Application.Echo doesnt seem to be working

[RyanP]

Hello'

Just typed up a quick non descript example of what I'm doing here...
e.g.
Application.Echo false
DoCmd.Hourglass true

subform.visible = true
subform.recordsource = "query"
if forms!subform.form.field1 = criteria = true then

forms!subform.form.field2.visible = false
forms!subform.form.field3.visible = true
me.field3.controlsource = "query"

forms!subform.form.CommandButton1.Visible = true
forms!subform.form.
forms!subform.form.CommandButton1.setfocus
forms!subform.form.CommandBUtton2.visible - false

Application.Echo True
DoCmd.Hourglass False


App works fine / does everything its supposed to do, except the screen repaints / flashes for almost every action (no matter if its visibility, enabled, record or control sources... everything) despite using the application.echo property.

Am I doing something wrong here?

[ItsMe]

I have never used the Echo method before. I had to look it up. It is probably all of the .Visible property settings that is causing the flashing and blinking. Maybe you can use a Pop-Up form that displays a message or simply covers up the Main Form while your code works.

[CJ_London]

why not just put the subform.visible=true at the end, followed by the setfocus (you can only setfocus on visible controls), then you wouldn't need the application.echo

Also, found this link - see post #12, relates to docmd.echo, but may work for you

http://www.access-programmers.co.uk/...d.php?t=172987

[ItsMe]

why not just put the subform.visible=true at the end...

The OP has one SetFocus method that would need to go after that ....

[CJ_London]

I did say that

why not just put the subform.visible=true at the end, followed by the setfocus (you can only setfocus on visible controls)

Besides the OP's code is made up, it wouldn't run as is anyway

[RyanP]

I tried the workaround (loading a "Wait for it" form in front of the app forms while they do their thing; (setting record sets, control sources, visibility, locked states etc)).
I replaced all my ECHO settings with this form for test purposes.
IN either scenario these are the first and last lines of code in the SUBs.

I rarely ever actually get to see the form though as the code runs too quick. It seems that most of the functions are still completed in milliseconds however on the more complex forms, the objects will still 'waterfall' into view in lieu of all at once (only takes a few milliseconds).

This is usually only really noticeable the first time the form is loaded in the session. Subsequent loads can be almost instantaneous.
Switched back to the ECHO method and I find that the waterfall effect is a little worse than without.

Neither scenario provided with every object being displayed simultaneously.
They always display according to the which line comes first in the code regardless of using the Echo method or displaying a form before and after all the code runs.

So, I presume there is some on screen drawing order that is occurring regardless of how it is coded?
Or some method that Access uses to cache the forms in the session? Or something else I am not aware of?

[CJ_London]

just a thought - where is the code called from? if from the main form current event, this event is called multiple times - basically once for each subform

[RyanP]

being called from subforms from command buttons. much in reference to modules (modulized whatever I could)

[ItsMe]

I would have expected the Visible property thing to work, as Ajax mentioned.

Perhaps Ajax is eluding that the calls from another module are contributing to the flickering.

Here are approaches I have used in the past ...
Use a pop-up form as mentioned
Use the Visible property of the SubForm as mentioned
and
Use an opaque rectangle and adjust its Visible property using code. I right click the rectangle to bring it forward and match its color to the background.

Otherwise, I rethink my design and use additional (new) forms.

[CJ_London]

things like

subform.recordsource = "query"

will trigger a current event.

Suggest you step through the code to see if the code is called more than once (or put debug.print me.name before the application.echo false line) - you may find you are setting echo from false to true and back to false again multiple times.

[RyanP]

I did essentially as ItsMe suggested.

Added a new subform "COVERFORM" with no relationship and brought it to the front of everything else on the form.
Then substituted every Application.Echo False with the COVERFORM.visible = True and vice versa for Application.Echo True.

I rarely ever actually see the COVERFORM because the code runs in only a few milliseconds, however I can tell its there and displayed as I do not see the "flashing" screen effect for the few milliseconds it takes to run the code.
No seizures for the end users