ADT/ODE: How to Create a Custom Startup "Splash" Screen

• Microsoft Access Distribution Kit, version 1.1
• Microsoft Access Developer's Toolkit, versions 2.0, 7.0
• Microsoft Office Developer Edition 97
• Microsoft Office 97 Developer Edition Tools

SUMMARY

This article explains how to create a custom startup "splash" screen (title screen) for your Microsoft Access application.

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.

NOTE: Visual Basic for Applications is called Access Basic in Microsoft Access versions 1.x and 2.0. For more information about Access Basic, please refer to the "Introduction to Programming" manual in Microsoft Access version 1.x or the "Building Applications" manual in Microsoft Access version 2.0

MORE INFORMATION

A startup "splash" screen is used by programmers to display important information about a program during startup and to give the user something colorful to look at and read while waiting for the program to complete its initial processing, such as reading and setting up user-defined preferences.

A typical splash screen contains the following information:

• The program name and version number
• The registered user's name and company
• Copyright information
• The developer's company name and logo

Creating a New Splash Module

1. Create a new module, and type the following functions.
   
   NOTE: In the following code, an underscore (_) is used as a line- continuation character. Remove the underscore from the end of the line when re-creating this code in Access Basic.




       '******************************************************************
       ' MODULE NAME: Splash
       ' DECLARATION SECTION
       '******************************************************************
       Option Explicit

       Dim gSplashStart     ' The time when the splash screen opened.
       Dim gSplashInterval  ' The minimum time to leave the splash screen
                            ' up.
       Dim gSplashForm      ' The name of the splash screen form.

       '******************************************************************
       ' FUNCTION: SplashStart()
       '
       ' PURPOSE: Used to invoke the splash screen form specified by the
       '    SplashForm argument.
       '
       ' ARGUMENTS:
       '    SplashForm     - The name of the form to use as the splash
       '                     screen.
       '    SplashInterval - The minimum time, in seconds, that the splash
       '                     screen must remain active on the screen.
       '
       '******************************************************************
       Function SplashStart (ByVal SplashForm As String, ByVal _
              SplashInterval As Integer)
           ' Open the splash form.
           DoCmd.OpenForm SplashForm  ' In Microsoft Access 97 and 7.0.
           'DoCmd OpenForm SplashForm ' In versions 1.x and 2.0 only.

           ' Set the starting time.
           gSplashStart = Timer

           ' Record the global information.
           gSplashInterval = SplashInterval
           gSplashForm = SplashForm
       End Function

       '******************************************************************
       ' FUNCTION: SplashEnd()
       '
       ' PURPOSE: Used to close the splash screen form opened by the
       '    SplashStart() function. This function checks to ensure that
       '    the splash screen remains active until the user-specified
       '    interval has expired.
       '
       '******************************************************************
       Function SplashEnd ()
          Dim RetVal

          ' Loop until the splash screen has been active for
          ' the desired interval.
          Do Until Timer - gSplashStart > gSplashInterval
             ' Yield control so other applications can process.
             RetVal = DoEvents()
          Loop

          ' Close the splash screen.
          DoCmd.Close acForm, gSplashForm ' In Microsoft Access 97 and 7.0.
         'DoCmd Close A_FORM, gSplashForm ' In version 1.x and 2.0 only.

       End Function 

2. Save the new module as Splash.

Using the SplashStart() and SplashEnd() Functions

1. Create a form not based on any table or query with the text and graphics you want to display on the splash screen. For more information, see the "Setting Form Properties" section later in this article.



2. In the Database window, click the Macros tab and then click New.



3. Create a macro with the following actions and save it as AutoExec:




       Macro Name   Action
       -----------------------------------------------------------------
       AutoExec     RunCode
                    <any startup macro actions required by your program>
                    RunCode

       AutoExec Actions
       ----------------------------------------------------------------
       RunCode

          Function Name: SplashStart("YourSplashFormNameHere", 5)
       <any startup macro actions required by your program .. optional>
       RunCode
          Function Name: SplashEnd() 

Setting Form Properties

   ScrollBars: Neither
   PopUp: Yes
   Modal: Yes
   RecordSelectors: No 

Suppressing the Default Splash Screen

REFERENCES

For more information about running an AutoExec macro in Microsoft Access, search the Help Index for "AutoExec macros," or ask the Microsoft Access 97 Office Assistant.

Additional query words: title intro

Keywords : kbprg
Version : WINDOWS:1.1,2.0,7.0,97
Platform : WINDOWS
Issue type : kbhowto