Changing Options

You can set the configuration options that are available in the Options dialog box, shown in Figure 15-3. (To see the Options dialog box, select Tools | Options.)

Figure 15-3: Options dialog box

Let’s say we want to shut off the Status Bar and the Startup Task Pane programmatically. To do this, we can call the Application object’s SetOption method and pass it two arguments: a predefined string indicating the option that we want to modify, and the new value of the option. The following code can accomplish that task:

Public Sub setOptions()   With Application   .SetOption "show status bar", False   .SetOption "show startup dialog box", False   End With End Sub

Again, as with the Startup dialog box, you can look at the Options dialog box and see the corresponding options shut off.

The following sections give you the strings corresponding to the settings in each tab of the Options dialog box. Note that all of the options are found in Access 2003, although they are not all found in earlier versions.

Unfortunately, there is no Delete method to reset the defaults, as there is for the Properties collection that controls the startup procedures. Instead, you should save the original values to variables and then call on those variables to reset the property. You can find the original value of the property by calling the GetOption method before you call the SetOption method to change that option’s value. It takes as its single argument the string shown in the String Argument column in the tables presented in the following sections.

To set the value of an option, you have to provide the SetOption method with not only the name of the option, but also with the value you’d like it to have. The rules for doing this are:

• If the option is represented by a checkbox in the interface, you can assign an Integer value of –1 or a Boolean value of True for On, and an Integer value of 0 or a Boolean value of False for Off.

• If the option is represented by a set of option buttons in the interface, you can assign a value of 0 if you’d like to programmatically select the first button, 1 if you’d like to programmatically select the second button, etc.

• If the item is represented by a list box or a drop-down list box in the interface, a value of 0 represents the first item, 1 represents the second, and so on.

• If the option is represented by a text box, it can be either a String, an Integer, or a Long (a long integer). As long as the string is in the appropriate format or numeric range, Access will automatically handle the conversion from a string to a nonstring data type, if necessary. To get some sense of the range and format of valid values, check the documentation and use the GetOption method to retrieve the existing setting.

View Tab

The options on the View tab and their string equivalents are as follows:

Option Text	String Argument	Data Type
Show, Status bar	Show Status Bar	Integer or Boolean
Show, Startup Task Pane	Show Startup Dialog Box	Integer or Boolean
Show, New object shortcuts	Show New Object Shortcuts	Integer or Boolean
Show, Hidden objects	Show Hidden Objects	Integer or Boolean
Show, System objects	Show System Objects	Integer or Boolean
Show, Windows in Taskbar	ShowWindowsInTaskbar	Integer or Boolean
Show in Macro Design, Names column	Show Macro Names Column	Integer or Boolean
Show in Macro Design, Conditions column	Show Conditions Column	Integer or Boolean
Click options in database window	Database Explorer Click Behavior	Integer

General Tab

The options on the General tab and their string equivalents are as follows:

Option Text	String Argument	Data Type
Print margins, Left margin	Left Margin	String
Print margins, Right margin	Right Margin	String
Print margins, Top margin	Top Margin	String
Print margins, Bottom margin	Bottom Margin	String
Use four-year digit year formatting, This database	Four-Digit Year Formatting	Integer/Boolean
Use four-year digit year formatting, All databases	Four-Digit Year Formatting All Databases	Integer/Boolean
Name AutoCorrect, Track name AutoCorrect info	Track Name AutoCorrect Info	Integer/Boolean
Name AutoCorrect, Perform name AutoCorrect	Perform Name AutoCorrect	Integer/Boolean
Name AutoCorrect, Log name AutoCorrect changes	Log Name AutoCorrect Changes	Integer/Boolean
Recently used file list	Enable MRU File List	Integer/Boolean
Recently used file list, (number of files)	Size of MRU File List	Integer
Provide feedback with sound	Provide Feedback with Sound	Integer/Boolean
Compact on Close	Auto Compact	Integer/Boolean
New database sort order	New Database Sort Order	Long
Remove personal information from file properties on save	Remove Personal Information	Integer/Boolean
Default database folder	Default Database Directory	String

