passing a form name to a function woes

[newbieX]

Trying to pass a form name to a function and and not succeeding. Suggestions to code alterations?

Code behind Main_Menu button on form is as follows:

Private Sub Main_Menu_Click()


'passing the form name (fmProducts) when the button is clicked to Module1 function

    Module1.returnGUI ("fmProducts") 

End Sub

Function, called Module1 is as follows:

Public Function returnToMain(theFormName As String)
    Forms!fmInventory.Visible = True
    DoCmd.Close acForm, theFormName
End Function

Get a 424 "Object required" Error message in code beneath button.



What am I doing wrong and why?

[ssanfu]

You can't refer to a sub/function like that. Functions usually return a value, so it has to go on the right of equation:

SomeVariable = returnGUI ("fmProducts")


Try (as a function)

Private Sub Main_Menu_Click()
Dim Bln as Boolean

'passing the form name (fmProducts) when the button is clicked to Module1 function

    bln = returnGUI ("fmProducts") 

End Sub


Public Function returnToMain(theFormName As String)
    Forms!fmInventory.Visible = True
    DoCmd.Close acForm, theFormName

    returnToMain = True

End Function

You can call a subroutine.

Private Sub Main_Menu_Click()

'passing the form name (fmProducts) when the button is clicked to Module1 function

  Call returnGUI ("fmProducts") 

End Sub


Public Sub returnToMain(theFormName As String)
    Forms!fmInventory.Visible = True
    DoCmd.Close acForm, theFormName

End Sub

[newbieX]

Thanks a million.

Went with the function. I changed the function name to returnGUI and didn't catch that when I copied and pasted routine from notepad so code ended up looking like this:

Private Sub Main_Menu_Click()
Dim bln as Boolean

'passing the form name (fmProducts) when the button is clicked to Module1 function

    bln = returnGUI ("fmProducts") 

End Sub


Public Function returnGUI(theFormName As String)
    Forms!fmInventory.Visible = True
    DoCmd.Close acForm, theFormName

    returnGUI = True

End Function

Just curious, I don't understand how

bln = returnGUI ("fmProducts")

actually works. Aren't you just making bln equal to something? How is it called? and how does it know what module it is in?

Got any good on-line refences you can point me to that explain this in simple, easy to understand terms? Trying to learn how to fish, so to speak.

Also, making Bln as String and returnGUI = "" also worked. Why did you go with Boolean?

[ssanfu]

In doing all of the cutting and pasting I dropped a bit of code.

The function should be

Public Function returnGUI(theFormName As String) As Boolean
    Forms!fmInventory.Visible = True
    DoCmd.Close acForm, theFormName

    returnGUI = True

End Function

In "Main_Menu" code, you could have error handling code that would check the variable "bln" to determine if the called function completed successfully.

Since you do not need a return value, I would use a Sub instead of a Function.

Also, making Bln as String and returnGUI = "" also worked. Why did you go with Boolean?

However, what happens if "fmInventory" is closed? You get an error. In the error handler of the function "returnGUI", you would set "returnGUI" to FALSE.
In the "Main_Menu" code, you would check to see if "bln" was True (completed successfully) or False (there was an error) and have code to decide what you wanted to do.


Or you could change "bln" to an Integer (and change the name). The return (error) code could be:

0 = successful
1 = form could not be made visible because it was not loaded
2 = couldn't close "theFormName"
3 = shoot the programmer and quit. (<< I jokes :p)

Then code in "Main_Menu" could branch to handle the error in the function.


Even though this is for Excel, it is a good description
http://www.excelfunctions.net/VBA-Fu...broutines.html


The Difference Between Subroutines and Functions
http://flylib.com/books/en/3.91.1.17/1/


Be sure and read Post#6 here
http://www.access-programmers.co.uk/...ad.php?t=70998


This is about VB6, but still relevant:
http://en.wikiversity.org/wiki/Visua...nd_Subroutines

[newbieX]

Awesome references. I will try to surf these over the weekend. My brain hurts today.