form object

debbiecoates · February 20th, 2008, 07:02 AM

In my database, when I call certain funtions, i capture the form name of the form that called it in a string.

Is there a way to then make a form object from the string

ie, gActiveForm is the form that called the function
then I want to do something like this

Dim frm As Form
Set frm = gActiveForm

with frm
.heading1 = "Whatever"
.heading2 = "something else"
end with

.heading1 and .heading2 are fields that always appear on the forms that called the function

Would be grateful for any advise

BrianWren · February 20th, 2008, 04:20 PM

Hi Debbie.

(1st a pet peeve: ie stands for the latin, id est, which means, "that is." Eg stands for the latin exempli gratia, which literally means "example given," which in English is, "For example." You (I'm sure) meant eg, instead of ie.)

You cannot do what it is that you have laid out here, but you can do something that produces the type of results that you seem to be indicating.

If you make a generic form, with a control named heading1, a control named heading2, etc., then you can create an object of that class, and treat it as you have indicated.

Let me back up, and fill in that forms are specialized classes. In many ways they behave exactly like classes. You can create a variable of the type of the form, just as with any class.

Let's say you have a form "frmYuh." You can

Code:

    Dim frm as New frmYuh

Additionally, you can add your own properties to a form module, and they will be properties of the form object instantiated from it.

Code:

Option Explicit

Private MyName As string

Public Property Let InstName(Name As String)
    MyName = Name
End Property
Public Property Get InstName() As String
    If InstName = "" Then
        InstName = "<I have no name...>"
    Else
        InstName = MyName
    End If
End Property

Then, when an instance of this class is created, you can address that property

Code:

    frm.InstName = "gActiveForm"

There is no way to find this object though...

But you can make an array

Code:

    Dim frms() As frmYuh

Then, when you want to create a new one, ReDim the array (with Preserve...), and add your new form instance. When it is time to find it, loop through the array looking at the .InstName property, till you find the one you are after.

If you close one of them

Code:

    frms(3) = Nothing

there will be a gap in the array...

You might want to use a Collection object instead. Then you can use the .Key property directly to access your form instances.

Does that help?