Add own Navigation Pane?

[Kowalski]

Hi
I would like to add a Navigation Pane to my Access 2010 app.
I would like to have similar behaviour than the built-in Access Navigation Pane.

I'm looking at creating a form with the sections that I want, that will each open a specified form or report, and then set the Moveable property to False. The problem is that any form that it will open, will open on top of my Navigation form. The form should thus be dockable, but how do you do that?
Is a form even the correct option? Is it possible to create a vertical menubar that can have the same behaviour?

 

[Mr. B]

Have you thought about creating you own ribbon to replace the ribbon menu in Access.

You can do a Google or Yahoo search for "Ribbon Creators". There are many options.

I personally use one from this link:
http://www.ribbon01.com/

It is not free but it does work and is quite easy to use.

 

[Kowalski]

Yes, I use a Ribbon creator, but I would like the Navigation Pane functionality as well. Just more user friendly.

 

[Mr. B]

I may be barking up the wrong tree, but have you experimented with the Navigation control? It might offer you some options that might work.

 

[Kowalski]

Thanks. I see the Navigation Control as just a fancy Tab Control.
I think it will work 100% if it would have been possible to use the Vertical Tabs layout, but then create Groups or Sections into which the items are displayed. Something like the Tables, Queries, Forms, Reports of the standard Navigation Pane, and the collapse and expand the groups. But I can't see that the Nav Control will be able to do that.

 

[Simon_MT]

This is a very good question. Like web sites with links, for users it would be great to be able to completely tailor the Navigation Panel. The ribbon is not the place for this type of feature.

Simon

 

[Mr. B]

Take a look at this video on using the Navigation Control and creating a Navigation Form.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ovcxmeyrILQ

You can acutally create the control with vertical or horizontal buttons or tabs or even with both.

Here is an article by Ken Getz that might also give you some ideas:
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ff851947.aspx

Lots of options available.

 

[Kowalski]

The Navigation Pane will not quite do it. The main reason is that you cannot collapse and expand the sections that you create - like the Access Navigation pane.
If you would like to use it as a switchboard in a big app, you can have 100's of tabs which will not work. But maybe I can use it to do something.
Thanks for the feedback.

 

[boblarson]

The Navigation Pane will not quite do it. The main reason is that you cannot collapse and expand the sections that you create - like the Access Navigation pane.
If you would like to use it as a switchboard in a big app, you can have 100's of tabs which will not work. But maybe I can use it to do something.
Thanks for the feedback.

You could use a treeview control on a form.