ACC: Maximized Form Shows Control Box, Min/Max/Restore Buttons

ID: Q128196

The information in this article applies to:

• Microsoft Access versions 2.0, 97

SYMPTOMS

Advanced: Requires expert coding, interoperability, and multiuser skills.

In Microsoft Access 97, a form whose ControlBox, MinMaxButtons, and CloseButton properties are set to No still displays the Restore and Close buttons when you maximize the form.

In Microsoft Access 2.0, a form whose ControlBox, MinButton, and MaxButton properties are set to No still displays the Control-menu box and a Restore button when you maximize the form.

This article assumes that you are familiar with Visual Basic for Applications and with creating Microsoft Access applications using the programming tools provided with Microsoft Access. For more information about Visual Basic for Applications, please refer to your version of the "Building Applications with Microsoft Access" manual.

NOTE: Visual Basic for Applications is called Access Basic in Microsoft Access version 2.0. For more information about Access Basic, please refer to the "Building Applications" manual.

CAUSE

Microsoft Access is a multiple document interface (MDI) application. The default behavior for an MDI application is for all maximized child windows to always display a Control-menu box and a Restore button.

RESOLUTION

You can use the following technique to simulate maximizing a window by sizing it as large as possible in the restored, windowed (non-maximized), state.

The following example demonstrates how to create and use a sample Sub procedure called MaximizeRestoredForm to restore a form if it is maximized, and then move it to the upper-left corner of the Microsoft Access client area window and size it as large as possible.

NOTE: This technique will produce a blank section at the top of the form that is approximately the height and width of a toolbar, if the form is opened in Design view, and then switched to Form view. This code works best when the form is opened from the Database window or through code while running the application.

NOTE: In the following sample code, an underscore (_) at the end of a line is used as a line-continuation character. Remove the underscore from the end of the line when re-creating this code in Access Basic.

1. Create a new module and type the following lines in the Declarations

   section:

   In Microsoft Access 97:

      Type Rect
         x1 As Long
         y1 As Long
         x2 As Long
         y2 As Long
      End Type

      Declare Function GetWindowRect Lib "user32" (ByVal hwnd As Long, _
         lpRect As Rect) As Long
      Declare Function IsZoomed Lib "user32" (ByVal hwnd As Long) As Long
      Declare Function ShowWindow Lib "user32" (ByVal hwnd As Long, ByVal _
         nCmdShow As Long) As Long
      Declare Function MoveWindow Lib "user32" (ByVal hwnd As Long, ByVal _
         X As Long, ByVal y As Long, ByVal nWidth As Long, ByVal nHeight _
         As Long, ByVal bRepaint As Long) As Long
      Declare Function GetParent Lib "user32" (ByVal hwnd As Long) As Long

      Public Const SW_MAXIMIZE = 3
      Public Const SW_SHOWNORMAL = 1

   In Microsoft Access 2.0:

      Option Explicit

      Type Rect
         x1 As Integer
         y1 As Integer
         x2 As Integer
         y2 As Integer
      End Type

      Declare Sub GetWindowRect Lib "User" (ByVal hWnd As Integer, _
         lpRect As Rect)
      Declare Function IsZoomed Lib "User" (ByVal hWnd As Integer) _
         As Integer
      Declare Sub ShowWindow Lib "User" (ByVal hWnd%, ByVal nCmdShow%)
      Declare Sub MoveWindow Lib "User" (ByVal hWnd As Integer, _
         ByVal X As Integer, ByVal Y As Integer, ByVal nWidth As _
         Integer, ByVal nHeight As Integer, ByVal bRepaint As Integer)
      Declare Function GetParent Lib "User" (ByVal hWnd As Integer) _
         As Integer

      Const SW_MAXIMIZE = 3
      Const SW_SHOWNORMAL = 1

      Sub MaximizeRestoredForm (F As Form)
         Dim MDIRect As Rect

         ' If the form is maximized, restore it.
         If IsZoomed(F.hWnd) <> 0 Then
            ShowWindow F.hWnd, SW_SHOWNORMAL
         End If

         ' Get the screen coordinates and window size of the
         ' MDIClient window.
         GetWindowRect GetParent(F.hWnd), MDIRect

            ' Move the form to the upper left corner of the MDIClient
            ' window (0,0) and size it to the same size as the
            ' MDIClient window.
            MoveWindow F.hWnd, 0, 0, MDIRect.x2 - MDIRect.x1, _
               MDIRect.y2 - MDIRect.y1, True
      End Sub

   OnLoad property of the form to the following event procedure:

      Sub Form_Load()
         MaximizeRestoredForm Me
      End Sub

   in a function or subroutine:

      MaximizeRestoredForm Forms!MyForm

STATUS

This behavior does not occur in Microsoft Access 7.0.

Additional query words:

Keywords          : kbusage FmsProp 
Version           : 2.0 97
Platform          : WINDOWS
Hardware          : x86
Issue type        : kbprb

Last Reviewed: November 21, 1998