ACC2000: How to Start Another Application from a Data Access Page

• Microsoft Access 2000

SUMMARY

This article shows you how to start another application from a Microsoft Access data access page.

MORE INFORMATION

The following example demonstrates how to start an application and to load a file whose name you type in a text box. This example starts Microsoft Word for Windows and loads a document that you specify.

1. Start Microsoft Access.



2. In the Database window, click Pages under Objects, and then click New.



3. In the New Data Access Page box, click Design View, and then click OK.



4. Place a text box in the Section: Unbound section of the page.



5. Set the following properties for the text box:




   Id: txtApp
   Left: 2in
   Top: 0.5in
   Width: 1in 

6. Set the following properties for the text box label:




   FontWeight: bold
   InnerText: Application Name:
   Left: 0in
   TextAlign: right
   Top: 0.5in
   Width: 2in 

7. Place another text box in the Section: Unbound section of the page.



8. Set the following properties for this text box:




   Id: txtDoc
   Left: 2in
   Top: 0.75in
   Width: 4in 

9. Set the following properties for the text box label:




   FontWeight: bold
   InnerText: Path and File Name:
   Left: 0in
   TextAlign: right
   Top: 0.75in
   Width: 2in 

10. Place a command button in the Section: Unbound section of the page.



11. Set the following properties for the command button:




   Id: cmdOpenApp
   FontWeight: bold
   InnerText: Open App
   Left: 2.5in
   Top: 1in 

12. Place another command button in the Section: Unbound section of the page.



13. Set the following properties for the command button:




   Id: cmdCloseApp
   FontWeight: bold
   InnerText: Close App
   Left: 2.5in
   Top: 1.25in 

14. On the File menu, click Save, and save the page as LaunchApp.htm. Make a note of the folder where this file is saved. You will need this information later in these steps.



15. On the Tools menu, point to Macro, and then click Microsoft Script Editor.



16. On the HTML menu, point to Script Block, and then click Client. Insert the following script:




<SCRIPT language=vbscript>
<!--
   Option Explicit
   Dim Obj
-->
</SCRIPT> 

17. Using the Script Outline, insert the following script for the OnClick event of the cmdOpenApp command button:




<SCRIPT event=onclick for=cmdOpenApp language=vbscript>
<!--
   Dim strApp, strDoc
   Dim intPosition

   strApp = document.all.item("txtApp").Value
   strDoc = document.all.item("txtDoc").Value

   If Not IsNull(strApp) And strApp <> "" Then
      Set Obj = CreateObject(strApp & ".Application")
      Obj.Application.Visible = True
   Else
      MsgBox "Must enter an Application Name."
      Exit Sub
   End If
	
   If Not IsNull(strDoc) and strDoc <> "" Then
      Select Case UCase(StrApp)
         Case "ACCESS"
            Obj.OpenCurrentDatabase strDoc
         Case "EXCEL"
            Obj.Workbooks.Open strDoc
         Case "WORD"
            Obj.Documents.Open strDoc
         Case Else
            MsgBox "Application Unknown."
            Exit Sub
      End Select
   End If
-->
</SCRIPT> 

18. Using the Script Outline, insert the following script for the OnClick event of the cmdCloseApp command button:




<SCRIPT event=onclick for=cmdCloseApp language=vbscript>
<!--
   Obj.Application.Quit
   Set Obj = Nothing
-->
</SCRIPT> 

19. Close the Microsoft Script Editor and Microsoft Access, and when prompted, click Yes to save changes.



20. Start Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.



21. On the File menu, click Open.



22. Click Browse and locate the folder where the LaunchApp.htm file is stored.



23. Click LaunchApp.htm and click Open.



24. Click OK and type Word in the Application Name text box.



25. In the next text box, type a path and file name to some Word document, such as C:\Windows\Script.doc.



26. Click Open App. Note that Word starts and opens the document that you specified.



27. Click Close App to quit Word.

Additional query words:

Keywords          : kbdta AccDAP DAPScriptHowTo 
Version           : WINDOWS:2000
Platform          : WINDOWS 
Issue type        : kbhowto 

Last Reviewed: July 26, 1999