ACC: How to Prompt User to Save Changes to Record in Form(95/97)

• Microsoft Access versions 7.0, 97

SUMMARY

Moderate: Requires basic macro, coding and interoperability skills.

When you move to the next record or close a Microsoft Access form, Microsoft Access automatically saves any changes that you have made to the current record. This article demonstrates how to use a BeforeUpdate event procedure that prompts you to verify the save operation before continuing.

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.

MORE INFORMATION

CAUTION: Following the steps in this example will modify the sample database Northwind.mdb. You may want to back up the Northwind.mdb file and perform these steps on a copy of the database.

This example uses the BeforeUpdate event procedure in the Customers form to prompt the user to confirm changes before saving.

1. Open the sample database Northwind.mdb, and view the Customers form in Design view.

2. On the View menu, click Properties, and then click the Event tab.

3. Set the form's BeforeUpdate property to the following event procedure:

         Private Sub Form_BeforeUpdate(Cancel As Integer)
   

            ' This procedure checks to see if the data on the form has
            ' changed. If the data has changed, the procedure prompts the
            ' user to continue the save operation or cancel it. Then the
            ' action that triggered the BeforeUpdate event is completed.
   
            Dim ctl As Control
   
            On Error GoTo Err_BeforeUpdate
   
            ' The Dirty property is True if the record has been changed.
            If Me.Dirty Then
               ' Prompt to confirm the save operation.
               If MsgBox("Do you want to save?", vbYesNo + vbQuestion, _
                       "Save Record") = vbNo Then
                  Me.Undo
               End If
            End If
   
         Exit_BeforeUpdate:
            Exit Sub
   
         Err_BeforeUpdate:
            MsgBox Err.Number & " " & Err.Description
            Resume Exit_BeforeUpdate
         End Sub
   
   

4. On the Debug menu, click Compile Loaded Modules.

5. Save the Customers form.

REFERENCES

For more information about the Controls collection, search the Help Index for "Controls collection."

For more information about the For Each loop, search the Help Index for "For Each...Next Statement."