determine which settings to use for the first week of year and the first day of week when grouping dates in a report | DateGrouping | |
| Specify an array for each field or expression you group on | GroupLevel | |
| Specify how to group data | GroupInterval, GroupOn | |
| Specify how to keep grouped data together on the same page | KeepTogether (Groups) | |
| Print a report section all on one page | KeepTogether (Sections) | |
| Specify the sort order for values in a report | SortOrder | |
| Table design | Specify field attributes | Caption, DataType, , Description, , FieldSize, |
| Specify the primary key | Primary | |
| Set a single-field index | Indexed |
Table 2 Properties by Programming Task (continued)
| Category | Task | Property |
| Ignore Null values in index fields | IgnoreNulls | |
| Specify whether values in an index must be unique | Unique | |
| Specify the default control you want to use for displaying a field on forms | DisplayControl | |
| Place conditions on what values are allowed in a field or record | AllowZeroLength, , Required, , | |
| Windows | Specify whether a form is modal | Modal |
| Specify whether a form opens as a pop-up form | PopUp | |
| Get the handle for the main Microsoft Access window | hWndAccessApp | |
| Get the handle for a form or report window | hWnd |