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Access 2000: Introduction to Application Development © 2001 ComputerPREP, Inc. All rights reserved. Lesson 1: Designing Applications © 2001 ComputerPREP, Inc. All rights reserved. Objectives • Examine the application development process • Preview an existing application • Decide where to automate your application About Access Applications • Access application – an Access database that contains all the objects necessary for users to work with data, as well as specific property settings and macros that automate data entry tasks • Access applications are event-driven; they respond when a user performs an action • Event – any action a user performs, such as entering text, opening a form or clicking on a button Examining the Application Development Process • Three major phases of application development: – Determine user requirements – Design the application interface • Involve users to identify and resolve potential problems before building them into the interface • Limit the scope of each screen to a specific task • Limit user actions to necessary tasks – Define the database configuration Deciding Where to Automate Your Application • Create event-driven applications by writing macros and event procedures for events to which you want your application to respond • Three categories of events in applications: – Keyboard event – occurs when the user presses a keyboard key – Mouse event – occurs when the user moves or drags the mouse, or clicks a mouse button – Program event – occurs when the application loads, opens or closes a form or report Lesson 2: Using Advanced Tools and Controls © 2001 ComputerPREP, Inc. All rights reserved. Objectives • Use the Performance Analyzer • Use a combo box to find records • Calculate values from subform controls Using the Performance Analyzer • The Performance Analyzer evaluates and optimizes the performance of objects in a database • The Performance Analyzer lists three kinds of analysis results: – Recommendations – Suggestions – Ideas for optimization • Access can automatically perform recommendations and suggestions • You must perform idea optimizations on your own Using a Combo Box to Find Records • Using the Combo Box Wizard: – Use the Combo Box Wizard to add an unbound combo box control to a form • Modifying the Combo Box Drop-Down List: – Modify what displays in a drop-down list by changing its RowSource property – Modify the SQL statement to reflect the desired drop-down list display Calculating Values from Subform Controls • To display calculated values in a main form based on values in a subform: – Create a calculated control in the footer of a subform – Refer to the subform calculated control from the unbound text box control in the main form – Hide the form footer if the subform is a continuous form by setting its Visible property to No Lesson 3: Creating Dialog Boxes © 2001 ComputerPREP, Inc. All rights reserved. Objectives • Set dialog box form properties • Add dialog box controls • Enhance dialog boxes Setting Dialog Box Form Properties • Dialog box – a specialized form that displays on top of other forms, stays open until a user closes it, and prevents a user from accessing other database objects while it is open • To create a dialog box: – Open a new, unbound form – Specify format properties to make the unbound form display and function as a dialog box Creating Option Groups • Option group – a type of control that contains a set of related buttons that provide a limited set of choices for the user • An option group consists of: – An option group frame – Option buttons inside the option group frame • Option buttons created outside the option group frame and then dragged into the frame will not become part of the option group Creating Command Buttons • Command buttons allow the user to execute or cancel the current task • Specify a default and a cancel button for a dialog box: – Default button – a button that is selected automatically when the user presses ENTER – Cancel button – a button that is selected automatically when the user presses ESC • The default button should be the one most often chosen by users • The cancel button exits a dialog box without performing any other tasks Enhancing Dialog Boxes • Enhance a dialog box by: – Adding labels – Setting a default value (default option button) – Setting the Pop Up and Modal properties • The default option button should be the one most often chosen by users • Pop Up property – specifies that the dialog box will display on top of onscreen objects • Modal property – specifies that the dialog box must close before the user can access any other database object Lesson 4: Using Macros © 2001 ComputerPREP, Inc. All rights reserved. Objectives • • • • • Create macros Attach macros to events on forms Use the Macro Builder Create conditional macros Create macro groups Creating Macros • Macro – a set of one or more actions that you can use to automate tasks – There are 53 pre-defined macro actions you can use to create macros • When you run a macro, the macro actions execute in the order in which they appear in the Macro window • Most macros require action arguments – Action argument – an expression, operator, object