Microsoft Access Switchboards and Navigation Forms. Why NOT To Use Them! Create Your Own Menu Forms

[@halkawtmohammed3445]

Thank you Mr. Richard, world do need more people like you

[@9856CB]

I’ve been using access since 1997 and I just found out about the three boards. In access 2010 (that I still use) I learned switchboard. Before that I navigate it everything through my original form with buttons. That’s where I develop the name “button man“🤪 i’ve long since retired and use my access database now to record my rental income and expenses. You do a great job👍

[@599CD]

Thanks, Button Man. :)

[@stewartwilkinsonsnr]

Hi Richard just watched this video and so pleased I did. Agree with you its best to build your own. Loving learning Access as retired a few years ago. Have my little office in the extension we had built, so it’s like I go to work still, my wife loves it. We are in our 70’s and keep active during the day, me using my Brain. Have produced several applications since 2016 for family, like Home Accounts . Your guidance has been so helpful in my learning Access. Thank You so much. Kind Regards Stewart (West Yorkshire UK) 👍👏

[@599CD]

Glad you enjoy my videos. Always keep learning. :)

[@Thag0n]

Your material is far easier to understand than my college textbooks.

[@599CD]

Thanks

[@gregoryjeffries8475]

No formal training in Access, but like you, am a fan of making my own Menus from scratch. Have worked with Access since the 90's and am something of a control freak, thus my love of designing my own forms so I can control flow. Also believe in always room for improvement so enjoy your videos for inspiration and information on Access. Not in IT anymore as a stroke has taken me out of workforce sooner than anticipated in addition to limiting my activity options. Have a few Access projects in the works to provide my brain with some exercise, one of which is your genealogy dbfree video. Using the other two free videos for the ideas you presented to further develop my application. My copy of Access is 2003/2007 and hope to obtain a more current version or versions in the future. Keep up the good work you are doing and thank you for all you have done so far.

[@599CD]

Thank you very much for your kind words. :)

[@drmzein]

As our great instructor Mr Richard Rost said ( to use navigation form is not a good practical tool) , so I decided to add all buttons and texts boxes to the main patient entry form in a colorful frame , and to be opened as pop up objects because I suffered alot with applying filters, or loading reports via navigation form

[@599CD]

Yep

[@rabidfollower]

Richard is 100% right about the navigation control: it causes major problems with VBA, because only the subform that is opened can be referenced with VBA. For instance, at 12:30, if CustomerF is opened, then all the other subforms are inaccessible, and you can't use VBA to get field values from ContactF, Manager Stuff, etc. or do anything with them. A better way to handle this is to use tab controls. You can have several tabs, each containing a subform, and ALL those subforms can be referenced with VBA at any time, back and forth. It is much less a programming nightmare than using navigation controls. Richard's own method of a menu form is fine too.

[@599CD]

Yeah, I personally hate tabs... lots of glitches in them when they were first released. It looks like MS has fixed them, mostly... mostly... :)

[@niktsol]

Hello. I totally agree with you about switchboard and navigation forms. I want to create a menu form from scratch that will be compatible with previous MS Access versions. So, i thought to create my application in which there will be a main container form. On the left side there will be a subform which simulates the main menu. And on the right side, according to the option that is selected in the main menu subform, there will be another subform that will displays i.e. customer form, orders form and so on. Just the same point of view like the navigation control but doing it from scratch and being compatible with previous Access versions,especially 2000-2003 that there was lack of navigation control. I know that instead of a menu form i could implement a list box with menu options, but i would like to add some images on the left of each option and generally i can use many parameters regarding user levels etc. The menu table which will be the record source for the menu form, will have 4 fields for start: 1. MenuID, 2. MenuName 3.FormNameToOpen 4. MenuNamePic (this one will be a path to a directory in which images are saved. I don't want to save images in database. I prefer to save them on the disk) Is the above way good enough to be implemented or according to your experience there will be any difficulties in implementation?

[@599CD]

Be careful using subforms.

[@muhammedkamil9980]

I want to thank you form Iraq You are the best

[@richardharder6499]

Is there a way to do a navigation subform for a specific record?

[@gregoryjeffries8475]

I find making my own easier to modify and reorganize as I add features and functionality.

[@babyboss6047]

Hi Sir how can i reference the form to navigation form during runtime and how can i align the form inside the navigation to center. Thank you.

[@599CD]

I don't understand your question

[@shaiba5095]

Very helpful

[@599CD]

Glad you think so!

[@saeedbaryal8723]

Hello sir, I hope you are fine. I have a question, in navigation control, Option Group filter doesn't work. Could you please tell me why it doesnt work.

[@599CD]

599cd.com/ask

[@gregoryjeffries8475]

Prefer making my own menu forms. Better flexibility and control. 😊

[@brainybooks6203]

I can't control the size of my forms. Every form I create extends horizontally all the way to the right hand margen of my screen and vertically to the bottom margen of my screen. When I change the width in the property sheet it has no effect on the size of my form. Thanks for any help you can offer.

[@599CD]

Sounds like you need to switch to Overlapping Windows... 599cd.com/OverlappingWindows

[@redinternet9893]

how can i change the navigation page using vba or macro programming

[@599CD]

I get a ton of questions every day, and I don't have time to answer them all here on KZbin. Feel free to submit your question on my website at: 599cd.com/AskYT

[@johnsamuel1382]

You are free awesome sir..

[@599CD]

Thanks. I think. :)

[@moodkn]

Best tip

[@599CD]

Thanks

[@ModawanTech]

Is it in Access 2010?

[@599CD]

I'm pretty sure.

[@syedabbas201]

very 👍

[@syedabbas201]

very nice

[@599CD]

Thanks

[@micron001]

IMO the best reason to not use nav forms is because only one form is open at a time thus you cannot refer to a form field that is not there to get its value.

[@599CD]

Indeed!

[@tdp2190]

IMADE MY OWN MENU FROM SCRATCH!!!!!!! I added a pic for a graphic background, then made the button designs in xcel, imported and added the fields for the button annnnndddd made the header a logo which I also designed T H A N K YOUUUUUUU

[@599CD]

W E L COME. :)

[@user-wq7ei1kg9o]

You are gorgeous

[@599CD]

Thanks