New Macro Features (from the release of Access 2010)
In previous versions of Access, many usually used functions could not be executed without writing VBA code. With the release of Access 2010, new features and macro actions have been added to help remove the need for code. This makes it less demanding to add functionality to your database and helps make it more secure. • Embedded macros: You can now embed macros in any of the events given by a form, report, or control. An embedded macro is not displayed in the Navigation Pane; it becomes part of the form, report, or control in which it was created. If you make a duplicate of a form, report, or control that has embedded macros, the macros are also present in the duplicate. • Increased security: When the Show All Actions button is not highlighted in the Macro Builder, the only macro actions and RunCommand arguments that are accessible for usage are those that do not require trusted status to execute. A macro built with these actions will execute even when the database is in disabled mode. Databases that contain macro actions that are not on the trusted list need to be explicitly granted trusted status.
• Error handling and debugging: Access 2010 provides new macro actions, which include OnError and ClearMacroError, that enable you to run certain actions when errors occur while your macro is running. Moreover, the new SingleStep macro action lets you enter single-step mode at any point in your macro, so that you can see how your macro performs one action at a time. • Temporary variables: Three new macro actions — SetTempVar, RemoveTempVar, and RemoveAllTempVars — let you make and use temporary variables in your macros. You can use these in conditional expressions to control running macros, or to pass data to and from reports or forms, or for any other purpose that needs a temporary storage place for a value. Create a macro As of Access 2010, a macro or macro group can be held in a macro object, or a macro can be inserted into any event property of a form, report, or control. Embedded macros become part of the object or control in which they are inserted. Standalone macros are viewable in the Navigation Pane, under Macros, but embedded macros are not.
Macro Designer features Access 2010 (including the later versions too) has a new Macro Designer that allows effortless creation of complex macros at the same time decreasing coding errors. The designer is used to build the list of actions that you want to execute when the macro runs. To display the Macro Designer, click Macro on the Create tab. When you first open the designer, Access will display a drop-down list from which you select an action.
The following table shows the commands that are available on the Design tab of Macro. Group
Command
Description
Tools
Run
Performs the actions listed in the macro.
Single Step
Executes the macro one at a time. When you click the Single Step and then click Run, the Macro Single Step dialog box displays, and you will see three command buttons: Step, Stop All Macros, and Continue. Once you click Step command button, the macro executes from one macro to another. To stop all the macro actions, click Stop All Macros command button. To continue to run the macro, click Continue command button.
Convert Macros to Visual Basic
Use this to convert a macro to Visual Basic code.
Expand Actions
Click this when you want to display the actions of a macro.
Collapse Actions
This works opposite to the Expand Actions tool.
Expand All
It expands the macro actions and the collapsed block in the Macro Designer.
Collapse All
It collapses the macro actions and expanded block in the Macro Designer.
Action Catalog
Click this if you want to display the Action Catalog pane.
Show All Actions
When selected, all the macro actions are displayed in the drop-down list of the Action column. If you choose a macro action from this list, you may need to grant the database explicit trust status before you can run the action.
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