HOW TO: Use the Attributes Property for TableDef Objects in Access 2000

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This article was previously published under Q210362

SUMMARY

You can use the Attributes property of a TableDef object to determine specific table properties. For example, you can use the Attributes property to find whether a table is a system table or a linked (attached) table. 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. 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.

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TableDef Attributes

The Attributes property of a TableDef object specifies characteristics of the table represented by the TableDef object. The Attributes property is stored as a single Long Integer and is the sum of the following Long constants:

   Constant            Description
   ----------------------------------------------------------------------
   dbAttachExclusive   For databases that use the Microsoft Jet database
                       engine, indicates the table is a linked table
                       opened for exclusive use.

   dbAttachSavePWD     For databases that use the Jet database engine,
                       indicates the user ID and password for the
                       linked table should be saved with the connection
                       information.

   dbSystemObject      Indicates the table is a system table.

   dbHiddenObject      Indicates the table is a hidden table (for
                       temporary use).

   dbAttachedTable     Indicates the table is a linked table from a
                       non-Open Database Connectivity (ODBC) database,
                       such as Microsoft Access or Paradox.

   dbAttachedODBC      Indicates the table is a linked table from an
                       ODBC database, such as Microsoft SQL Server or
                       ORACLE Server.

For a TableDef object, use of the Attributes property depends on the status of TableDef, as the following table shows:

   TableDef                            Usage
   ---------------------------------   ----------
   Object not appended to collection   Read/write
   Base table                          Read-only
   Linked table                        Read-only

When checking the setting of this property, you can use the AND operator to test for a specific attribute. For example, to determine whether a table object is a system table, perform a logical comparison of the TableDef Attributes property and the dbSystemObject constant.

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Sample Code

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.

The following user-defined sample function loops through all the tables in a database and displays a message box listing each table name and whether or not the table is a system table:

Option Compare Database   'Use database order for string comparisons.

Option Explicit


Function ShowTableAttribs()
   Dim DB As DAO.Database
   Dim T As DAO.TableDef
   Dim TType As String
   Dim TName As String
   Dim Attrib As String
   Dim I As Integer

   Set DB = CurrentDB()

   For I = 0 To DB.Tabledefs.Count - 1
      Set T = DB.Tabledefs(I)
      TName = T.Name
      Attrib = (T.Attributes And dbSystemObject)
      MsgBox TName & IIf(Attrib, ": System Table", ": Not System" & _
        "Table")
   Next I

End Function

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REFERENCES

For more information about the Attributes property, click Microsoft Visual Basic Help on the Help menu, type object properties in the Office Assistant or the Answer Wizard, and then click Search to view the topics returned.

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