Print preview modal form

[data808]

Having some problems with print preview. I made a button that when you click on it, it will open up print preview. The problem is that I have my entire database open up all forms in pop up and modal windows. This means that the user does not have access to the ribbon or anything other than the window that is open and has focus. I have pretty much EVERYTHING secured from the user. I even disabled EVERY shortcut key you can think of. So when print preview opens, it opens up in a tab view with the ribbon accessible to the user. The problem with this is that user can now turn back on all the options that I hide by right clicking above the ribbon and going to customize toolbar and then going to current database options and unhiding everything.



Does anyone know if print preview can be opened up in a modal and pop up window?
If its not possible I was thinking of changing the button to just do docmd.printout instead.
In that case, I would need to lock the width and height of the rows in a split form in the datasheet section of the split form? I set up the width of each column to be able to fit on a letter size paper so I do not want the user to touch that.

Thanks.

[June7]

Yes, report has Modal and Popup properties.

Have you considered using Overlapping Windows instead of Tabbed Documents database option?

[data808]

I just tried the overlapping windows option but you can still right click the ribbon area and get the option to customize the quick access toolbar. With that being available to the user, the user can unhide everything and get access to the tables. Thats why I wanted the print preview to also be in modal format. When in modal format, the user can't get access to anything but the current window that is open. The modal window has to close in order to get access, however, I made it so the user's only option to leave or close that window is to quit app and that will close the whole database. This is one of the best security features in Access. What bothers me is that print preview goes into a different format from modal and gives the user access to the ribbon which then they can right click and get past everything I have worked so hard in securing. There has to be a way to control the print preview. I really don't understand why Microsoft would not give more options to control how print preview is opened. Its a bit ridiculous.

[June7]

I disable the shortcut menus. The only right click that is active is on the app header and the options presented are Move, Size, Maximize, Minimize, Close.

I build custom ribbon. I have the db open to a default custom ribbon. Forms and reports have a RibbonName property. My custom ribbon for reports has only a Print button.

Unfortunately, with 2010, users have the File tab and the Exit option available.

I need to do some more research. I don't want users to close the db any way except my command button.

[data808]

Yeah this sounds good to have a custom ribbon but does it prevent the right click on one of the tabs or near it to not show that menu to Customize Quick Access Toolbar? That is the worst hole in security that I can see at the moment. If having a custom ribbon prevents the right click menu then I want to learn how to make this custom ribbon because that is what I really need right now.

[June7]

Custom ribbon doesn't prevent right click. Disabling shortcut menu is an option of the database settings.

For custom ribbon review http://forums.aspfree.com/microsoft-...at-303789.html

[data808]

Disabling the shortcut menu does not solve this issue. Try it. Right click the home tab or near that area. It will still give you the menu with Customize Quick Access Toolbar.

This sucks.

[June7]

Then I guess it is the ribbon customization. It's been a while since I looked it at in detail. With my custom ribbon, home tab doesn't show, only the File tab. Right click on the tab does show a menu but the options for Customize QAT and Ribbon are greyed unavailable. The database option settings disable other shortcut menus. It is also possible to have customized shortcut menus. I've never done that.

[data808]

Is this an xml file or something? I really don't know how this works but is there a template for these customized ribbons I can just add to my database then add or remove features and options to it? That greyed out option of customize quick access toolbar is just what I need.

[June7]

Uses xml code in a special table. You can download sample database from the Avenius website referenced in the link but here it is again http://www.accessribbon.de/en/. Took me a week of study and testing to finally get it.

[data808]

I've come to find that the solution is not as I had hoped for but rather something that could have been simple to fix has been replaced with catastrophic solutions. So I will leave this thread as solved but not with the intention that I am at all satisfied. This is by no means anyone's fault other than Microsoft. Access is a great program and extremely useful but I think they could learn a thing or two from Apple. Making this a little more user friendly would only further its success. I truly believe that genius does not come from making something complex that few can use, but instead from something that is complex that everyone can use. It does not matter how many features you add to something if only 5 people can use it. Steve Jobs knew this.

Here is my findings. The simplest solution to keep users out of the hole in security to the databases in Access which I guess Microsoft did not take into account as something necessary to add as a security option, is to keep all objects types in modal mode. Do not use the print preview option unless its in reports. If this solution does not apply to your situation, then be prepared to study up on custom ribbons and custom menus. Right now I don't feel it necessary enough yet to commit to such a task but am starting to sadly realize that this is inevitable.

Goodbye and good riddance to this thread. I hope to find more intuitive user interfaces in the future for this program we call Access.