How to print a pop-up report (launched in preview from a form that is also pop-up) (1 Viewer)

[Atomic Shrimp]

I've got an Access application that runs from a popup form and launches some pop-up reports - this all works fine, but I can't work out how to offer the user a print option for the previewed reports.

The application needs to run in both Access 2003 and 2007, so the custom toolbar approach won't work (or at least I don't think so).

I tried putting a button on the report itself, but the click event doesn't seem to work

I tried putting me.print in the double-click event of the form, but that did nothing either.

(I think setting the thing as popup does something to divert certain event handlers - specifically, the ones pertaining to user interaction - because right-clicking the report doesn't yield the submenu with a print option in it either)

So... how do I offer my users the option of printing a pop-up report preview, without reverting to making the database window apparent?

 

[DCrake]

have you seen this demo I did a while ago. It uses the snapshot viewer to view reports in a form and gives the user the ability to print the report form within the form.

Link

David

 

[Atomic Shrimp]

Thanks for that suggestion - it sounds like it should be perfect... I can't download the example here at work (even though this is for a work-related project) due to the corporate lockdown - I can't add this site to my trusted locations.

Is the snapshot viewer available in the activex toolbox in the Access form designer, or does it need to be installed separately?

 

[DCrake]

The snap shot view is part of MS Office as an individual component it can be installed from the CD.

David

 

[Atomic Shrimp]

Thanks - I'll look into that - could be problematic because of the aforementioned corporate lockdown policies etc...

 

[DCrake]

Because it is a MS product I cannot see them putting up too much of an fight, simply impress on them that this is an itegeral part of the development of the cooporate system, and as such, would be beneficial (and free) and improve performance of the application.

Have you tried going to Programs > Microsoft Office > Office Tools and see if it is there. If it is it may not be installed but set to be installed on use.

David

 

[Atomic Shrimp]

Because it is a MS product I cannot see them putting up too much of an fight, simply impress on them that this is an itegeral part of the development of the cooporate system, and as such, would be beneficial (and free) and improve performance of the application.

Heh, you'd be surprised... stuff like this has to go through a security analysis process, then change control, then testing... the end result is one of general resistance to change, even change that the rest of the civilised world has already accepted.

I may have found a workaround, however - turns out that opening the report in acViewPreview was stifling the events - if I open it in acViewReport, I can just put a print button on the form and it works.

Thanks for your assistance though - I'm still going to take a look at your example for a project I'm planning at home...

 

[Atomic Shrimp]

Gahh!

In Access 2003, acViewReport goes straight to printer - in Access 2007, it opens a preview-type window. Hmmm.

Edited to add: I just found out that the acViewReport constant doesn't exist in Access 2003

 

[Rich]

Can't you just toggle the Visible. property of the form?

 

[Atomic Shrimp]

I'm not sure what you mean, Rich. The problem isn't one of visibility.

 

[Rich]

I've not worked with popup Reports per se have you tried the custom toolbar

 

[Atomic Shrimp]

The toolbars etc won't be available - because the Access window is minimised - with the popup forms/reports appearing directly over the desktop.

 

[JANR]

Just a sidebar, as long as the preview has focus the old Ctrl+P should print the report to the default printer.

JR

 

[Atomic Shrimp]

That's true - but I figured that might be a bit of an arcane method to try to instruct people to do.

I suppose I could put a label on the top of each report header saying "hit <ctrl>P to print" - at least, I can if labels have the property to be visible only on screen... do they?