Split Form - But use another form instead of a datasheet?

[swisstoni]

Hey guys,

I've currently got a split form setup, with the datasheet on the left and a detail form on the right.

The datasheet doesn't really offer enough functionality.... so I've made a continuous form which I'd like displayed on the left hand side. But I'm having throuble piecing these together so that all the records are displayed in this new form and then the detail form displays the relevant info.

Any ideas?

 

[swisstoni]

But how can I swap the datasheet for my continuous form?

 

[swisstoni]

If I open my form in design view, I can only see my form - not the datasheet.

If I open the query that the form's based on - I can change "default view" - is that what you mean? Because there's no option for a form in there?

Apologies if I'm being stupid!

 

[swisstoni]

I'm not sure we're on the same tracks......


I've got a form setup, and then I changed it's default view to "split form" - so that it shows a datasheet on the left and the form on the right.

I want to know if I can show a continuous form instead of that datasheet?



Another way I thought about this was to put my continuous form as a subform on the main form - but then it treats the subform as a slave and only shows records linked up from the main form. But I want my continuous form to act as the "master" - so that when you click an item in the continuous form, it's corresponding record is pulled up on the right hand main form.

Hope that clarifies things, I'm not so sure myself!

 

[swisstoni]

Thanks for your help, but I'm not sure you understand the situation.


In other words, I want to create a master / detail setup. With a continuous form on the left, and detail on the right. Clicking items on the left continuous form would bring up the selected item on the main form on the right.

 

[boblarson]

I think you aren't using subforms the way they are designed to be used. Normally they are for displaying the Many side of a one-to-many relationship where the main form has the One side of the one-to-many relationship.

I think you may just need to use an unbound listbox to get what you are wanting.

 

[swisstoni]

Maybe if I give a bit more detail....

I want a list of orders on the left hand side with limited information like name and total, you click on one and the order pops up in the main section on the right.

The split form in Access 2007 gives me exactly this functionality, but the datasheet view isn't really great. So I was hoping for the same functionality but using a form instead of the datasheet.

I could get this I guess by putting the order detail form as subform on the orderlist form - but I can't see how I can do that because the orderlist form is a continuous form - so I can't place a subform on the right of it...

 

[boblarson]

I could get this I guess by putting the order detail form as subform on the orderlist form - but I can't see how I can do that because the orderlist form is a continuous form - so I can't place a subform on the right of it...

Instead of trying to place it on the continuous form then put both of them on a different main form, and put a text box on the main form to synch the two using the master child links.

 

[swisstoni]

Thanks Bob.

I've got a new blank form, both subforms on it and a text box.

The link I want to make will be on the order_id I guess, but I'm getting an error message "can't build a link between unbound forms".

Do I need to have the new main blank form bound to tblOrder or something?

 

[boblarson]

What you have to do is to set the links manually. You set the child ID to order_id and the other to [Forms]![YourFormName]![YourTextBoxName]. You may also need to set in the On Current event of your continuous form to have:

Me.Parent.YourTextBoxName = Me!order_id

 

[swisstoni]

Hmmmm,

I get the principle, but it's not working!

I've got a textbox called "LinkBox" - which should hold the order_id link.

I've got frmOrderList, setup with Link Master Fields as:
[Forms]![frmOrderMain]![LinkBox]

Then link child fields is set to order_id.

Same thing setup on the other subform - frmOrder

I've also got the following in the on current of frmOrderList:

Me.parent.LinkBox = Me.order_id



But both forms are just empty. If I put a "1" in the LinkBox and hit refresh, both forms update correctly to show order_id 1, but initially they're both empty..

 

[missinglinq]

The short answer to the original question is that you can't. The Split Form is, as someone guessed, a v2007 "innovation" which gives you a synchronized Datasheet, for locating a record, and a Form view, for editing the record. This is a fixed arrangement and can't be changed. The only "functionallity" you have in the Datasheet form is to click to bring up the Form view for the given record. You can do what you want, of course, but you'll have to roll your own, as has been suggested.

As to your error about needing the forms to be bound, how else would you have records on your forms? By definition an unbound form cannot hold records. They can be used to enter data that is then saved to a record in a table, then you can enter more data that is saved saved to another record in a table, and so forth, but they never actually hold a single record, much less multiple records. If they did this, they would be bound!

 

[boblarson]

Hmmmm,

I get the principle, but it's not working!

I've got a textbox called "LinkBox" - which should hold the order_id link.

I've got frmOrderList, setup with Link Master Fields as:
[Forms]![frmOrderMain]![LinkBox]

Then link child fields is set to order_id.

Same thing setup on the other subform - frmOrder

I've also got the following in the on current of frmOrderList:

Me.parent.LinkBox = Me.order_id



But both forms are just empty. If I put a "1" in the LinkBox and hit refresh, both forms update correctly to show order_id 1, but initially they're both empty..

Can you post your db?

 

[swisstoni]

Okay - bit of an update.

I took out the link to the orderList form, because I dont want the content in that form to change - i.e. I just want that to be a static list of all the orders.


I've kept the VBA code, so the LinkBox updates with the order_id.

I've got the link between LinkBox and order_id setup with the frmMain form, but it's not updating when the LinkBox changes. I guess I need some code in the on_current event to refresh the frmMain form....

I tried parent.frmMain.refresh, but that gives me a property not supported error.

It's all ODBC link tables, so without giving out my passwords, I would say it's hard to post my DB?

 

[swisstoni]

Edit


Got it sorted.

Many thanks for your help once again guys!

 

[boblarson]

Whew! Glad you got it!