[AccessD] Using Lateral Thinking To solve problems - This time it is Form Properties

All you have to do is ask.

BTW, I discovered that getting a pointer to currentdb is expensive.  If you are going to do a lot of 
dao manipulation of the dao.database object you should get a single pointer and then use that pointer:

function dbDao() as dao.database
static db as dao.database
	if db is nothing then
		set db = currentdb
	endif
	set dbdao - db
end function

The difference when repeatedly calling a function that needs the currentdb pointer can be quite 
dramatic.

John W. Colby
www.ColbyConsulting.com


William Hindman wrote:
> ...we need to get you in RANT mode a lot MORE often ...when you're through 
> ranting, you make amends with gems like this :)
> 
> William
> 
> --------------------------------------------------
> From: "jwcolby" <jwcolby at colbyconsulting.com>
> Sent: Thursday, February 26, 2009 1:13 AM
> To: "Access Developers discussion and problem solving" 
> <accessd at databaseadvisors.com>
> Subject: Re: [AccessD] Using Lateral Thinking To solve problems - This time 
> it	is Form Properties
> 
>> Max,
>>
>>> Couldn't find any way to manipulate custom properties in Forms.  Do you 
>>> know a way?
>> Don't say I never did nothing for ya.  Happy lateral thinking.
>>
>> There is this thing in Access called the "documents" collection. 
>> Documents are something that the
>> average joe knows nothing about and so are "well hidden" as I mentioned in 
>> my previous email.  I
>> mean they are right there, anyone can find them, anyone can iterate the 
>> documents collections, the
>> properties of a document etc but you have to dig down to that level to 
>> actually see what is in the
>> properties collection.
>>
>> currentdb.Containers(strContainer).Documents(strDocName)
>>
>> AFAICT .Containers represents the tabs in an A2003 database. strContainer 
>> will be the name of some
>> tab - Forms, Reports, Queries, Tables, etc.  .Documents() contains all of 
>> the forms, reports etc.
>> strDocName would be the name of a specific form, query etc.
>>
>> AFAICT documents are probably the textual representation of an object, IE 
>> what you would get if you
>> exported the object to a text file.  As such it doesn't have to be 
>> "opened" in design view to
>> manipulate, nor "Saved" afterwards.
>>
>> I haven't done extensive testing to see how many properties you can 
>> create.  I suspect a BUNCH
>> however, since these are collections like any other.
>>
>> To manipulate it:
>>
>> '---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>> ' Procedure : PropertyAdd
>> ' Author    : jwcolby
>> ' Date      : 2/26/2009
>> ' Purpose   :
>> '
>> 'String container can be "Forms", "Reports" etc
>> 'strDocName can be the name of any "document" in that container.
>> '
>> '---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>> '
>> Function PropertyAdd(strContainer As String, strDocName As String, _
>>                     strPrpName As String, PrpType As DataTypeEnum, varVal 
>> As Variant)
>> Dim db As DAO.Database
>> Dim prpNew As Property
>> Dim doc As Document
>> On Error GoTo Err_PropertyAdd
>>
>>     Set db = CurrentDb
>>     Set doc = db.Containers(strContainer).Documents(strDocName)
>>     With doc
>>         Set prpNew = .CreateProperty(strPrpName, PrpType, varVal)
>>         .Properties.Append prpNew
>>         .Properties.Refresh
>>     End With
>>     Debug.Print 
>> db.Containers(strContainer).Documents(strDocName).Properties(strPrpName)
>>
>> Exit_PropertyAdd:
>>     On Error Resume Next
>>     Exit Function
>> Err_PropertyAdd:
>>     Select Case Err
>>     Case 0      '.insert Errors you wish to ignore here
>>         Resume Next
>>     Case Else   '.All other errors will trap
>>         Beep
>>         MsgBox Err.Description
>>         Resume Exit_PropertyAdd
>>     End Select
>>     Resume 0    '.FOR TROUBLESHOOTING
>> End Function
>>
>> '---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>> ' Procedure : PrpGet
>> ' Author    : jwcolby
>> ' Date      : 2/26/2009
>> ' Purpose   :
>> '---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>> '
>> Function PrpGet(strContainer As String, strDocName As String, strPrpName 
>> As String) As Variant
>> On Error GoTo Err_PrpGet
>>
>>     PrpGet = 
>> CurrentDb.Containers(strContainer).Documents(strDocName).Properties(strPrpName)
>>
>> Exit_PrpGet:
>>     On Error Resume Next
>>     Exit Function
>> Err_PrpGet:
>>     Select Case Err
>>     Case 0      '.insert Errors you wish to ignore here
>>         Resume Next
>>     Case Else   '.All other errors will trap
>>         Beep
>>         MsgBox Err.Description
>>         Resume Exit_PrpGet
>>     End Select
>>     Resume 0    '.FOR TROUBLESHOOTING
>> End Function
>>
>> In the debug window:
>>
>>
>> AddProperty "forms","frmDemoCtls","JWCs test property",dbText,"jwc"
>>
>> ?PrpGet("forms","frmDemoCtls","jwcs test property")
>> jwc
>>
>>
>> Enjoy!
>>
>> John W. Colby
>> www.ColbyConsulting.com
>>
>>
>> Max Wanadoo wrote:
>>> Ha! John,  Been there. Looked at them yesterday - but I love the fact 
>>> that
>>> you are now also thinking Laterally!
>>>
>>> Couldn't find any way to manipulate custom properties in Forms.  Do you 
>>> know
>>> a way?
>>>
>>> I could only find custom properties on DB, Tables, Indexes, etc but not
>>> forms.
>>>
>>> Max
>>> Laugh more than cry.  Smile more than frown.  Be generous in  spirit. 
>>> And
>>> always stand your round in the pub!
>> -- 
>> AccessD mailing list
>> AccessD at databaseadvisors.com
>> http://databaseadvisors.com/mailman/listinfo/accessd
>> Website: http://www.databaseadvisors.com
>>
>