Elimination of Access Database Window

[PippaPippa]

Hi Everyone



And thanx in anticipation of your support.

I am trying to customise an Access application.

I wish to display for the user only the application objects that I have created.

I do not wish to display any vestige of MS Access itself. So as well as not displaying the Ribbon or the Navigation pane etc., I do not wish to display the database window itself. I simply wish to have, for example, user forms floating free without any MS Access distractions whatsoever.

Surely this is the objective that should be driving us all - ie to keep things simple and economical so that the user is led by the hand, without anything to distract him.

There seems to be a cacophany of debate on this issue with much cross-purpose as between developers depending upon which version of Access they are using. It seems that prior to 2003 this was obtainable quite simply via an "Access Options" setting. But not so readily now?

I am using Access 2007 on Vista.

My hair is all torn out, so in desperation........... Is there a way AND if not Why?

I am perfectly prepared to acknowledge Microsoft Access as the vehicle for my application development. I just want to simplify the user interface down to its application bones!

Thanks again

PippaPippa

[Robeen]

http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/ac...005188503.aspx
Hope this helps!
Don't lose you hair!!!

P.S. Microsoft Access is capable of doing a LOT of stuff. I can't say I'm a guru or anything - but since I started using Access in 1995, I have not run into anything that was not possible to do.
Of course, I'm not trying to get satellites into orbit or send probes to the outer limits of the Milky Way!!

[PippaPippa]

http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/ac...005188503.aspx
Hope this helps!
Don't lose you hair!!!

P.S. Microsoft Access is capable of doing a LOT of stuff. I can't say I'm a guru or anything - but since I started using Access in 1995, I have not run into anything that was not possible to do.
Of course, I'm not trying to get satellites into orbit or send probes to the outer limits of the Milky Way!!

************************************************** ************************************************** *
Thank you Robeen
.
A couple more strands of hair went in my anticipation of your posting!!

I had seen that Microsoft blurb. You will note that it applies to Access 2003. I am 2007.

In my quest for my application objects (forms etc.) to "float" free and be "uncontaminated" by anything (like the Ribbon, the Navigation pane etc) & indeed the whole database window except that which wasn't strictly application, that particular MS notice gave me hope. To date I have found ways of removing bits piecemeal (like the Ribbon & the Navigation pane) but not yet any way to do the lot in one.

Again thank you - Fingers crossed for another guru!


PippaPippa

[Robeen]

I'm afraid I only used Access 2007 on one contract job I had - and I didn't create that system - I was working on enhancements.
Have you seen this page:
http://www.techrepublic.com/blog/mso...cess-data/2014
??
I'm using 2010 and while I don't need to do what you're trying to do, I'm now curious to see how it's done in 2010 . . .

[Robeen]

here's a thread that has two people who know how to do this in 2007:
https://www.accessforums.net/showthr...in-Access-2010
check it out.

[PippaPippa]

Hi Robeen

It's the middle of a stormy night here (NZ), but waking up I was curious to see if there had been any more responses.

I'm sorry but I have already stumbled across the two further instances you provided. The first ("TechRepublic"), although written in recent years seems to still be anchored in 2003 Access.

The other, I haven't tried out but seems to only deal with the Navigation pane, which for some people seems to be synonymous with the Database window, which, of course it isn't.

Hence the cacophony I referred to in my first posting.


I'll look more closely at the latter tomorrow.


I also found this http://www.tek-tips.com/faqs.cfm?fid=2562 , which could be promising but involves some coding. i'll look at that too.

However, one really would have thought that the objective could, and should, be achieved via a simple setting, unless Microsoft is now standing in the way of suppression of the database window for marketing and Office/Access projection/advertising reasons. Which would. of course, be more than naughty of them!

Anyway thank you again & more some time tomorrow.

Regards

PippaPippa

[aldridge_p]

Hi Pippa,

Hope you haven't lost all your hair yet.

Removing all signs of access is not possible! you can minimise the amount of presence that access has considerably, but the main window has to remain for the application to run in.

It is possible to remove the ribbon and navigation buttons and to make one of the forms load automatically, with a maximised property so that it automatically loads and fills the screen at run time. It is also possible to create your own icon for both the access project and obviously for the shortcut that you would like to use to open it. I think this is the sort of thing you are trying to acccomplish.

Let me know if you have sorted the problem or if you still need help.

Pat (Wellington)

[PippaPippa]

Hi Robeen & Pat

Thank you for your input.

I'm off to the wigmakers - Having solved the problem, I think, it would be safe to buy a wig. It should now remain intact till the next excruciating problem comes along.

The solution is quite beautiful & the user presentation of my application is completely undistracted by the Database window and other MS items which are not relevant to the application.

The solution came from the shortcut I earlier mentioned http://www.tek-tips.com/faqs.cfm?fid=2562 and it works for Access 2007.

From what I can make of the genealogy of this:-

The facility was available till access 2003 via a setting & then got removed. The Access 2003 users (perhaps wisely stuck in their time warp!) continued thereafter to propagate the feasibility of Hiding the Database window via a setting but it wasn't!


Then there was much confused discussion, within forums (fora!) as the "Ribbon" and the "Navigation" pane terms were thereafter used ambiguously, and interchangeably, as the "Database window". Neither of these options seemed to lead, as far as I can see, to the full elimination of the DB Window which I was seeking - but the code within the attached shortcut does do this and all the user then sees are the entities which we, as developers, have constructed for them! - Hurrah! - "Naked as Nature Intended"!

I do not know whether issues will arise down the track thro' the absence of the Database window &, in particular, whether there will be any contra implications when such a database application comes to be deployed or perhaps is made downloadable. Maybe, particularly, there will be an implication when one comes to convert the database to ACCDE format - but that's for another day.

Again thank you for your support & should there be others who have more to add, I'm sure we'd appreciate that.

Happy Architecting!

PippaPippa

[Robeen]

I was just looking over my databases and saw that I developed a couple of applications here at work over the last year in which, when the database is run - the intial and subsequent Forms open unencumbered by any aappendages!!
I have this:
DoCmd.RunCommand acCmdAppMinimize
in the On Load Event of the Form. The Form is also set to Pop Up - 'Yes' and Modal - 'Yes'.
Works like a charm for me and my users here at work loved it.
I've attached a screenshot.

I'd remember if it was a major pain to arrive at this.

[PippaPippa]

Hi Robeen

I've had a quick try at your suggestion - Otherwise, I'm otherwise engaged today.


I used the additions you indicated & they worked - leaving the Database window minimised (I had overnight discovered that, in my proposal, the DB window had not gone altogether but had, in fact, only been minimised - Tssst!).


That is not necessarily bad because I had been wondering whether I'd get into some sort of Catch22 situation when I came to be ready to deploy this to the end-user - ie If one had created an ACCDE version how do you get rid of the Database Window OR alternatively, if the Database had first been got rid of How would you then (without the window and access to the ACCDE button) create an ACCDE version).

So it seems to me (at this point, I hasten to add!!) that, maybe the best of both world is created with the DB window minimised (so long as all the other features (The Ribbon, the Navigation pane, status bar, menus etc are removed via "Access Option". There's probably still a bit of Catch22 there & also I think that the ACCDE version removes some of these facilities as well. In the course of my vast experience! I haven't got to that point yet - I guess i'll be finding out in due course.

Using your suggestion; I made the changes to a "Welcome" form I had, but quickly discovered that all other forms that it might call needed the "Pop Up"/"Modal" bit, else off they scurried when they were opened to the protection of the minimised Database window. I guess you knew that!

Making progress.


Pippapippa