ACC2000: GoToControl to Control with Focus in AfterUpdate Ignored

ID: Q208178

The information in this article applies to:

Microsoft Access 2000

Moderate: Requires basic macro, coding, and interoperability skills.

This article applies to a Microsoft Access database (.mdb) and a Microsoft Access project (.adp).

SYMPTOMS

You you try to use the GoToControl method or the SetFocus method in the AfterUpdate event of a control to set focus back the control that is being updated, the GoToControl or SetFocus method will be ignored. For example, the following code, will not cause the control named MyControl to retain focus once it is updated:


Private Sub MyControl_AfterUpdate()
   DoCmd.GoToControl "MyControl"
End Sub

You will see the same behavior when you use the GoToControl action in a Macro.

CAUSE

You cannot set the focus on a form to an object that already has focus.

RESOLUTION

You can get the desired results in one of the following ways:

To stop the control focus from changing, regardless of the update status of the control, set Cancel = True in the Exit event of the control.
If you want to prevent the changed data from being saved, set Cancel = True in the BeforeUpdate event of the control.

The following example maintains focus on a control, regardless of the update status of that control:


Private Sub MyControl_OnExit(Cancel As Integer)

   Cancel = True

End Sub

When you add this code to a control, the only way to move to a different control on the form is by using the pointer.

MORE INFORMATION

Steps to Reproduce Behavior

In the sample database Northwind.mdb, create the following macro named Test1:


   Macro Name   Condition         Action
   ------------------------------------------
   Test1        ([City]="aaaa")   GoToControl


   Test1 Actions
   -------------
   GoToControl
     Control Name: [City]

Open the Customers form in Design view. Set the City control's AfterUpdate property to the Test1 macro.

View the Customers form in Form view.

Type aaaa in the City field and press TAB. Note that the focus moves to the next field in the tab order. However, if you had moved to another control before pressing TAB, the focus would not have changed.

REFERENCES

For more information about the GoToControl action, click Microsoft Access Help on the Help menu, type "GoToControl" in the Office Assistant or the Answer Wizard, and then click Search to view the topics returned.

For more information about the GoToControl method, in the Visual Basic Editor, click Microsoft Visual Basic Help on the Help menu, type "GoToControl method" in the Office Assistant or the Answer Wizard, and then click Search to view the topic.

Additional query words: prb


Keywords          : kbusage kbdta McrActn 
Version           : WINDOWS:2000
Platform          : WINDOWS 
Issue type        : kbprb

Last Reviewed: May 13, 1999