ACC: How to Fill Text Boxes on a Report Using Visual Basic

This article shows you how to create a sample Visual Basic for Applications function that populates (or fills) controls on a report based on a table or query when you preview or print the report. The sample function fills a newly-created text box on a report with a value from the QuantityPerUnit field in the Products table of the sample database Northwind.mdb. The report is based on the Current Product List query of the Northwind database.

This article assumes that you are familiar with Visual Basic for Applications and with creating Microsoft Access applications using the programming tools provided with Microsoft Access. For more information about Visual Basic for Applications, please refer to your version of the "Building Applications with Microsoft Access" manual.

NOTE: This article explains a technique demonstrated in the sample files, RptSampl.exe (for Microsoft Access for Windows 95 version 7.0) and RptSmp97.exe (for Microsoft Access 97). For information about how to obtain these sample files, please see the following articles in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

The following example calls a Visual Basic for Applications function in a report's OnFormat property to fill an unbound control on the report. As an alternative, you can call the function from the ControlSource property of the unbound control. To create the example, follow these steps:

1. Open the sample database Northwind.mdb.
2. Use the Report Wizard to create a new report based on the Current Product List query with the following options:
   
   
   1. Include both fields
   2. Add no grouping levels
   3. Sort by ProductName
   4. Use the default Layout setting
   5. Select Corporate style
   6. Name the report Fill Report
3. Open the Fill Report report in Design view.
4. Add the following text box to the Fill Report report's detail section:
   Name: Quantity
   ControlSource: <leave empty>
5. Type the following sample code in a new or existing module:

         Function FillRep()
         Dim rs As Recordset
         Dim db As DATABASE
   
         Set db = CurrentDb()
         Set rs = db.OpenRecordset("Products", dbOpenDynaset)
   
         rs.MoveFirst
         rs.FindFirst "[ProductID]=" & Reports![Fill Report]![ProductID]
   
         ' Use this line if the function is called from report
         ' detail section's OnFormat property event procedure.
         Reports![Fill Report]![Quantity] = rs![QuantityPerUnit]
   
         ' -or- use this line if the function is called from the
         ' ControlSource property of the unbound control.
         FillRep = rs![QuantityPerUnit]
         End Function
   						

6. Set the report detail section's OnFormat property as follows:

         =FillRep()
   						

   NOTE: You can also call the FillRep() function from the ControlSource property of the unbound Quantity text box as follows:

         Name: Quantity
         ControlSource: =FillRep()
   						

   If you use this method, add a comment (') in front of this line of code in step 5:

         Reports![Fill Report]![Quantity] = rs![QuantityPerUnit]
   						

7. Preview the report. Note that the Quantity text box on the report is filled by the Visual Basic for Applications function.

For an example of how to fill text boxes on a report using Access Basic, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: