| The MS Access macro will take your database | | | | of the form to open in the macro designer and |
| into a new dimension. You can write powerful | | | | voila, we have just written an automation |
| automation features without having to learn any | | | | statement without any program code. We could |
| complex programming code. Normal 0 false false | | | | do the same with a report. |
| false EN-GB X-NONE X-NONE /* Style Definitions | | | | |
| */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table | | | | We would write an MS Access macro to |
| Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; | | | | automate routine tasks that we perform again |
| mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; | | | | and again. A good example is importing data. To |
| mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-qformat:yes; | | | | save us going up to the menus and selecting the |
| mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0cm 5.4pt | | | | various options, we could write a macro to take |
| 0cm 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0cm; | | | | care of it. |
| mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; | | | | |
| mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; | | | | A macro consists of actions. We can add a series |
| font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"; | | | | of actions to a single macro. We can also write a |
| mso-ascii-font-family:Arial; | | | | macro condition. For example, our macro condition |
| mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; | | | | could determine which button was clicked on the |
| mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; | | | | form and perform the correct macro action that |
| mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; | | | | is needed. |
| mso-hansi-font-family:Arial; | | | | |
| mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; | | | | Although an MS Access macro has limited |
| mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; | | | | debugging features, it does allow us to step |
| mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} | | | | through each line to pinpoint what went wrong. |
| The general features of MS Access allow us to | | | | You cannot recover from the error easily as is |
| create some great systems. However, there will | | | | the case with VBA programming. |
| be times when we want to do something which | | | | |
| goes beyond what can be achieved with the basic | | | | Some people use a macro for practically |
| functionality. The MS Access macro will take your | | | | everything in their applications, although this is not |
| database into a new dimension. | | | | recommended. Whilst they are very powerful |
| | | | | tools it is better to use them sparingly and only |
| Some people may find the idea of programming | | | | for certain tasks. |
| or learning VBA program code off putting. To | | | | |
| some it can be challenging, rewarding even, to | | | | A very well known MS Access macro is called |
| others a chore best avoided. There is a way | | | | AutoExec’. This is the first thing that |
| around this though. | | | | gets run when a database is opening. You might |
| | | | | add a macro action to open a form and move to |
| MS Access macros offer a halfway house | | | | a certain record. You could then name the whole |
| between general functionality and fully blown | | | | macro AutoExec’ and the actions inside |
| programming. Essentially, behind the scenes | | | | it would get run as soon as the database opens. |
| macros are VBA program code, but to the user | | | | |
| they appear as one line action statements. For | | | | By using the MS Access macro you will not only |
| example we could use a macro to open a form. | | | | add greater power to your applications, but you |
| The macro action would be called | | | | will also experience a whole new way of doing |
| OpenForm’. We just pass it the name | | | | things. |