Switchboard Options invisible in Design view

[Stacy Rueda]

Hi Guys!

Please help me with my problem about Switchboard.

I created my Switchboard with the usual process of creating a simple Switchboard. I used the Default Main Switchboard and i think there is no problem with that if I use that or by creating a new one. Then I input the items on the Switchboard like 1. Import (using Run Macro), 2. Update (Run Macro), 3. Update another Table(Run Macro) 4. Print Report 5. Exit, I did the right process even the Command and which data will be calling in the "OPTIONS" on Switchboard. My problem is, after creating all that, why is that my OptionsLabel is only one on Design View, but when I check on Form View all Options from 1 to 5 is all visible.. Can someone offer a help what would be the problem in my Switchboard design. By the way, all options (1-5) performs the function based on what I set, the problem is just why Options is invisible in Design view. Thank you.

 

[UncleCatwoman]

I believe it's because there are no options in Design view. By specifying the number of buttons, what the labels are and what they do in the Switchboard Manager, you've told the form how to build the switchboard when it opens. It doesn't need to store them in Design view.

Personally, I never use Switchboard Manager. I much prefer just to add the buttons to my forms and the single line of code to do whatever (go to a different form, run a report, etc.) For me, it's a lot easier and I like that I have much more control over what I can do with the command buttons.

 

[Micron]

I was building switchboards before they became a feature of Access and have never used the built in one. Had to play with it to see if I could replicate the problem behaviour and have to say the automatic approach is quite bizarre. The loss of design control and extra overhead is something I will continue to avoid. The fact that the feature was removed from the ribbon on latter Access versions says something about the attractiveness of it.

I do still like the idea of one, over the notion of simply navigating from one form to another - especially if that would require form B to be opened to get to form C when I don't want to interact with the process of C. It's better to have a manually created switchboard form that will allow me to get to any process or report from the main page. You can set the switchboard to be the form that automatically opens when your db loads. Plus it is easy to hide or disable any command button based on user permissions so that those features cannot be accessed, and you don't need a switchboard table that Access creates for the automatic one.

 

[welshgasman]

If I understand you correctly, you are talking about the one entry in design view for the switchboard.?
That is because of the reasons UncleCatwoman mentions. You can have a maximum of 8 entries on any menu.
They are just place holders for the data from the switchboard table.

It acts a little like a continuous form. That makes it very flexible if you decide to move the menu entries around.
FWIW I use them a fair bit, mainly due to my inexperience and they are easy to create/restructure.

 

[Stacy Rueda]

Thank you very much for the advise UncleCatwoman, Micron, welshgasman. Because of that, i have decided to use the form which button will do the functions i have to set instead of switchboard.

I have additional question, I hope you can help me again. Why button function (Search button for example) is not functioning well when I placed it on Header of the Form. And Can I export data from Access to Excel the header and Details altogether in just one sheet

 

[welshgasman]

Thank you very much for the advise UncleCatwoman, Micron, welshgasman. Because of that, i have decided to use the form which button will do the functions i have to set instead of switchboard.

I wouldn't be so quick to discard it, as it is data driven and I use them a fair bit due to my inexperience. They are easy to produce for a novice.
Whilst from 2007 you are limited to 8 options per menu, and generally one of those is to return to the previous menu, they are still very useful, especially if you start taking user access levels into account.
If you used a form, and needed anotehr option, you would have to edit the form. With the switchboard, you would just add another record.

As mentioned, people have rolled their own menu structures, but no doubt based on the idea of the switchboard.

Up to you.

 

[Micron]

Why button function (Search button for example) is not functioning well

Because.

No doubt that is as helpful to you as "is not functioning well" is to us
As to the second question, you could investigate TransferSpreadsheet function, with or without headers. That function is available in Access and Excel, so you could either "push" to Access from Excel, or go the other way. There are possible issues (usually regarding how data types get muddled in Access - you might want to research that as well) and one of the solutions is, after the transfer, move the data into a table that has been properly formatted. Another method you can investigate is to link to the spreadsheet from Access.

 

[Stacy Rueda]

Hi Guys,

Can you help me please with the code I found for TransferSpreadSheet. How can I excute the code, What would be the first step? I would need to create button function right?

Does it need to start and end with Private Sub and End Sub?

Sorry for my like-ignorant questions? I'm really a novice with MS Access. Thank you, Hope you can help me.

[COLOR=#660066][FONT=inherit]DoCmd[/FONT][/COLOR][COLOR=#666600][FONT=inherit].[/FONT][/COLOR][COLOR=#660066][FONT=inherit]TransferSpreadsheet[/FONT][/COLOR][COLOR=#000000][FONT=inherit] acExport[/FONT][/COLOR][COLOR=#666600][FONT=inherit],[/FONT][/COLOR][COLOR=#000000][FONT=inherit] acSpreadsheetTypeExcel12[/FONT][/COLOR][COLOR=#666600][FONT=inherit],[/FONT][/COLOR][COLOR=#000000][FONT=inherit] [/FONT][/COLOR][COLOR=#008800][FONT=inherit]"Table1 Query"[/FONT][/COLOR][COLOR=#666600][FONT=inherit],[/FONT][/COLOR][COLOR=#000000][FONT=inherit] [/FONT][/COLOR][COLOR=#008800][FONT=inherit]"C:\Book1.xlsx"[/FONT][/COLOR]

 

[Micron]

If you have a suitable form, add a command button to it. My rule is, never accept the meaningless name that Access gives to any control. Instead, provide a concise, descriptive name per your adopted naming convention. See these for examples of this:
One source about how to name things - http://access.mvps.org/access/general/gen0012.htm
What not to use in names - http://allenbrowne.com/AppIssueBadWord.html
Then when your button is selected (in form design view), from the property sheet, choose On Click as the event to put your code. The beginning and ending lines will be automatically inserted. Add your code, assuming it is written correctly. Save form, go to form view and click the button. What you will have is a very simple procedure with no error handling, but if it works, you can learn about that later.