ACC2000: How to Use In-place Activation with OLE Objects

Microsoft Access supports in-place activation of OLE objects in a form's Form view. Also, in a form or report's Design view, activation of an OLE object causes the object's original application to run in the background as a server application (if the original application is available), so you can edit the object in Microsoft Access. However, in a table or a query, or in a form's Datasheet view, when you activate an OLE object, the original application opens to allow you to edit the object.

In-place activation of an OLE object allows you to edit or otherwise manipulate the object without switching to the object's original application. For example, you can edit an embedded document that was created in Microsoft Word for Windows without starting Word for Windows.
When you edit an OLE object in-place, the object's border becomes a hatched frame and the menus and menu options supported by the object's original application are added to the standard Microsoft Access menus. Toolbars supported by the object's original program may also be displayed.

The object's original program runs in the background and supplies the functionality it supports for the object, but the program is not visible and does not appear on the Windows taskbar.

For an OLE object to be activated in-place, the following must be true:

• The object must have been created in an OLE server program that supports in-place activation.
• The object must be displayed in an object frame on a form that is open in Form view.
• The frame's Enabled property must be set to Yes.

If the frame's Locked property is set to Yes, you are able to edit the object, but you are not able to save the changes. You may receive one of the following messages when you attempt to save the form: If the object is linked, you can activate it in-place, but you cannot edit it in-place.

The AutoActivate property controls how an object is activated. The default value is Double-Click, which allows you to double-click the object to activate it. If you set the property to Manual, you need to select the object, click object type on the Edit menu, and then click Edit to activate it. Setting AutoActivate to GetFocus (available only in unbound object frames) forces activation of the object when it receives focus on the form.

The following is an example of how to create an OLE object that supports in-place activation:

1. Start Microsoft Access and either create or open any database or project.
2. In the Database window, click Forms, and then click New.
3. In the New Form dialog box, click Design View, and then click OK to open a new form in Design view, not based on any table or query.
4. Using the Unbound Object Frame tool, create a new frame on the form.
5. In the Insert Object dialog box, under Object Type, click Microsoft Graph 2000 Chart, and then click OK.
6. Set the frame's Enabled property to Yes and its Locked property to No.
7. On the View menu, click Form View.
8. Double-click the embedded graph.
   The graph's border changes to a hatched frame, and several menus and menu options change.
9. Click anywhere in the form outside of the OLE object to deactivate the graph.

For more information about in-place activation, click Microsoft Access Help on the Help menu, type AutoActivate Property in the Office Assistant or the Answer Wizard, and then click Search to view the topic.

For more information about the Locked and Enabled properties of frames, click Microsoft Access Help on the Help menu, type Enabled, Locked Properties in the Office Assistant or the Answer Wizard, and then click Search to view the topic.

For more information about whether or not a specific object application supports in-place activation, refer to that application's documentation.