best event for general use...keydown or on exit

[gangel]

Ok so i think i know the answer to this stupid question already... but ill ask anyway.

Background: - Self taught at access, built small apps for myself for home, currently building a "bigger one" for my work.

Always used "on keydown, keycode = 13" for any process where data was entered...
Dont ask why.. as i dont know.


Just had a few issues and i said to myself... why arent i just using on exit...
Then it wont matter if people click out of the box, press enter, or press shift (*my current issue)

... Am i correct in saying that in general "on exit" is the "best" event to use for general data input, eg "correct date", "@ missing in email" , "too few digits" etc etc ?

i was also thinking after update, but if you want it to run every time, even if the data hasnt changed.. then on exit seems the way to go, and i have a lot of code to fix ahahah

[June7]

For data validation before committing to field or table, most experienced developers use BeforeUpdate event. But if you want data validated every time the control gets focus, then Exit or LostFocus seem appropriate.

[gangel]

Thanks heaps June7 in to rescue me again!

One question, (and i did look up the stuff on google but dont 100% understand)
- If i use on exit and/or before update, is the data in .value or in .text form still??

What i want is to do things and just use .value or .text and no have to mess around with both..

So if i press enter and the control exits, and im using the before update event then do i use if [control].text or just [control]??

[orange]

.text vs .value

[June7]

I've never used .Text property.

[CJ_London]

So if i press enter and the control exits, and im using the before update event then do i use if [control].text or just [control]??

With regards order of events - you may find this link useful

https://support.office.com/en-ca/art...86553682f9#bm1

[gangel]

thanks guys!

[ItsMe]

For certain things I use the BeforeUpdate for the Form. For other things I use the AfterUpdate on controls. I will sometimes use both the OnExit and AfterUpdate events of controls, together. I do not use the BeforeUpdate event of controls because it can leave the application/form locked until the user enters information into the control that allows the BeforeUpdate code to successfully execute. I recommend avoiding BeforeUpdate for controls.

[gangel]

THanks ItsMe.

So I'm now using pretty much as suggested, After and OnExit with controls and Before with some.

Im still using keydown with a couple of search boxes and that is working really well.

Was a BIG task going from keydown to update events but has been a fruitful excerise! Lots of learning done