Microsoft Access is an COM component that supports Automation, formerly called OLE Automation. Microsoft Access supports Automation in two ways. From Microsoft Access, you can work with objects supplied by another component. Microsoft Access also supplies its objects to other COM components.
In previous versions of Microsoft Access, you could use the CreateObject function or the GetObject function to point a variable to an instance of a component. In Microsoft Access 97 and Access 2000, you can also use the New keyword to create a new instance of some components. Check the component's documentation to determine which syntax it supports.
In Microsoft Access, you can set a reference to a component's type library to improve performance when you work with that component through Automation. Microsoft Access also includes the Object Browser, a tool that enables you to view objects in another component's type library, as well as their methods and properties.
The Microsoft Access type library provides information about Microsoft Access objects to other components. You can set a reference to the Microsoft Access type library from a component and view its objects in the Object Browser.
To work with Microsoft Access objects through Automation, you must create an instance of the Microsoft Access Application object. For example, suppose you want to display data from Microsoft Excel in a Microsoft Access form or report. To launch Microsoft Access from Microsoft Excel, you can use the New keyword to create an instance of the Microsoft Access Application object. You can also use the CreateObject function to create a new instance of the Microsoft Access Application object, or you can use the GetObject function to point an object variable to an existing instance of Microsoft Access. Check your component's documentation to determine which syntax it supports.
Once you've launched an instance of Microsoft Access, if you want to control any Microsoft Access objects, you must open a database (.mdb) or project (.adp) in the Microsoft Access window by using either the OpenCurrentDatabase or the NewCurrentDatabase method for a database or by using the OpenAccessProject or the NewAccessProject method for a project.
If you've opened Microsoft Access only as a means of using the Data Access Objects provided by Microsoft DAO, then you don't need to open a database in the Microsoft Access window. You can use the DBEngine property of the Microsoft Access Application object to access objects in the Microsoft DAO 3.6 object library during an Automation operation.