[AccessD] Standard vs. Class Module

Message>   ... Access Add Ins - Can't directly use a class in an Add In
module.

Actually you can directly use a class in an access module.

<Blatant plug on>
Go to your local bookstore and buy (or peruse through) Beginning Access 2002
VBA - ISBN 1-86100-821-x by (among others) Martin Reid and John Colby
Look in chapter 15, Libraries and Addins, page 620 "an undocumented secret"
to discover how you can do this.

Also see chapter 14 - Withevents and Raisevents for a discussion with
examples of using Withevents and Raiseevents.

<Blatant plug off>
John W. Colby
Colby Consulting
www.ColbyConsulting.com

  -----Original Message-----
  From: accessd-admin at databaseadvisors.com
[mailto:accessd-admin at databaseadvisors.com]On Behalf Of Tom Adams
  Sent: Tuesday, February 04, 2003 10:17 AM
  To: accessd at databaseadvisors.com
  Subject: Re: [AccessD] Standard vs. Class Module


  As a big believer in classes (but a poor doer) I've tried to move in that
direction for years.

  I've recently been working behind a class fiend in a VB project and have
had a chance to
  do more classes.

  Here's a "BIG" reason to use classes for those who're having Senior
moments - lookup.  I've
  accumulated hundreds of functions over the years and occasionally find
myself redoing something
  I've had for years just because I can't find it.  If you can remember the
class name, you can lookup
  the variable.  I intend to head in this direction soon - except for ...

     ... Access Add Ins - Can't directly use a class in an Add In module.  I
think you could move
  your class to a VB project and make a Dll and be able to use it directly
that way - will try someday.
  If anybody knows let me know.

  Tom (uh, uh, uh ... oh yea) Adams


    ----- Original Message -----
    From: Drew Wutka
    To: 'accessd at databaseadvisors.com'
    Sent: Monday, February 03, 2003 6:55 PM
    Subject: RE: [AccessD] Standard vs. Class Module


    Hmmmm.....good question.

    Let's start with the basics.  A standard module is a flat code page.  It
can house code, store global variables, and can house callback functions.
The main portion of that is it can house code.  You can put all of the
functions and subs within it that you would like, however, that is all they
are, functions and subs, and thus a standard module is relatively
'unorganized'.

    A Class module is a code 'object'.  Being an object allows the Class
module to have properties and procedures.  The code within is the same
(language wise), but now you have an organized set of code.

    Examples where a Standard Module is useful.

    modOSMachineName

    That's the name of a module I have which gives you the name of the
computer you are on.  It's a simple API call.

    modOSUserName

    Same as above, but it provides the NT Username of the person logged onto
a computer.

    Can these be put into a class?  Yes they can.  However, they are just as
organized in their own modules.  Putting them into a class would be useful
as a 'Environment' object:

    Dim env as Environment
    set env = New Environment
    debug.print env.MachineName
    debug.print env.UserName

    However, if you just want the computer name, here and there, instead of
creating a class object, just to use one property, then it would be better
as it's own function in a module:

    debug.print fOSMachineName

    Examples where a Class Module is better:

    This list would be huge, because when you really dig into Class modules,
you will find that they are so much nicer to use.  However, I have a
specific one that I would have liked to use back when I was doing heavy
Access FE development.

    Way back when, I liked to control the 'toggle' keys on the keyboard.
(Numlock, CapsLock and ScrollLock).  What I used to do, was have a module
that had a function to set a toggle key oneway or the other, and another
function to just 'check' the state.  What I should have done, is create a
Keyboard Class, or Toggle class, and have that class 'represent' the toggle
keys on the keyboard.  That way I would be able to 'control' the keyboard
toggles as an object, instead of using multiple functions.

    Drew


      -----Original Message-----
      From: Myke Myers [mailto:mmmtbig at bellsouth.net]
      Sent: Monday, February 03, 2003 5:44 PM
      To: accessd at databaseadvisors.com
      Subject: [AccessD] Standard vs. Class Module


      Can anyone describe how to determine when to use a standard module and
when to use a class module in Access?

      TIA    Myke
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://databaseadvisors.com/pipermail/accessd/attachments/20030204/d079c9d6/attachment-0002.html>