Microsoft Access 2010 Bible

Chapter 15: Using Access Data Macros

555

Double-clicking on the After Update ribbon command opens the Macro Designer (shown in Figure

15.2). Initially, at least, there’s not much to look at.

FIGURE 15.2

Initially, the Macro Designer is not much to look at.

Expand/Collapse commands Table event name

Add New Action Design area Action catalog

drop-down list

The large rectangle to the left is the macro design area. This is where you place macro actions. On

the right side is the Action Catalog, a hierarchical list of all macro actions currently available. The

only indication of which table event is being programmed is in the main Access window caption,

and in the tab above the macro design area. With a macro open in the design area, the ribbon con-

tains several tools you use when working with the macro. Notice that you can collapse or expand

macro sections, save the macro currently under construction, and close the Macro Designer.

The ribbon you see in Figure 15.2 is exactly the same as seen when working with embedded or

stand-alone user interface macros. The main differences between what is shown here and in Chapter

30 is that, when building user interface macros, more options are available to you. For example, all

the items in the Tools group at the far left of the ribbon are currently grayed out. Data macros don’t

provide the option of single-stepping through macro actions or converting to VBA code. Data macros

are intended to be relatively simple, short, and to-the-point, rather than large and complex.