See just the form without the database (for users)

[Guest]

I am creating (and helping co-workers to create) many different forms for my
company from several databases. What my colleagues and I have been unable to
figure out is how to be able to open JUST the form. We want our users to see
just the form so they can enter information into the form which will then
automatically be entered into the involved table. However, the users don't
need to see the actual database. To them, it should just look like an
interface. It should look like its own program. Anybody know how to do this?

--
Have a nice day!

~Paul
Express Scripts,
Charting the future of pharmacy

 

[Rick B]

Do a search. This was answered last week. I have seen it posted a few
times in here. It is an ADVANCED solution that involves a lot of coding.
Your best search keywords might be "hide application window" or "stand-alone
form".

 

[Guest]

A quick way to accomplish this is to define a form that starts when the
database opens. On the form, you can have a button for each form you want to
open. Consider using the Switchboard as your opening form.

To set up the form to open when you open the database, from the menu, select
Tools->Startup and in the Display Form/Page: combo box, you can select the
name of the form to start up.

This will not prevent anyone from closing the form and going directly into
the other objects in the database. That is a much more advanced topic as
Rick pointed out. You can reduce the problem by unchecking the Display
Database Window chec box just below the Display Form/Page: combo box.

To unhide it, from the menu, select Window and you will be able to show the
database window.

 

[Jeff Conrad]

In addition to the excellent advice already provided, you
can use the code found here:

http://www.mvps.org/access/api/api0019.htm

However, heed the warnings as this procedure
does have some pitfalls!

Personally, I believe the best thing to do is create custom
menu bars and toolbars for your application. Instead of your
program looking like an Access Application, you just make
it look like a *Software Application*.

--
Jeff Conrad
Access Junkie
http://home.bendbroadband.com/conradsystems/accessjunkie.html
http://www.access.qbuilt.com/html/articles.html

in message:

 

[Albert D.Kallal]

just use the tools->startup settings,and you can hide everything.

Try running the 3rd sample here:
http://www.members.shaw.ca/AlbertKallal/msaccess/DownLoad.htm

(the one called ms-access interface hidden).

Take a look at the settings used in the above tools->startup to see how this
was done......

 

[Guest]

Thanks for your help, everybody. I got it working. It's weird, though.
Everybody made it sound so difficult, but I just used Albert's advice and got
it working in a matter of seconds.

--
Have a nice day!

~Paul
Express Scripts,
Charting the future of pharmacy

 

[Dirk Goldgar]

Thanks for your help, everybody. I got it working. It's weird, though.
Everybody made it sound so difficult, but I just used Albert's advice
and got it working in a matter of seconds.

That's because they thought you wanted something more complicated than
you really did. Kudos to Albert for realizing what you needed.

 

[Guest]

Really? Well, my apologies if I made it seem my question was more complex
than it really was. Maybe I didn't explain myself well enough. I'm confused,
though. What did people think I was asking?

--
Have a nice day!

~Paul
Express Scripts,
Charting the future of pharmacy

 

[Jeff Conrad]

in message:

Really? Well, my apologies if I made it seem my question was more complex
than it really was. Maybe I didn't explain myself well enough. I'm confused,
though. What did people think I was asking?

Some confusion can usually happen with this type of question.
You said: "We want our users to see just the form ..."

Your subject line also read "See the form without the database"

In this case "database" can mean the database window (the list
of tables, forms, queries, etc.) *or* the Access application interface.
The interface is the Access window with Min/Max/Close buttons
and the Access border so to speak. Both questions get asked quite
often. My interpretation based on the information you provided
was that you wanted the latter.

No harm done, no apologies necessary.
Your issue is resolved and the world is a better place.

 

[Guest]

OHHHHH! I see what you mean now. Actually, that would be really cool, but is
probably more work than it is worth for what we are doing here. It would be
nifty not to even have to see Access, but it is not at all essential. Maybe
in a newer version of Access some time they will make it easier to do that.

--
Have a nice day!

~Paul
Express Scripts,
Charting the future of pharmacy

 

[Jeff Conrad]

in message:

OHHHHH! I see what you mean now. Actually, that would be really cool, but is
probably more work than it is worth for what we are doing here. It would be
nifty not to even have to see Access, but it is not at all essential. Maybe
in a newer version of Access some time they will make it easier to do that.

It is not a lot of work for a very simplistic database where the users
only enter data in a single form or maybe just a few. For larger databases
and viewing reports it becomes an absolute nightmare. I do not recommend
using it for anything more than a very simple data entry type database.

If you'd like to see a working sample of the technique in action you
can review my technical article here:

http://www.access.qbuilt.com/html/custom_login.html

The sample download file uses this technique if you are really
curious to see the end result.