Simply Access Tips. Issue February 2 nd 2009

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1 Hi [FirstName], Simply Access Tips Issue February 2 nd 2009 Welcome to the second edition of Simply Access Tips for Housekeeping, as usual, is at the end of the Newsletter so; if you need to know how to unsubscribe, white-list, etc., then scroll to the bottom. Julie s Ponderings Hi [FirstName], Welcome to all new subscribers and all my long term subscribers. I apologise to subscribers who did so in December and have not received anything, for some reason your s did not end up where they should have, and therefore were missed. I have corrected this anomaly and all is well again. If you missed any issues and would like the get them, then they can be found at: My days at work have changed. To Tuesday and Wednesday, so I have decided to send the Newsletters out every second Monday, starting the week after next. I did try to get this one out on Monday, but I did not quite get there is up and running. We have had a late summer, December was quite cool, but we are making up for it now, we have had over a week of 40+ Celsius days, so it has been a bit warm. Not a lot of news at the home front, just working out what days I am going to do what on. I think I am sorted. Mondays are going to be for my Important Non Urgent stuff, like this Newsletter, Invoices, Bills, Planning etc Tuesdays and Wednesdays I will work at the local hospital. Thursdays and Fridays I will do client work. Weekend off Yeah.

2 This is the ideal, but it often does not pan out this way. I will see how I go Talk to you all soon Julie Back Issues Just a reminder, back issues of Simply-Access Tips can be found at: Questions Unfortunately, I am unable to answer individual questions, personally, via . Purely due to the fact that all I would do is answer questions. You do, though, have three other options for me to answer your questions: 1) I can include them in an edition of Simply Access Tips (if you do not mind your question being shared). There may be a wait before they are included, depending on how many I have. 2) You can go to All Experts and post your question there. I have put myself on permanent holidays from All Experts, as I find I cannot keep up with even one question a day, but I will visit often and check the question pool. 3) Another good site is Learn VBA You may have noticed I have used VBA code in some of my answers. If you would like to learn this valuable skill to enable you to expand the flexibility of your Microsoft Access database, then click below to get your first lesson free, or cut and paste into your URL Address bar. You will need to scroll to the bottom of the page and enter your information into the form. NOTE: 2007 version coming out soon

3 Tips NOTE: If you are copying code from the tips and find it is not copying correctly i.e. the html is also being copied, then copy them into NotePad first (not Microsoft Word, as Word keeps the formatting) then copy from NotePad into Microsoft Access. Tip 1: Exporting a query to an Excel Format when you do not have Excel This tip is one I had to solve myself recently, but I thought it would be a good one to share. The problem was that I had a client who had recently put there database on a server, they fond the licensing for Microsoft Office to be too high for their number of users, so decided to go with Open Office a free ware program. These were the variables I had to take into consideration. Open Office can read Excel files Microsoft Access cannot export to Open Office format My current code I had written was not working as it was reliant on having Excel loaded on the server. The users would prefer Excel format, so they could use it on their local computers that had Excel. The code I came up with was the following: ***Start of code Dim conn As Object Dim strpath As String Turn off warnings so as they do not pop up when the query is run DoCmd.SetWarnings False Runs the make table query, that puts the results of the query into a new table, you will need to create this query DoCmd.OpenQuery "qryexportexcel" Calls the openfile procedure that enables the user to save the excel file. Web address for this code can be found at the end strpath = fopenfiledialog() Sets the your current database as the object Set conn = Application.CurrentDb Exports the data from the table (tblexportexcel) which was created with the Make Table Query (qryexportexcel), saving it into the position as per the fopenfiledialog function. With conn.execute "SELECT * INTO [Excel 8.0;Database=" & strpath & "].[Sheet1] FROM [tblexportexcel]" End With Sets conn to nothing this just closed everything properly Set conn = Nothing

4 Opens the Excel file in Open Office format as that is what is available on the server Application.FollowHyperlink strpath turns the warnings back on again DoCmd.SetWarnings True ***End of code Website for fopenfiledialog() You are interested in the TestIt() function, I have just renamed it so that it makes more sense to me when I am calling it. For this to work, copy all the code and place it in a module: Modules > New then paste the code. Change TestIt() to fopenfilediallog() When you close the module page you will be asked to save it; do so. Tip 2: Opening another database from the current database Question I have created two programs on two different mdb files(followup and supplier details), I want to link the other one with the first one, mean I want to place a button on the first program (followup) when I click on it, it open the other mdb file (supplier details) Answer The easiest way to do this, it to add a hyperlink to your form (should be on the toolbar, it has a picture of a world and a chain), when you place this on the form, a wizard window will open. Choose existing file or web page, then click on the 'browse' folder to browse for your database. Then when you click on this link, the database will open.

5 Tip 3: Finiding the last six scores of multiple golfers Question I am trying to make a database for my golf league. My only problem is that our handicaps are based on the last 6 rounds each golfer has played. Not everyone plays every week. Is there a function or simple SQL I can use to grab the 6 most recent scores entered? Scores will be recorded in a table with GolferID, Date and Score. My league has 36 golfers, plus occasional substitutes. Is there a way I can have the system find the last 6 for each golfer, without manually querying one golfer at a time? Answer Try the following. I cannot think of anyway to do this in a query, without writing multiple queries, so you will need to write some code. Not sure if you have done this before or not, so I will step you through it. First of all you will need to create a query, that will make a duplicate of the table storing the golfer dates. Create a query by following the wizard. Adding all the fields from the table. Then with the query in design view, click on queries and choose the 'Make Table Query'call this table tblmaxsixdates. Make sure you sort the query in the following manner - this will help with the code. Sort first by GolferFK in Ascending order, then DatePlayed by Descending order Close and save the query as qrymaxsixdates, then: Place a command button on the form, where you would like to run the procedure. Choose not to follow the wizard, i.e. when the wizard comes up click on Cancel. Right click on the command button and select properties from the drop down list. Click on the event tab, and place your cursor next to 'On Click'now click on the button with the 3 dots, that should now appear. Double click on Code Builder in the window displayed. This will open the coding window, with the following two lines of code displayed: Private Sub Command27_Click() End Sub The number of the command button (27) maybe different from mine, that is OK.

6 You will need to reference DAO for the following code, click or cut and paste the link below for instructions on how to do this. (Note: you are in the VBE window, so take it from there) Once this is done, add the following code between the two lines of code above: '******StartCode On Error GoTo ErrorHandler Dim db As Object Dim rst As Object Dim d As Double Dim i As Integer Set db = CurrentDb DoCmd.SetWarnings False DoCmd.OpenQuery "qrymaxsixdates" DoCmd.SetWarnings True 'Determine the 6th most recent date for each player Set rst = db.openrecordset("tblmaxsixdates") rst.movefirst Do Until rst.eof d = rst!golferid i = 0 Do Until i = 6 Or d <> rst!golferid rst.movenext i = i + 1 Loop 'Then delete all dates after this for that golfer Do Until d <> rst!golferid rst.delete rst.movenext Loop 'Move to the next golfer Loop

7 rst.close Exit Sub ErrorHandler: rst.close If Err.Number = 3021 Then Exit Sub '*****End Code Save the code and close the VBE window Note: Put the command button on a form, that does not access the golferdate table. Test the code by clicking on the command button. You can then use the resultant table tblmaxsixdates for what you need it for. Housekeeping Once again, just a quick reminder: Please ensure the following address is whitelisted with your ISP: julie@simply-access.com This will ensure the weekly arrival of this Newsletter. Contact Details Julie Misson 50 Glencoe Street Bendigo, Vic., 3550 Australia Ph: Unsubscribe