How to run Microsoft Access wizards using Visual Basic

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SUMMARY

Advanced: Requires expert coding, interoperability, and multiuser skills.

This article describes how to start the Microsoft Access 97 and Microsoft Access 7.0 wizards by using Visual Basic for Applications.

CAUTION: If you plan to create a custom application using the Microsoft Access Developer's Toolkit (ADT) for Windows 95 or the Microsoft Office 97 Developers Edition (ODE), you should not programmatically start the Microsoft Access. Since you cannot distribute the required library files with your application, any Visual Basic code that runs the wizards can fail in the run-time environment. You must have a single, licensed copy of Microsoft Access for Windows 95 or Microsoft Access 97 installed on your computer to run the Microsoft Access Wizards by using the methods described in this article.

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MORE INFORMATION

In Microsoft Access 97, the procedures for running the Wizards are contained in the Wzmain80.mde and Wztool80.mde library databases, which are located in your Microsoft Office folder (for example, C:\Msoffice\Office).

In Microsoft Access 7.0 for Windows 95, the procedures for running the Wizards are contained in the Wzmain70.mda and Wztool70.mda library databases, which are located in your Microsoft Access folder (for example, C:\Msoffice\Msaccess).

The Wzmain80.mde and Wzmain80.mde library databases contain the following procedures for specific wizards:

   Wizard                 Procedures
   ---------------------------------------------------------------------

   Form                    frui_Entry([TableName as String], ObjectType _
   Report                     as Integer)
   Simple Query

   Crosstab Query          xtq_Entry()

   AutoForm: Columnar      auto_Entry(TableName as String, DocumentType _
   AutoForm: Datasheet        as Integer, ObjectType as Integer)
   AutoForm: Tabular
   AutoReport: Columnar
   AutoReport: Tabular

   PivotTable              pvt_Entry([TableName as String])

   Word for Windows Merge  pm_Entry(TableName as String)

   MailingLabel            mlbl_Entry(TableName as String)

   Table                   tw_Entry()

The Wztool80.mde and the Wztool80.mde library databases contain the following procedures for specific wizards:

   Wizard                  Procedures
   ------------------------------------------------------------------

   Attachment              att_Entry()

   Form Chart              cw_WizardEntry(TableName as String, _
   Report Chart              ObjectType as Integer, Unused as Integer)

   Find Duplicates Query   dup_Entry()

   Find Unmatched Query    dwz_Entry()

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Calling the Wizards

When you call a procedure in a library database, the required syntax can vary, depending on if you have a reference to the library within your database.

Syntax with a Reference

If your database has a reference to Wztool80.mde and Wzmain80.mde (Microsoft Access 97) or Wztool70.mda and Wzmain70.mda (Microsoft Access 7.0), you can call the wizard procedures using standard syntax for running a function or subroutine. For example, to start a specific wizard from a form, you can copy the sample syntax below to the OnClick property of a command button on the form:

   Wizard                   Calling Syntax
   ---------------------------------------------------------
   Attachment               =att_Entry()
   AutoForm: Columnar       =auto_Entry("Customers", 1 , 2 )
   AutoForm: Datasheet      =auto_Entry("Customers", 3 , 2 )
   AutoForm: Tabular        =auto_Entry("Customers", 2 , 2 )
   AutoReport: Columnar     =auto_Entry("Customers", 1 , 3 )
   AutoReport: Tabular      =auto_Entry("Customers", 2 , 3 )
   Crosstab Query           =xtq_Entry()
   Find Duplicates Query    =dup_Entry()
   Find Unmatched Query     =dwz_Entry()
   Simple Query             =frui_Entry("Customers",1)
   Form                     =frui_Entry("",2)
   Form Chart               =cw_WizardEntry("Customers",2,0)
   MailingLabel             =mlbl_Entry("Customers")
   PivotTable               =pvt_Entry([TableName as String])
   Report                   =frui_Entry("Customers" ,3)
   Report Chart             =cw_WizardEntry("Customers",3,0)
   Table                    =tw_Entry()
   Word for Windows Merge   =pm_Entry("Customers")