Edit/Find Tab

The options on the Edit/Find tab and their string equivalents are as follows:

Option Text	String Argument	Data Type
Default find/replace behavior	Default Find/Replace Behavior	Integer
Confirm, Record changes	Confirm Record Changes	Integer/Boolean
Confirm, Document deletions	Confirm Document Deletions	Integer/Boolean
Confirm, Action queries	Confirm Action Queries	Integer/Boolean
Show list of values in, Local indexed fields	Show Values in Indexed	Integer/Boolean
Show list of values in, Local nonindexed fields	Show Values in Non-Indexed	Integer/Boolean
Show list of values in, ODBC fields	Show Values in Remote	Integer/Boolean
Show list of values in, Records in local snapshot	Show Values in Snapshot	Integer/Boolean
Show list of values in, Records at server	Show Values in Server	Integer/Boolean
Don’t display lists where more than this number of records read	Show Values Limit	Integer

Keyboard Tab

The options on the Keyboard tab and their string equivalents are as follows:

Option Text	String Argument	Data Type
Move after enter	Move After Enter	Integer
Behavior entering field	Behavior Entering Field	Integer
Arrow key behavior	Arrow Key Behavior	Integer
Cursor stops at first/last field	Cursor Stops at First/Last Field	Integer/Boolean
Auto commit	Ime Autocommit	Integer/Boolean
Datasheet IME control	Datasheet Ime Control	Integer/Boolean

Datasheet Tab

The options on the Datasheet tab and their string equivalents are as follows:

Option Text	String Argument	Data Type
Default colors, Font	Default Font Color	Integer
Default colors, Background	Default Background Color	Integer
Default colors, Gridlines	Default Gridlines Color	Integer
Default gridlines showing, Horizontal	Default Gridlines Horizontal	Integer/Boolean
Default gridlines showing, Vertical	Default Gridlines Vertical	Integer/Boolean
Default column width	Default Column Width	String
Default font, Font	Default Font Name	String
Default font, Weight	Default Font Weight	Integer
Default font, Size	Default Font Size	Long
Default font, Underline	Default Font Underline	Integer/Boolean
Default font, Italic	Default Font Italic	Integer/Boolean
Default cell effect	Default Cell Effect	Integer
Show animations	Show Animations	Integer/Boolean
Show Smart Tags on Datasheets	Show Smart Tags on Datasheets	Integer/Boolean

Forms/Reports Tab

The options on the Forms/Reports tab and their string equivalents are as follows:

Option Text	String Argument	Data Type
Selection behavior	Selection Behavior	Integer
Form template	Form Template	String
Report template	Report Template	String
Always use event procedures	Always Use Event Procedures	Integer/Boolean
Show Smart Tags on Forms	Show Smart Tags on Forms	Integer/Boolean
Show Windows Themed Controls on Forms	Themed Form Controls	Integer/Boolean

Pages Tab

The options on the Pages tab and their string equivalents are as follows:

Option Text	String Argument	Data Type
Default Designer Properties, Section Indent	Section Indent	String
Default Designer Properties, Alternate Row Color	Alternate Row Color	String
Default Designer Properties, Caption Section Style	Caption Section Style	String
Default Designer Properties, Footer Section Style	Footer Section Style	String
Default Database/Project Properties, Use Default Page Folder	Use Default Page Folder	Integer/Boolean
Default Database/Project Properties, Default Page Folder	Default Page Folder	String
Default Database/Project Properties, Use Default Connection File	Use Default Connection File	Integer/Boolean
Default Database/Project Properties, Default Connection File	Default Connection File	String

Advanced Tab

The options on the Advanced tab and their string equivalents are as follows:

