ACC2000: How to Move from Subform to Main Form by Using TAB or ENTER

This article demonstrates how you can press the TAB key or ENTER key to move from the last control on the last record of a subform to a specified control on the main form.

NOTE: This article explains a technique demonstrated in the sample file, FrmSmp00.mdb. For information about how to obtain this sample file, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: Microsoft provides programming examples for illustration only, without warranty either expressed or implied. This includes, but is not limited to, the implied warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose. This article assumes that you are familiar with the programming language that is being demonstrated and with the tools that are used to create and to debug procedures. Microsoft support engineers can help explain the functionality of a particular procedure, but they will not modify these examples to provide added functionality or construct procedures to meet your specific requirements.

By default, Microsoft Access enables you to press the TAB key or ENTER key to move the focus from one control to another control on a form, according to the form's tab order. This includes moving to subform controls. However, pressing the TAB or ENTER keys does not move the focus from a subform control back to the main form.

CAUTION: If you follow the steps in this example, you modify the sample database Northwind.mdb. You may want to back up the Northwind.mdb file and follow these steps on a copy of the database.

NOTE: The sample code in this article uses Microsoft Data Access Objects. For this code to run properly, you must reference the Microsoft DAO 3.6 Object Library. To do so, click References on the Tools menu in the Visual Basic Editor, and make sure that the Microsoft DAO 3.6 Object Library check box is selected.

1. Open the sample database Northwind.mdb.
2. In the Database window, click Forms under Objects and open the Orders Subform form in Design view.
3. Set the OnExit property of the form's Discount control to the following event procedure:

   Private Sub Discount_Exit(Cancel As Integer)
   
      On Error Goto Error_Routine
   
      Dim RS As DAO.Recordset
      Set RS = Me.RecordsetClone
      RS.MoveLast
      If StrComp(Me.Bookmark, rs.Bookmark, 0) = 0 Then
         Forms![Orders]![Freight].SetFocus
         Forms![Orders]![Orders Subform].Requery
      End If
      Exit Sub
   
   Error_Routine:
      MsgBox "You must be on a record with data"
      Exit Sub
   
   End Sub
   					

4. Save and close the Orders Subform.
5. Open the Orders form in Form view and press the TAB key or the ENTER key to move from one control to the next on the form. Note that the form's Freight control receives the focus when you press TAB or ENTER from the Discount control of the last record displayed on the subform.

For more information about setting a form's tab order, click Microsoft Access Help on the Help menu, type tab order in forms in the Office Assistant or the Answer Wizard, and then click Search to view the topic.

For more information about the Bookmark property, in the Visual Basic Editor, click Microsoft Visual Basic Help on the Help menu, type Bookmark in the Office Assistant or the Answer Wizard, and then click Search to view the topic.