name or combination of objects that provide additional information needed by the macro to perform its actions • For example: you must specify the name of a form to open or a report to print Attaching Macros to Events on Forms • For a macro to execute automatically, it must be attached to an event in your application • To attach a macro to an event on a form: – Open the form in Design view and display the Event properties for the object to which you want to attach the macro – Display the drop-down list for the appropriate event property, then click on the macro you want to attach to the object • For example: Command buttons have macros attached to them that govern their actions when a user clicks on them Using the Macro Builder • Use the Macro Builder to create a macro and attach it to an event in one step • To use the Macro Builder: – Open the form in Design view and display the Event properties for the object to which you want to attach the macro – Click on the Build button for the desired property – Enter the macro actions, comments and action arguments, as required Creating Conditional Macros • Conditional macro – a macro that executes only when certain conditions are met • To create a conditional macro: – Display the Condition column in the Macro window and enter an expression in it that can be evaluated as either True or False • If the condition is True, the action associated with the condition will execute • If the condition is False, the action associated with the condition will not execute Creating Macro Groups • You can group two or more related macros in one macro group • To create a macro group: – Display the Macro Name column in the Macro window and specify a name for each individual macro – When you save the Macro window, the name you specify becomes the macro group name • You reference the individual macros by using the macro group name, period (.), then the individual macro name – For example: ReportsDialog.Preview refers to the Preview macro in the ReportsDialog macro group Lesson 5: Controlling Data Entry © 2001 ComputerPREP, Inc. All rights reserved. Objectives • • • • • • Restrict user access to fields Set form properties Set the open mode Close forms automatically Specify default values for fields Conditionally set the Visible property Restricting User Access to Fields • Locked property – specifies whether data in a control can be edited • Enabled property – specifies whether a control can receive user input • Tab Stop property – specifies whether a user can access a control by pressing the TAB key – If Enabled = No, a user cannot access the control and it appears dimmed – If Locked = Yes, a user can access the control but not edit the data – If Enabled = No and Locked = Yes, a user cannot access the control but it displays normally – If Tab Stop = No, a user cannot tab to the control Setting Form Properties • AllowAdditions property – specifies whether a user can add records using a form • AllowDeletions property – specifies whether a user can delete records using a form • AllowEdits property – specifies whether a user can edit existing records using a form • DataEntry property – specifies whether a form opens to allow data entry and whether existing records display Setting the Open Mode • You can set three open modes for a form: – Add mode – specifies that a user can add new records using a form – Edit mode – specifies that a user can add new records and edit existing records using a form – Read Only mode – specifies that a user cannot add or edit records using a form • The open mode of a form overrides its property settings Closing Forms Automatically • To close a form automatically after a user adds a record: – Create a macro that includes a Close action – Specify the name of the form you want to close – Attach the macro to the form’s AfterInsert or AfterUpdate event • AfterInsert event – an event that occurs when a user adds a new record to a table • AfterUpdate event – an event that occurs when a user adds a new record or edits and saves changes to an existing record Specifying Default Values for Fields • Specify default values for fields to increase data entry speed and accuracy • To specify a default value for a field: – Open the form and display the Data properties for the appropriate control – In the Default Value text box, type an expression that yields the default value; or use the Expression Builder to build an expression that yields the default value Conditionally Setting the Visible Property • Conditionally set the Visible property to hide a control in situations when it would not be appropriate for a user to access the control • To conditionally set the Visible property for a control: – Create a conditional macro and add a SetValue action that will execute if the condition is True – Specify the appropriate action arguments to set the Visible property to No – Attach the macro to an appropriate event Lesson 6: Using Dialog Boxes to Get Report Criteria © 2001 ComputerPREP, Inc. All rights reserved. Objectives • • • • Create a dialog box for a report Modify underlying queries Modify reports Test and refine dialog boxes Creating a Dialog Box for a Report • The first step in giving users the ability