Access Tutorial 10

Automating Tasks with

Macros

COMPREHENSIVE
Objectives XP

• Design a switchboard and dialog box for a

graphical user interface
• Run and add actions to macros
• Single step a macro
• Create a macro
• Add a macro to a macro group
• Add a command button to a form
• Attach a macro to a command button

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Objectives XP

• Create a dialog box form

• Add a list box to a form
• Use an SQL statement to fill a list box with object
names
• Create a macro group
• Use the Switchboard Manager to create a
switchboard
• Modify a switchboard

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Implementing a Graphical User XP
Interface
• A user interface is what you see and use when you
communicate with a computer program
• A graphical user interface (GUI) (pronounced “gooey”)
displays windows, dialog boxes, command buttons,
other controls, and graphical pictures, called icons, that
you use to communicate with a program
• A switchboard is a form that appears when you open a
database and that provides controlled access to the
database’s forms, reports, and queries

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Implementing a Graphical User XP
Interface

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Introduction to Macros XP

• A macro is an action, or a set of actions, that you

want Access to perform automatically for you

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Directly Running an Existing Macro XP

• In the Macro window, click the Run button in the Tools

group on the Design tab on the Ribbon
Or
• In the Macro group on the Database Tools tab on the
Ribbon, click the Run Macro button, select the macro
name in the Macro Name list box in the Run Macro dialog
box, and then click the OK button
Or
• In the Macros group in the Navigation Pane, right-click the
macro name, and then click Run on the shortcut menu

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Directly Running an Existing Macro XP

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Adding Actions to a Macro XP

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Single Stepping a Macro XP

• Single stepping executes a macro one action at a time,

pausing between actions
• In the Macro window, click the Single Step button in the
Tools group on the Design tab on the Ribbon
• Click the Run button in the Tools group on the Design tab
on the Ribbon
• In the Macro Single Step dialog box, click the Step button
to execute the next action, click the Halt button to stop
the macro, or click the Continue button to execute all
remaining actions in the macro and turn off single
stepping

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Creating a Macro XP

• Click the Create tab on the Ribbon

• In the Other group on the Create tab, click the
Macro button
• Click the Save button on the Quick Access
Toolbar, type the macro name in the Macro
Name text box, and then press the Enter key

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Creating an Action by Dragging XP

• Make sure the Macro window and the

Navigation Pane are open
• Drag an object from the Navigation Pane to an
Action box in the Macro window. Access adds
the appropriate macro action and sets its
arguments to their default values

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Creating an Action by Dragging XP

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Creating an Action by Dragging XP

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Macro Groups XP

• A macro group is a macro that contains other

macros

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Adding a Macro to a Macro Group XP

• Open the macro group in the Macro window. (For a macro group,
the Macro Names button is already selected.)
• Type the macro name in the Macro Name column, select the
action in the Action column, type an optional comment in the
Comment column, and then use the Action Arguments pane to
set the macro’s arguments
• If the macro consists of more than one action, enter the
remaining actions in the rows immediately following the first
macro action. Leave the Macro Name column blank for each
additional action
• Save the macro group

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Adding a Macro to a Macro Group XP

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Adding a Command Button to a XP
Form

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Adding a List Box to a Form XP

• Switch to Design view, if necessary

• If necessary, click the Use Control Wizards button in the Controls group on the
Design tab to deselect it
• Click the List Box tool in the Controls group on the Design tab
• Position the pointer’s plus symbol where you want to place the upper-left
corner of the list box, and then click the mouse button
• If you use the List Box Wizard, complete the dialog boxes to choose the source
of the list, select the fields to appear in the list box, size the columns, select
the field that will provide the data for the field in the main form, choose to
remember the value for later use or store it in a field, and then enter the value
to appear in the list box label
• If you do not use the List Box Wizard, set the Row Source property and size the
list box

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Adding a List Box to a Form XP

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Using SQL XP

• SQL (Structured Query Language) is a standard

language used in querying, updating, and
managing relational databases
• Open the query in Datasheet view or Design view
• Click the SQL View button on the status bar, or
right-click the query tab (or title bar) and click
SQL View on the shortcut menu, or click the View
arrow in the Views group on the Ribbon and click
SQL View

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Using SQL XP

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Adding a Command Button to a XP
Form Using Control Wizards
• If necessary, click the Use Control Wizards tool in the Controls
group on the Design tab so that it is selected
• Click the Button tool in the Controls group on the Design tab
• Position the pointer’s plus symbol where you want to place the
upper-left corner of the command button, and then click the
mouse button
• Complete the Command Button Wizard dialog boxes to select the
action category and the action for the command button, enter
the text to display on the command button, select a picture for
the button, and then enter a name for the button

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Adding a Command Button to a XP
Form Using Control Wizards

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Creating a Macro Group XP

• Click the Create tab on the Ribbon

• In the Other group on the Create tab, click the Macro button
• In the Show/Hide group on the Design tab, click the Macro
Names button
• Enter the macros in the macro group by entering each macro
name in the Macro Name column and the corresponding
action(s) in the Action column. Enter comments as needed in the
Comment column, and set arguments as needed in the Action
Arguments pane
• Click the Save button on the Quick Access Toolbar, enter the
macro group name in the Macro Name text box, and then click
the OK button

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Creating a Macro Group XP

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Creating a Switchboard XP

• To create the switchboard, you’ll use the Access

Switchboard Manager
• The Switchboard Manager also creates a table,
named Switchboard Items, which contains
records describing the command buttons on the
switchboard
• The Switchboard Manager allows you to create
only one Switchboard form for a database, but
the switchboard can contain many pages

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Creating a Switchboard XP

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