Option Text	String Argument	Data Type
DDE operations, Ignore DDE requests	Ignore DDE Requests	Integer/Boolean
DDE operations, Enable DDE refresh	Enable DDE Refresh	Integer/Boolean
Default File Format	Default File Format	Integer
Default open mode	Default Open Mode for Databases	Integer
Command-line arguments	Command-Line Arguments	String
OLE/DDE timeout (sec)	OLE/DDE Timeout (sec)	Integer
Default record locking	Default Record Locking	Integer
Refresh interval (sec)	Refresh Interval (sec)	Integer
Number of update retries	Number of Update Retries	Integer
ODBC refresh interval (sec)	ODBC Refresh Interval (sec)	Integer
Update retry interval (msec)	Update Retry Interval (msec)	Integer
Open databases using record-level locking	Use Row Level Locking	Integer/Boolean

International Tab

The options on the International tab and their string equivalents are as follows:

Option Text	String Argument	Data Type
Right-to-Left, Default direction	Default direction	Integer
Right-to-Left, General alignment	General alignment	Integer
Right-to-Left, Cursor movement	Cursor movement	Integer
Use Hijri Calendar	Use Hijri Calendar	Integer/Boolean

Error Checking Tab

The options on the Error Checking tab and their string equivalents are as follows:

Option Text	String Argument	Data Type
Settings, Enable error checking	Enable Error Checking	Integer/Boolean
Settings, Error indicator color	Error Checking Indicator Color	Integer
Form/Report Design Rules, Unassociated label and control	Unassociated Label and Control Error Checking	Integer/Boolean
Form/Report Design Rules, New unassociated labels	New Unassociated Labels Error Checking	Integer/Boolean
Form/Report Design Rules, Keyboard shortcut errors	Keyboard Shortcut Errors Error Checking	Integer/Boolean
Form/Report Design Rules, Invalid control properties	Invalid Control Properties Error Checking	Integer/Boolean
Form/Report Design Rules, Common report errors	Common Report Errors Error Checking	Integer/Boolean

Spelling Tab

The options on the Spelling tab and their string equivalents are as follows:

Option Text	String Argument	Data Type
Dictionary Language	Spelling dictionary language	Long
Add words to	Spelling add words to	String
Suggest from main dictionary only	Spelling suggest from main dictionary only	Integer/Boolean
Ignore words in UPPERCASE	Spelling ignore words in UPPERCASE	Integer/Boolean
Ignore words with numbers	Spelling ignore words with number	Integer/Boolean
Ignore Internet and file addresses	Spelling ignore Internet and file addresses	Integer/Boolean
Language-specific, German: Use post-reform rules	Spelling use German post-reform rules	Integer/Boolean
Language-specific, Korean: Combine aux verb/adj.	Spelling combine aux verb/adj	Integer/Boolean
Language-specific, Korean: Search misused word list	Spelling use auto-change list	Integer/Boolean
Language-specific, Korean: Process compound nouns	Spelling process compound nouns	Integer/Boolean
Language-specific, Hebrew modes	Spelling Hebrew modes	Integer
Language-specific, Arabic modes	Spelling Arabic modes	Integer

Tables/Queries Tab

The options on the Tables/Queries tab and their string equivalents are as follows:

Option Text	String Argument	Data Type
Table design, Default field sizes - Text	Default Text Field Size	Integer
Table design, Default field sizes - Number	Default Number Field Size	Integer
Table design, Default field type	Default Field Type	Integer
Table design, AutoIndex on Import/Create	AutoIndex on Import/Create	String
Query design, Show table names	Show Table Names	Integer/Boolean
Query design, Output all fields	Output All Fields
Query design, Enable AutoJoin	Enable AutoJoin	Integer/Boolean
Query design, Run permissions	Run Permissions	Integer
Query design, SQL Server Compatible Syntax (ANSI 92) - This database	ANSI Query Mode	Integer/Boolean
Query design, SQL Server Compatible Syntax (ANSI 92) – Default for new databases	ANSI Query Mode Default	Integer/Boolean
Query design, Query design font, Font	Query Design Font Name	String
Query design, Query design font, Size	Query Design Font Size	Long
Show Property Update Options buttons	Show Property Update Options buttons	Integer/Boolean