to filter records in a report is to create a dialog box that will accept user input for use as query criteria • To create a dialog box that will accept user input: – Create a dialog box and add unbound text box controls for each user-supplied criteria – Set the Name and Format properties for the unbound text box controls – Create and attach macros for the dialog box, as appropriate Modifying Underlying Queries • The second step in giving users the ability to filter records in a report is to keep the dialog box open so you can reference its user-supplied value as you specify the criteria of a query based on that value • To keep a dialog box open: – Set the Visible property to No • To reference a value a user types in the dialog box: – Open the dialog box – Create an expression in the appropriate Criteria cell in the query design grid that references the control in the dialog box Modifying Reports • The third step in giving users the ability to filter records in a report is to modify appropriate report properties to display and close needed dialog boxes as the macro executes • To display a dialog box when a user previews or prints a report: – Create a macro that opens the dialog box form and attach it to the report’s OnOpen event • To close a dialog box when a user closes a report: – Create a macro that closes the dialog box form and attach it to the report’s OnClose event Testing and Refining Dialog Boxes • Ensure that you test all features included in the dialog box and test it in relation to other forms in the application • To test a dialog box: – Open the dialog box as many times as necessary to test each feature – Record and repair any errors or problems Testing and Refining Dialog Boxes (cont’d) • If, while testing the dialog box, you encounter results that could confuse an inexperienced user, create message boxes to tell the user what to do next • To create a message box: – Create a macro and include the MsgBox action – Type the message you want the message box to display in the Message action argument – Specify settings for the remaining action arguments as appropriate Lesson 7: Creating Custom Switchboards © 2001 ComputerPREP, Inc. All rights reserved. Objectives • Create switchboard forms • Create macros for switchboard controls • Assign macros to switchboard controls Creating Switchboard Forms • Switchboard forms are forms that contain option or command buttons that users can click on to execute application tasks • Switchboards serve as menus for an application • Switchboard options should logically group related tasks and forms in the application • You can create as many switchboards as necessary • Switchboards can display other switchboards Creating and Assigning Macros to Switchboard Controls • Switchboard controls open forms or display other switchboards • As with controls on any form, you create macros or event procedures to perform application tasks associated with the controls • After you create the macros or event procedures, assign them to the appropriate controls in the switchboard Lesson 8: Enhancing Applications © 2001 ComputerPREP, Inc. All rights reserved. Objectives • • • • Create keyboard shortcut macros Create control tips and status bar messages Set startup properties Adjust objects and view enhancements Creating Keyboard Shortcut Macros • Create keyboard shortcuts by creating a macro group named AutoKeys, in which you assign macro actions to key combinations • The actions you assign to shortcut key combinations within a database will override the default Access key assignments • Enter symbols in the Macro Name column of the AutoKeys macro group to specify particular key combinations Creating Control Tips and Status Bar Messages • Control tips and status bar messages provide helpful information and instructional text about controls in a form – Control tip – text that displays in a pop-up window when a user positions the mouse pointer over a control – Status bar message – text that displays in the status bar when a control is activated Setting Startup Properties • Startup properties determine the way an application appears when opened • Use the Startup dialog box to set startup properties, which can include: – Specifying the text that will display in the application title bar – Specifying the form to display automatically when the application opens, such as the switchboard – Specifying to hide the Database window when the application opens • Press and hold the SHIFT key when opening a database to bypass the startup settings Adjusting Objects and Viewing Enhancements • After you enhance an application, you might need to adjust macros or forms to accommodate the changes you made • In the Trailer Park application, you will: – Write a macro action to redisplay the hidden Database window from within a macro – Write a macro action to exit Access from within the macro – Test the application enhancements Lesson 9: Using Database Utilities © 2001 ComputerPREP, Inc. All rights reserved. Objectives • • • • • Use the Database Splitter Use the Linked Table Manager Compact and repair a database Convert a database to a previous version Back up and restore a database Using the Database Splitter • If your application is located