NOTE: You cannot programmatically create a reference using Visual Basic. It must be created manually. The basic steps are as follows:

Open your database in which you want to start the wizards from Visual Basic.
Open a module in Design view.
On the Tools menu, click References.
If the libraries appear in the list of available references, ensure that their check boxes are checked and click OK. If these libraries are not listed, then click the Browse button and proceed with step 5.
In the Add Reference box, Select "Databases *.MDB, *.MDA" from the Files Of Type list, and then locate the Wzmain80.mde or Wztool80.mde. Note that these files are typically installed in the Microsoft Office folder in the subfolder, Office (for example, C:\Msoffice\Office).

NOTE: In Microsoft Access 7.0 for Windows 95, you would look for Wzmain70.mda or Wztool70.mda, typically located in the Microsoft Access folder (for example, C:\Msoffice\Msaccess).
Once you locate the library (for example Wzmain80.mde), select the file name and click OK. The library name should then appear in the References box with a check mark. Click OK to close the References box.

Syntax Using a Reference

If you want to avoid creating a reference to Wztool80.mde and Wzmain80.mde (Microsoft Access 97) or Wztool70.mda and Wzmain70.mda (Microsoft Access 7.0), you can use the Run method of the Application object in a Visual Basic procedure to call a wizard, for example:

   Application.Run "<library>.<function>", [arguments]

To start a specific wizard, use Application.Run with the sample "library.function" syntax in the table below:

 Wizard                   "<library>.<function>"
 -----------------------------------------------------------------------

 Attachment               "Wztool80.att_Entry"
 AutoForm: Columnar       "Wzmain80.auto_Entry", "Customers",1,acForm
 AutoForm: Datasheet      "Wzmain80.auto_Entry", "Customers",3,acForm
 AutoForm: Tabular        "Wzmain80.auto_Entry", "Customers",2,acForm
 AutoReport: Columnar     "Wzmain80.auto_Entry", "Customers",1,acReport
 AutoReport: Tabular      "Wzmain80.auto_Entry", "Customers",2,acReport
 Crosstab Query           "Wzmain80.xtq_Entry"
 Find Duplicates Query    "Wztool80.dup_Entry"
 Find Unmatched Query     "Wztool80.dwz_Entry"
 Simple Query             "Wzmain80.frui_Entry", "Customers",acQuery
 Form                     "Wzmain80.frui_Entry", "",acForm
 Form Chart               "Wztool80.cw_WizardEntry", "Customers",acForm,0
 MailingLabel             "Wzmain80.mlbl_Entry", "Customers"
 PivotTable               "Wzmain80.pvt_Entry","Customers"
 Report                   "Wzmain80.frui_Entry", "Customers" ,acReport
 Report Chart             "Wztool80.cw_WizardEntry", "Customers",acReport,0
 Table                    "Wzmain80.tw_Entry"
 Word for Windows Merge   "Wzmain80.pm_Entry", "Customers"

NOTE: In Microsoft Access 7.0 for Windows 95, you use the same syntax except you use a 7 instead of an 8 in the library name. For instance, the Attachment Wizard would be referred to as "Wztool70.att_Entry in Microsoft Access 7.0"

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REFERENCES

Microsoft Access "Building Applications with Microsoft Access 97," Chapter 12, "Using Library Databases and Dynamic-Link Libraries," pages 353-369.

Microsoft Access "Building Applications with Microsoft Access for Windows 95," version 7.0, Chapter 12, "Using Library Databases and Dynamic-Link Libraries," pages 292-294.

For more information about starting Microsoft Wizards in Microsoft Access version 2.0, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

115121 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/115121/EN-US/ ) ACC2: How to Start MS Access Wizards with WLib_WizMain Function

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APPLIES TO

Microsoft Access 95 Standard Edition
Microsoft Access 97 Standard Edition

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kbhowto kbusage KB148506

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Retired KB Content Disclaimer

This article was written about products for which Microsoft no longer offers support. Therefore, this article is offered "as is" and will no longer be updated.

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