Using a Form as a chat client

[BananasInPajamas]

At my job everyone uses Access. From upper management to your average floor worker. Some where along the way there always seems to be some sort of miscommunication within departments. So I was wondering if it were possible to create a form in Access and use it kind of like a chat client. I've made a chat client before in C# so that's what sparked my interest.

I'd greatly appreciate your input. Thanks.

 

[Trevor G]

Why not use some instant mailing application so Hotmail with the chat would work or skype?

 

[CBrighton]

There's no reason you wouldn't be able to.

A continuous form to display records in a table (i.e. tblChat), multiple people inputting new "data" (by which I mean chat to each other), a timer event to refresh the screen to see the latest records which have been added.

Maybe use an API to prefix the message with the network username / computer name so everyone can see who posts what.


Shouldn't be any need for any C#, etc. Access should be able to give you a basic, but usable, chat facility on it's own.

 

[BananasInPajamas]

Why not use some instant mailing application so Hotmail with the chat would work or skype?

We deal with some high security jobs from time to time so I was just needing a client to use within the our private server.

 

[BananasInPajamas]

There's no reason you wouldn't be able to.

A continuous form to display records in a table (i.e. tblChat), multiple people inputting new "data" (by which I mean chat to each other), a timer event to refresh the screen to see the latest records which have been added.

Maybe use an API to prefix the message with the network username / computer name so everyone can see who posts what.


Shouldn't be any need for any C#, etc. Access should be able to give you a basic, but usable, chat facility on it's own.

No, I didn't plan on using C#. I was just saying that I made a chat client in C# and was wondering if it was possible to acheive the same in Access.

Your advice totally simplifies it for me. I guess I was making it a lot harder than it seems. So, I know I could use a text box to enter in text, and keep the messages on a table kind of like a record. But what about when the user enters in the text then what would I use to display the message?

 

[CBrighton]

Create a command button which saves the record (the wizard should be able to do this for you as it's a common thing to do). This should move the text from the textbox the user types in to one of the records in the continuous form (similar to the way the quick reply system works on this form. I click "Post Quick Reply" and it saves the post.

You could add code to the end of the command button's VBA to refresh the form after posting so the user doesn't have to wait for the timer event to fire.

 

[DCrake]

What you would need is to create a hidden form with a timer on it that checks for new rrecords in the chat table if a new record is found it needs to know who is the recipient and if it matches the user then thow up a dialog box with the message. Once the user closes the form the record is marked as read.

 

[BananasInPajamas]

Ok guys. First of all I would like to that everyone for their input and especially the help. So, I have this main for with a subform embedded within it. I have a send button that inputs the data from the text box onto a table where the records are saved. I used an API to get the user name from the server to show who sent the message. BUT, I'm completely stumped on how I could get the subform to refresh automatically when a new record has been added to the message table. Thanks again guys for the help!

 

[CBrighton]

Me.requery

should do the job.

Keep in mind that the Me means it requeries the form which the code is being run from, it would need to have the full form reference to do the sub from the main or the main from the sub.