on a network, you can create a front-end/back-end application using the Database Splitter wizard – Back-end database – a database that contains the tables used by the front-end database – Front-end database – a database that contains the database objects and links to the tables in the backend database • Typically, the back-end database is located on a network server and copies of the front-end database are located on individual users’ computers Using the Linked Table Manager • After you have split a database, use the Linked Table Manager utility to view or refresh links, or to change the file name and path for linked tables • If the location or structure of a linked table has changed since you split the database, you will not be able to access the table data by attempting to open a query, form or report until you refresh the links Compacting and Repairing a Database • If you delete data or objects in your application, the database can become fragmented and use disk space inefficiently • If a database behaves unpredictably, it may be damaged • Use the Compact and Repair utility to compact and repair a database simultaneously • Compacting a database: – Rearranges how the file is stored on disk – Resets AutoNumber values Converting a Database to a Previous Version • You can use the Convert Database utility to convert an Access 2000 database to an Access 97 database • To convert a database to a previous version: – Open the database you want to convert – Click on Tools, Database Utilities, Convert Database, To Prior Access Database Version… – Name the new database, then click on Save • If the Access 2000 application contains event procedures, you may need to fix missing references in the converted version Backing Up and Restoring a Database • To back up a database: – Make a copy of the database using Windows Explorer, My Computer or the MS-DOS Copy command, or – Use a backup/restore utility software package (if the database will not fit on one floppy disk) • To restore a database: – Copy the backup database back to your hard disk, or – Use the restore feature of the backup/restore utility software package Lesson 10: Protecting and Replicating Databases © 2001 ComputerPREP, Inc. All rights reserved. Objectives • • • • • Set record locking Open databases in exclusive mode Use database passwords Encrypt and decrypt databases Replicate and synchronize databases Setting Record Locking • Record Locking – a setting that gives one user exclusive access to a record or table and prevents other users from editing a given record at the same time • Record locking settings: – No locks – turns off record locking for the database – All records – locks all records in the form or datasheet while you edit them – Edited record – locks only the record you are editing Opening Databases in Exclusive Mode • Open mode – more than one user can open a database at a given time • Shared mode (the default mode) – other users can access a database that you have opened • Exclusive mode – no other users can access a database that you have opened – Some database operations require that a database be opened in exclusive mode. For example: compacting a database, or setting or unsetting a database password Using Database Passwords • Set database passwords to prevent unauthorized access to your application • Database passwords are stored with the database • After you set a password, only a user who enters the correct password will be able to open the database • If you lose or forget the password, it cannot be recovered and you will be unable to open the database Encrypting and Decrypting Databases • Encrypt – compacts a database and makes it indecipherable by a utility program or a word processor • Decrypt – reverses the encryption process • Encrypt a database: – When sending a database as an e-mail attachment, or – Sending it to a remote user over the network Encrypting and Decrypting Databases (cont’d) • Before you can encrypt a database: – You must close it – Enough space must be available on your hard disk for the original database and the temporary copy Access creates during the encryption process • Before you can decrypt a database: – Enough space must be available on your hard disk for the original database and the temporary copy Access creates during the decryption process Replicating and Synchronizing Databases • Replicate a database for use by mobile users and synchronize the replicas with the original database to update the data between them – Replicate – copies a database to create replicas – Synchronize – exchanges updated data between the original database and the replicas • When you replicate databases, the original becomes the design master • The design master and replicas, collectively, are know as a replica set Replicating and Synchronizing Databases (cont’d) • Users may update design master or any of its replicas may be updated • To change the structure of a database, you must make changes to the design master • Different replicas in the replica set can be designated the design master; only one design master can be designated in each replica set • You cannot replicate or synchronize a database that is password-protected, nor can you attach a password to a replica