ACC: How to Convert Macros to Visual Basic for Applications (136058)


The information in this article applies to:

  • Microsoft Access for Windows 95 7.0
  • Microsoft Access 97
This article was previously published under Q136058
Moderate: Requires basic macro, coding, and interoperability skills.

SUMMARY

You can do a lot with macros. You can open and close forms, show and hide toolbars, and run reports. However, if you want more control over your application's behavior, you can convert your macros to Visual Basic for Applications code. To help you convert existing macros to Visual Basic for Applications code, you can use the Microsoft Access Macro Conversion Wizard. This article explains how to use the Macro Conversion Wizard, and how it converts your macro actions.

MORE INFORMATION

To convert a macro to Visual Basic for Applications code, follow these steps:
  1. Open the sample database Northwind.mdb.
  2. In the Database window, click the Macros tab, and select a macro, for example, the Customer Labels Dialog macro.
  3. On the File menu, click Save As/Export.
  4. In the Save As box, click Save As Visual Basic Module, and then click OK.
  5. In the Convert Macro box, select the "Add error handling/trapping to generated functions" option and the "Include macro comments" option.
  6. Click Convert.
The Macro Conversion Wizard does the following when it converts a macro to Visual Basic code:

  • It creates a new module of procedures using the same names from the Macro Names column in the original macro.
  • It converts macro actions to appropriate DoCmd methods in Visual Basic. For the several macro actions that do not have a DoCmd equivalent, the Macro Conversion Wizard does the following: 
        No DoCmd Equivalent   Solution
    -----------------------------------------------------------------------

    AddMenu               The wizard comments out these lines in the code
                          and notifies the user.

    MsgBox                Uses the MsgBox function.

    RunApp                Uses the Shell function to run another
                          application.

    RunCode               Uses the Call statement and runs the function
                          directly in Visual Basic.

    SendKeys              Uses the SendKeys statement.

    SetValue              Sets the value directly in Visual Basic.

    StopAllMacros         Uses the End statement.

    StopMacro             Uses the Exit Function statement.
  • Expressions in the macro's Condition column are converted to If...Then statements.
  • If the Condition column contains a full reference to a control in a form or report (for example, Forms!MyForm![LastName]), Microsoft Access uses If...Then statements. If the reference refers to a control name only (for example, [LastName]), then Microsoft Access uses a With...End With or a CodeContextObject statement.

REFERENCES

For more information about converting macros to Visual Basic for Applications code, search in the Help Index for "converting macros," or ask the Microsoft Access 97 Office Assistant.
Modification Type:MinorLast Reviewed:10/11/2006
Keywords:kbinfo kbProgramming KB136058
©2004 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.