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There are several sets of objects that you might come across in Access, and they can be categorized quite simply:
General Access Objects
Data Access Objects
ActiveX Data Objects
In this chapter we're only going to concern ourselves with the first of these - the General Access Objects. The Data Access Objects will be covered in the next chapter, and ActiveX Data Objects are discussed in the appendices.
But before we do, we will look briefly at the new features added to the AccessObject model in the latest version of Access.
These tables show what is new, so that you can see the technical trends or direction that Microsoft are applying to Access.
Access 2002 has only modestly added to the list of objects, all of which allow the programmer greater flexibility when dealing with Access - the new objects are listed below:
Access Object | Refers to | Used in Chapter |
---|---|---|
AllFunctions | A collection that holds an AccessObject object for each function in CurrentCode or CurrentData object | Not Applicable |
LanguageSettings | An object that holds the details of the language settings | Not Applicable |
Printers (Printer) | A Printer collection that holds a Printer object for each available printer on the system | Chapter 10 |
Items marked Not Applicable are beyond the scope of this book, and are therefore not covered.
In summary the new features of immediate interest to us include ( please see the Help for full listing of new features):
Object | Particulars |
---|---|
AllFunctions collection | Provides the ability to refer to a function object in the CurrentData or CurrentCode collections - in a similar vein to the AllTables , AllQueries , and AllViews collections. |
Printers collection & Printer object | Enables us to programmatically control the printers of the system. |
Object(s) | Method/Property | Particulars |
---|---|---|
AccessObject | DateCreated property | Returns date & time when object design was created (read-only) |
DateModified property | Returns date & time when object design was last modified (read-only) | |
Application | BrokenReference property | Indicates if the current database has broken references to type libraries or databases |
FileDialog property | Returns a file dialog box | |
Printer property | Sets or returns an object that represents an available system printer | |
Printers property | Returns a collection that represents available printers | |
Versions property | Returns version number of current copy of Microsoft Access (read-only) | |
ConvertAccessProject method | Converts the version of a Microsoft Access file using the constant acFileFormat : acFileFormat can be Access XP , 2000 , 97 , 95 & 2 | |
ExportXML method | Exports in XML file format: data, schema & presentation details | |
ImportXML method | Imports from XML file: data, schema & presentation details | |
CodeData | AllFunctions property | Returns a collection that represents the functions ( user -defined) in a SQL Server database |
CurrentData | AllFunctions property | Returns a collection that represents the functions (user-defined) in a SQL Server database |
CurrentProject | FileFormat property | Returns the Microsoft Access version or file format of a given project (read-only) |
RemovePersonalInformation property | Returns or sets a boolean that indicates if personal (user) information is stored in the active data access page or current project | |
Form (there are approximately 48 new properties & methods: for brevity a selection is shown - see Help for a complete list) | DataChanged property | Returns or sets an event procedure, user-defined function or macro that is called on the DataChange event |
OnConnect property | Returns or sets an event procedure, user-defined function or macro that is called on the OnConnect event | |
OnDisconnect property | Returns or sets an event procedure, user-defined function or macro that is called on the OnDisconnect event | |
OnUndo property | Returns or sets an event procedure, user-defined function or macro that is called on the Undo event | |
ListBox & ComboBox | AddItem method | Adds an item to the list of items in either a listbox or combo box control |
RemoveItem method | Removes an item from the list of items in either a listbox or combo box control |
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