1 All Powder Board and Ski Microsoft Access Workbook Chapter 8: Applications Jerry Post Copyright © 2007

2 Application Elements Startup form Integrated forms and reports Help files Custom toolbar

3 Template Form Logo TitleClose button Messages

4 Customer Form with Template

5 Action Create a blank form in Design View. Add a logo and sample title. Add a button to close the form. Add a label that can be used to display messages to the user. Set the message labels Visible property to No. Apply the template form to the Customer form and save it as CustomerD.

6 Creating a Switchboard Form Start in design view Add command buttons Open forms or reports

7 Action Create a blank form in Design view Set the properties to remove the scroll bars and navigation buttons Add command buttons to open other forms (Form Operations/Open Form) and reports Use colors and graphics to make the form appealing Run the form and test all buttons

8 Creating Toolbars and Menus Create a new toolbar

9 Toolbars and Menus Drag commands onto the toolbar

10 Action Choose View/Toolbars/Customize On the Toolbars tab create a new toolbar Click the Commands tab Drag the main form icon onto the toolbar Add a Customers menu option and drag the customer forms and reports onto it Add the Help icon Test the toolbar

11 HTML Help Form Help File AllPowder.chm HTML Topic Properties: Help File: AllPowder.chm Help Context ID: 1 1 Topic A 2 Topic B 3 Topic C 4 Topic D 5 Topic E 6 Topic F compile

12 HTML Help Files <Object type="application/x-oleobject" classid="clsid:1e2a7bd0-dab9-11d0-b93a-00c04fc99f9e"> All Powder Board and Ski Shop Introduction to the All Powder Board and Ski Shop All Powder Board and Ski Shop sells and rents snowboards and skis for all levels of riders and skiers. The Board and Ski Shop Customers Sales

13 Action Create at least three HTML help files for the All Powder forms using an HTML editor or Wordpad If necessary, download and install the HTML Help workshop Create a new project in the workshop Add the HTML files Edit the HTML files to add keywords Create the mapping file with a text editor and add it to the project Set project options to build the TOC and index files Compile and test the help file Edit the database forms and add the help file name and ContentID Run the form and press the F1 key to test the help files

14 Topics Map File #define AllPowder100 #define Customers10000 #define Sales20000

15 Help Compiler and File

16 Help File on Access Form File name Topic number

17 Deploying Applications Developer files Application users Files to transfer: Name.mdb or Name.mde Name.chm Security files (optional) Replica files (optional)

18 Action Test your application. Copy the mdb and chm files to a second computer. Add a desktop shortcut to the application. Run the application and test it. If you have the Access runtime, use its installation software to build an installation file and test it.