Today's TechHelp tutorial from Access Learning Zone addresses a common request from users: how to enable a button to perform an alternate action when the shift key is held down during a click. Imagine having an invoice button. Normally, clicking it shows a print preview, but if you hold the shift key and click, it sends the document directly to the printer. This dual functionality is what we'll explore today.
This query comes from Travis in Concord, California, one of my platinum members, who wants to set up a form in Microsoft Access where a button functions differently based on shift key use. He asked if there's a straightforward way to achieve this through Access without initially knowing where to start. Well, Travis, it indeed involves a bit of programming, specifically VBA, and I'll guide you through the process.
First, I suggest that if you're new to VBA, you might want to watch a foundational video I offer that runs about 20 minutes long before continuing with this tutorial. Once you're familiar with the basics, you can delve into this more advanced technique.
Within the TechHelp free template, available on my website, I have already set up some foundational elements. Here, customers can place orders, and there's an invoice button which typically opens the print preview mode to avoid wasting paper. But what if you prefer the option to send it directly to the printer by simply shift-clicking? Instead of cluttering your interface with multiple buttons, we can achieve this functionality with some code.
You'll need to work with a global module, which either you can create, or if you have an existing one, you can add to it. I'm working with one here, containing basic essentials like a sleep timer. To start, create a regular module, not a class module, where you'll introduce a Windows library function. Specifically, we'll use the "get key state" function to determine the state of the keyboard keys. We're essentially instructing Access to utilize this Windows function to check if a key is pressed.
We will need a private constant for the shift key. It's important to understand that we don't need to know every detail here, just as you don't need to know every part of a car to drive it. This constant uses a hexadecimal value to identify the shift key.
After setting this up, we'll create a function to return a Boolean value, indicating whether the shift key is pressed. This public function can then be used throughout our database applications. If the function detects the shift key is down, it returns true.
With this function in place, it's time to apply it in the database. Navigate to the form you want to use it on, like the one with the invoice button. Access the button's click event, and incorporate the function to check for the shift key. If it is pressed, execute the desired alternate action, like sending the invoice to the printer. For demonstration purposes, I'll simulate this with a message box saying the invoice is being sent to the printer, rather than actually wasting paper.
It's a good practice to use a debug compile to ensure there are no errors before saving your work. Be sure to save any changes to your forms and modules. When revisiting the order form, test by clicking the invoice button normally, and then while holding the shift key to see the different outcomes.
Additionally, to enhance user experience, I recommend providing a control tip text. This serves as a helpful reminder by displaying text like "Click to preview invoice, shift click to send direct to printer" when users hover over the button.
While we've focused on the shift key, similar methods can be applied to other keys like control and alt, or combinations of them. For more in-depth coverage, including different key combinations, silver members can access extended cut videos, and gold members can download working databases and access the code vault.
I hope this tutorial provides valuable insight into customizing button functionalities within Microsoft Access. You can find a complete video tutorial with detailed instructions on my website. Live long and prosper, my friends.
For more please visit https://599cd.com/ShiftClick?key=Dev.To
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