Strange SetFocus problem

[ffenton]

(Access 2007)
I have a form with some controls in the header. By default the form detail is hidden. I have the following code on a button

Private Sub newclient_Click()
Me.Detail.Visible = True
DoCmd.GoToRecord , , acNewRec
Me.surname.SetFocus
End Sub

The problem is that the focus isn't moving to the control surname.
If I remove the line Me.Detail.Visible = True and manually make the detail visible before clicking the button, then surname receives the focus.

I have noticed that if I click anywhere in the background of the detail section after clicking the button, then the cursor appears in the control.
It appears to be a similar problem to the one discussed here http://www.access-programmers.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=175507&highlight=setfocus but no one seems to have discovered the reason for the problem.

It's a very annoying little problem but I'm sure that must be a simple solution?

 

[georgedwilkinson]

This could be a multi-threading problem. If that is true, using "DoEvents" might resolve it:

Private Sub newclient_Click()
Me.Detail.Visible = True
DoEvents
DoCmd.GoToRecord , , acNewRec
DoEvents 'Try them both to see if one or the other event is the culprit.
Me.surname.SetFocus
End Sub

 

[ffenton]

Thanks for the reply.

I've tried that but unfortunately it hasn't solved the problem....

After setting Me.Detail.Visible = True it then goes to the new record but for some reason won't SetFocus.

 

[ajetrumpet]

have you tried seetting the focus FIRST instead of last? also, have you tried putting the target focus box at the top of the tab order list? (needs to have a tab stop too!)

 

[ffenton]

Changing the tab order makes no difference.
If I do SetFocus first I get the error "Microsoft Office Access can't move the focus to the control name surname"

 

[ffenton]

I've added a message box to the end of the code to check which control actually does have the focus - MsgBox(Me.ActiveControl.Name) - and this returns surname. So surname is the active control but for some reason the cursor isn't visible?

 

[georgedwilkinson]

Hmmmm...I remember something very long ago about this (VB3 I think?). I believe I had to set the "SelStart" property to the end of the text in the box.

 

[ffenton]

Unfortunately that didn't work :-(
I'm beginning to think it's a bug in Access ...

 

[ffenton]

Finally found a workaround for this!
Before making the detail section visible I've first moved the focus to a contol in the form header.

Me.Combo120.SetFocus  'control in form header
Me.Detail.Visible = True
DoCmd.GoToRecord , , acNewRec
Me.surname.SetFocus

 

[kimba]

After all these years, this is still a problem in 2010. Thank you for the solution!