Creating a unique looking form as a 'switchboard'

[RJB]

I've seen numerous posts and varying opinions about using the switchboard
manager vs creating a series of forms to do the same job. The look of the
form is very important for this particular project, so I'm opting to design
the unbound forms manually and have them call one-another with command
buttons.

Here's the question - I'd like to do something sort of webpage like, where
the navigation buttons for the "main switchboard" style form are on the
left, always. By clicking one, it opens a subform in the center of the main
form. If you click another button on the left, it opens another form in the
same area, basically closing the other subform and opening the new one. The
subforms, of course, will have buttons within them that will open other
forms/reports/macros...etc.

Is this anywhere near possible and if so, are there any good
examples/tutorials about it? I will definitely need help with the coding.
I can handle the regular coding for going from from one form to another as a
regular switchboard would, but the opening/closing of subforms by clicking a
button might catch me.

Any help is greatly appreciated.
Thanks,
RJB

 

[shanesullaway via AccessMonster.com]

Hey RJB,

I do what your asking, on several of my forms and the way I do it is by
changing the SourceObject of the subForm. I created the various subForms
that I want to use and then the code behind the cmdButtons will change the
SourceObject. The only coding you need to do is:

Me.subFormName.SourceObject = "NameOfFormYouWantDisplayed"

HTH,
Shane