Switchboard Form

[Peter Hibbs]

Access 2003.

I have a large database which has grown over the years and now has
nearly 100 forms, reports, etc which need to be accessed from the main
menu. I am currently using the built-in switchboard wizard to create
the switchboard which has a number of nested sub-menus which are, in
some cases, up to three levels deep.

This all works OK but the users a complaining (albeit mildly at the
moment) that it is sometimes difficult to remember how to find
particular forms and that they having to click several buttons to get
to them, which they find a bit annoying. Time, I think, to consider
alternatives to this system.

I am well aware that the experts in this NG usually design their own
switchboard system when there are a large number of forms to access,
would anyone who has tackled this situation, like to share their
techniques with the Access community. I do have my own ideas about
this but would be interested to hear other ideas before I start.

Peter Hibbs.

 

[KARL DEWEY]

it is sometimes difficult to remember how to find particular forms
There should not be a problem if the selection process is laid out in a
logical flow.

On one database I had that was new and had many forms & reports I added
another command button on the side to open a pop-up form displaying the
hierarchy.

 

[GBA]

i find the built in switchboard technology to be unnecessarily cumbersome and
just use a plain ole form....after all - - buttons to open another form is
pretty basic to set up....

but when you get to your volume of forms then you really might consider
using a listbox/combobox to select the form...

you have to build a new table with each form name - and then you have to
craft the open form statement based upon the form selected....

 

[Peter Hibbs]

Thanks Karl and GBA, will give it some more thought.

Peter Hibbs.