ACC: How to Determine the Current Screen Resolution (1.x/2.0) (113458)

SUMMARY

Advanced: Requires expert coding, interoperability, and multiuser skills.

This article describes a sample user-defined Access Basic function that you can use to determine the current screen resolution. This function is useful in determining if you are running in standard VGA mode (640 x 480) or Super VGA mode (800 x 600 or 1024 x 768).

This article assumes that you are familiar with Access Basic and with creating Microsoft Access applications using the programming tools provided with Microsoft Access. For more information on Access Basic, please refer to the "Introduction to Programming" manual in Microsoft Access version 1.x, or the "Building Applications" manual in version 2.0.

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The example below demonstrates how to create and use the sample GetScreenResolution() function.

Notes:

You may have some Microsoft Windows API functions defined in an existing Microsoft Access library; therefore, your declarations may be duplicates. If you receive a duplicate procedure name error message, remove or comment out the declarations statement in your code.
In the following sample code, an underscore (_) is used as a line- continuation character. Remove the underscores when re-creating this code in Access Basic.
In Microsoft Access version 2.0, you can create code in a form module. Code in a form module is restricted to that form. The Type statement used in this example must be global. You can use this code in a form's module if the Type statement is in the Declarations section of a global Access Basic module. For more information about the Type statement, search for "type" then "Type Statement" using the Microsoft Access Help menu.

Create a new module, and type the following Declarations and function:

      '
      *****************************************************************
      ' DECLARATIONS SECTION

      Option Explicit

      Type RECT
          x1 As Integer
          y1 As Integer
          x2 As Integer
          y2 As Integer
      End Type

      Declare Function GetDesktopWindow Lib "User" () As Integer
      Declare Function GetWindowRect Lib "User" _
         (ByVal hWnd As Integer, rectangle As RECT) As Integer

      '
      *****************************************************************
      ' FUNCTION: GetScreenResolution()
      '
      ' PURPOSE:
      '   To determine the current screen size or resolution.
      '
      ' RETURN:
      '   The current screen resolution. Typically one of the following:
      '      640 x 480
      '      800 x 600
      '      1024 x 768
      '
      *****************************************************************
      Function GetScreenResolution () as String
          Dim R As RECT
          Dim hWnd As Integer
          Dim RetVal As Integer
          hWnd = GetDesktopWindow()
          RetVal = GetWindowRect(hWnd, R)
          GetScreenResolution = (R.x2 - R.x1) & "x" & (R.y2 - R.y1)
      End Function

From the View menu, choose Immediate Window.
Type the following line in the Immediate window, and then press ENTER:

? GetScreenResolution()

The current screen resolution will be displayed in the Immediate window. If the current resolution is standard VGA, the following will be displayed in the Immediate window:

   640x480

ACC: How to Determine the Current Screen Resolution (1.x/2.0) (113458)

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