User Interface

D

DoeG

I'm having some trouble but have looked into this for some time now. I
am using Access 2000, and I am at the point where I want to create a
User Interface so the Users of the database don't have to go through
Access Interface (too vulnerable and messy).
I've discovered that Access 2003 has built in features like this? Also
there is an Access Runtime program that would do this? Please help. I
wouldn't mind having to purchase other software but if I can help it I
would rather not =).
Thanks
 
R

rico

The security freatures in access very good, you can customise who sees what
depending on a login. But, uit can be very to set up, my advise would be to
do a dummy run on a copy of your data base before you apply it to your live
database.

As for the runtime, it is included on the access cd, but just buying office
does not give you the licence to dispribute it. The cheapest option to do
this is to buy visual studio tools for a few hundred bucks. (Much cheaper
than a few copies of access!)

In the runtime you can not change what the can or cant see. It just gives
them enough access to do input and editing of records. This works fine for
some but you will find that some quite basic functions like filtering are not
available to them.

HTH

Rico
 
D

DoeG

Yes I've tested with the Security features and have created different
accounts: Admins and Read Onlys, ect. But although the vulnerability
problem is solved, the Access Interface is really messy for a regular
user to be using.
I thought that there was a way for computers to be able to open and use
Access files without actually having Access installed on their
computer.

What I want is to have the file opened (with still the security login
screen) and then all that shows is a blank screen with menu bars
running across the top with things like File, Edit, Transactions,
Inquirys, and anything else I decide to add. Branching from these
would be options to open other forms/reports - Basically the things
that users would need to be able to have access to do. Any designing
or modifying behind the scenes will still be done in access by an
administrator if needs be.

So how can I get all this done, have the file able to be accessed on
several computers, and without buying any special User Interface
program?
 
R

Rick Brandt

DoeG said:
Yes I've tested with the Security features and have created different
accounts: Admins and Read Onlys, ect. But although the vulnerability
problem is solved, the Access Interface is really messy for a regular
user to be using.
I thought that there was a way for computers to be able to open and
use Access files without actually having Access installed on their
computer.

What I want is to have the file opened (with still the security login
screen) and then all that shows is a blank screen with menu bars
running across the top with things like File, Edit, Transactions,
Inquirys, and anything else I decide to add. Branching from these
would be options to open other forms/reports - Basically the things
that users would need to be able to have access to do. Any designing
or modifying behind the scenes will still be done in access by an
administrator if needs be.

So how can I get all this done, have the file able to be accessed on
several computers, and without buying any special User Interface
program?
Click to expand...

All of that can be controlled with the Startup options for the file.
 
D

DoeG

I checked out the Startup options, and it's pretty vague. Anywhere I
can learn about this? It seems like I can select which forms show on
startup and which menus are visible, but I want to create my own unique
menus which run different commands when pressed.
 
R

Rick Brandt

DoeG said:
I checked out the Startup options, and it's pretty vague. Anywhere I
can learn about this? It seems like I can select which forms show on
startup and which menus are visible, but I want to create my own
unique menus which run different commands when pressed.
Click to expand...

Look at ALL of them. You can hide the db window, you can disable special
keys, you can disable all built in menus. Seems to be pretty much what you
are looking for.

Also Google for "Disable ByPass Key".
 
D

DoeG

Yes, I can disable all those, but how do I add menus that I wish to be
there which run commands (probably through VBA code)?
 
R

Rick Brandt

DoeG said:
Yes, I can disable all those, but how do I add menus that I wish to be
there which run commands (probably through VBA code)?
Click to expand...

If you right-click on any existing command bar and choose "Customize" the
resulting dialog also provides ways for you to create your own menus,
toolbars, and shortcut menus. Startup options allow you to specify a custom
menu bar that you create as the main menu for the app and each form and
report has properties for displaying menus, toolbars, and shortcut menus on
their property sheet.
 
D

DoeG

Ah ha! I see, but it seems very confusing. I want to keep the original
Access menu bars and startup (Don't want to hamper with it).
So rather than change the current Access, is there a way to start from
stratch and make a whole new interface?

Or to do this do I just make a 2nd copy of the database and keep one
normal and one with all the fixings?
 
V

Van T. Dinh

Create a Forms with CommandButtons to go to different functional parts of
your database and set this Form as your StartUp Form.

There is an inbuilt Switchboard Manager also that can create Menu Form for
you.

You can also create Custom MenuBar and Toolbars for your Access application.
Most reasonable Access book will cover these topics.
 
R

Rick Brandt

DoeG said:
Ah ha! I see, but it seems very confusing. I want to keep the
original Access menu bars and startup (Don't want to hamper with it).
So rather than change the current Access, is there a way to start from
stratch and make a whole new interface?

Or to do this do I just make a 2nd copy of the database and keep one
normal and one with all the fixings?
Click to expand...

That is why I mentioned the AllowByPass key setting. You can set the
Startup options to inhibit all of the built in stuff, but you can also open
the file while holding the shift key down to "bypass" all of the startup
options. This would allow you as the developer to get into the file and
have access to all of the normal interface objects, but your users would
not.

Of course, if any of your users know about the shift key feature then they
will be able to bypass your startup options as well which is where the
AllowByPassKey property comes in. You can execute code on the copy of the
file that you give your users that disables the use of the shift key, while
you allow that feature on the copy of the file that you use for further
development.
 
D

DoeG

I see that I can actually quite easily create my own interface! Thanks
very much. I may run into other questions later though.
 
D

DoeG

I see that I can actually quite easily create my own interface! Thanks
very much. I may run into other problems later though.
 
A

Albert D.Kallal

DoeG said:
I checked out the Startup options, and it's pretty vague. Anywhere I
can learn about this? It seems like I can select which forms show on
startup and which menus are visible, but I want to create my own unique
menus which run different commands when pressed.
Click to expand...

Try downloading and running my sample here:

http://www.members.shaw.ca/AlbertKallal/msaccess/DownLoad.htm

grab the 3rd example, "user interface hidden"

note how he above hides all of ms-access, and the ONLY thing used to do this
was tools->startup settings. You will not see ANY of the
ms-access interface. You do NOT need to write code to do this, nor do you
need to use security here.
 
D

DoeG

Thank you very much, that appears to be precisely what I wanted. I'll
use that as a reference and try to construct my own now. I will post
further questions if need be.
 
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