ApplyFilter Action

Description

You can use the ApplyFilter action to apply a filter, a query, or an SQL WHERE clause to a table, form, or report to restrict or sort the records in the table, or the records from the underlying table or query of the form or report. For reports, you can use this action only in a macro specified by the report's OnOpen event property.

Setting

The ApplyFilter action has the following arguments.

Action argument	Description

Filter Name	The name of a filter or query that restricts or sorts the records of the table, form, or report. You can enter the name of either an existing query or a filter that has been saved as a query in the Filter Name box in the Action Arguments section of the Macro window.
Where Condition	A valid SQL WHERE clause (without the word WHERE) or an expression that restricts the records of the table, form or report.
	Note In a Where Condition argument expression, the left side of the expression typically contains a field name from the underlying table or query for the form or report. The right side of the expression typically contains the criteria you want to apply to this field in order to restrict or sort the records. For example, the criteria can be the name of a control on another form that contains the value you want the records in the first form to match. The name of the control should be fully qualified, for example: Forms!formname!controlname
	The maximum length of the Where Condition argument is 256 characters. If you need to enter a longer SQL WHERE clause, use the ApplyFilter method of the DoCmd object in Visual Basic. You can enter SQL WHERE clause statements of up to 32,768 characters in Visual Basic.

Note You must use one or both arguments. You can use the Filter Name argument if you've already defined a filter that provides the appropriate data. You can use the Where Condition argument to enter the restriction criteria directly. If you use both arguments, Microsoft Access applies the WHERE clause to the results of the filter.

Remarks

You can apply a filter or query to a form in Form view or Datasheet view.

The filter and WHERE condition you apply become the setting of the form's or report's Filter property.

For tables and forms, this action is similar to clicking Apply Filter/Sort on the Records menu or clicking the Apply Filter button on the toolbar. The menu command or button applies the most recently created filter to the table or form, whereas the ApplyFilter action applies a specified filter or query.

If you point to Filter on the Records menu and then click Advanced Filter/Sort after running the ApplyFilter action, the Advanced Filter/Sort window shows the filter criteria you've selected with this action.

To remove a filter and display all of the records for a table or form, you can use the ShowAllRecords action, the Remove Filter/Sort command on the Records menu, or the Remove Filter button on the toolbar.

When you save a table or form, Microsoft Access saves any filter currently defined in that object, but won't apply the filter automatically the next time the object is opened (although it will automatically apply any sort you applied to the object before it was saved). If you want to apply a filter automatically when a form is first opened, specify a macro containing the ApplyFilter action or an event procedure containing the ApplyFilter method of the DoCmd object as the OnOpen event property setting of the form. You can also apply a filter by using the OpenForm or OpenReport action, or their corresponding methods. To apply a filter automatically when a table is first opened, you can open the table by using a macro containing the OpenTable action, followed immediately by the ApplyFilter action.