Microsoft Access 2010 Bible

Part IV: Professional Database Development

912

FIGURE 26.10

A splash screen confirms information about the application.

Very little code is needed to close a splash screen:

Private Sub Form_Timer()

DoCmd.Close

End Sub

Set the form’s Timer property to the number of milliseconds delay before closing the splash

screen.

Controlling the flow of information

Applications exist to meet specific user requirements. Often a series of steps will have to be fol-

lowed in order to accomplish certain tasks. It’s important that the application be built in a way to

facilitate the user progressing from form to form during their activities.

Adding switchboards to the application

Switchboard forms are an invaluable way of keeping users focused on using the database as

intended. A switchboard form presents the user with a limited number of choices for working with

the application and makes the application easier to use. You could, for example, use the user’s

login information to determine which of a number of switchboard forms to use. A manager with a

higher level of privileges might be given a form with more options than a clerical worker.

Figure 26.11 shows the switchboard form from the Collectible Mini Cars database. Each button in

this switchboard triggers some action within the database or leads to another switchboard form.

Controlling the ribbons

In most applications, you don’t want the user to have access to ribbon commands that perform

actions you don’t want the users to be able to do. If, for example, users were able to access the

export or import commands in the External Data ribbon, they might be tempted to experiment

with exporting and importing data, which could have serious repercussions on the security and

integrity of the data stored in the database.