This article was previously published under Q173334
Moderate: Requires basic macro, coding, and interoperability skills.
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SYMPTOMS
When you use the OutputTo method or RunCommand method in a Microsoft Access
97 run-time application, you may receive the following error message:
The OutputTo action was canceled.
-or-
The RunCommand action was canceled.
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 the "Building
Applications with Microsoft Access 97" manual.
Your computer has only a run-time version of Microsoft Access 97 installed,
and you are using an action or method that prompts the user for an input or
output file name. For example, if you use the OutputTo method and leave the
Outputfile argument blank, Microsoft Access prompts you for an output file
name.
Explicitly supply the file name so that Microsoft Access does not have to
prompt the user for one. If you want to prompt the user for a file name,
you can use the ShowOpen or ShowSave methods of the Common Dialog ActiveX
control.
The following steps demonstrate how to use the Common Dialog ActiveX
control to prompt the user for an output file name and type, and then how
to supply it to the OutputTo method.
1.
Start Microsoft Access 97.
2.
Open the sample database Northwind.mdb.
3.
Open a new, blank form in Design view.
4.
On the Insert menu, click ActiveX Control.
5.
In the Insert ActiveX Control dialog box, select Microsoft Common
Dialog Control, version 5.0, and then click OK.
6.
Set the Name property of the Common Dialog control to cmndlg.
7.
Add a command button to the form, and set the Name property to
Command0.
8.
Set the command button's OnClick property to the following event
procedure:
Private Sub Command0_Click()
Dim oCmnDlg As CommonDialog
Dim strFormat As String
Dim strFileName As String
Set oCmnDlg = Me!cmndlg.Object
On Error GoTo Export_Err
With oCmnDlg
' Clear the file name before prompting.
.FileName = ""
' Prompt the user if the file already exists.
.flags = cdlOFNOverwritePrompt + cdlOFNHideReadOnly
' Determine if the cancel button was pressed.
.CancelError = True
.Filter = _
"MS-DOS Text (*.txt)|*.txt|Rich Text Format (*.rtf)|*.rtf" _
& "|Microsoft Excel (*.xls)|*.xls"
.FilterIndex = 1
' Default the initial directory to "C:\My Documents".
.InitDir = "C:\My Documents"
.ShowSave
' Determine what file type was selected; then save the
' file in that format.
Select Case .FilterIndex
Case 1 ' MS-DOS Text Format.
strFormat = acFormatTXT
Case 2 ' Rich Text Format.
strFormat = acFormatRTF
Case 3 ' Microsoft Excel Format.
strFormat = acFormatXLS
End Select
strFileName = .FileName
End With
DoCmd.OutputTo acOutputTable, "Customers", _
strFormat, strFileName
Exit Sub
Export_Exit:
Exit Sub
Export_Err:
' Check to see if the cancel button was pressed.
If Err.Number = 32755 Then
Resume Export_Exit
Else
MsgBox Err.Number & ", " & Err.Description
End If
Resume Export_Exit
End Sub
9.
Close and save the form as Form1.
10.
On the Tools menu, click Startup.
11.
In the Startup dialog box, select the Form1 form from the Display Form
combo box, and then click OK.
12.
Close the database.
13.
Use the ODE Setup Wizard to create a new set of disk images for the
application. Add Northwind.mdb and Comdlg32.ocx to the list of files
to distribute with the application. Select Northwind.mdb as the
application's main file, and create a shortcut that uses the Run-time
option to open Northwind.mdb.
14.
Install the application on a computer that has never had the retail
version of Microsoft Access 97 installed.
15.
Start the application. When the startup form appears, click the
command button.
16.
Select an output file name, and a file type from the Save As Type
list, and then click Save.
Note that the Customers table is saved to the file name and type that
you selected in the Common Dialog ActiveX control.
Create a command button, and set the OnClick property to the following
event procedure:
Sub Command0_Click()
DoCmd.OutputTo acOutputTable, "Customers", acFormatTXT
End Sub
5.
Open the form in Form view.
6.
Click the command button.
Note that Microsoft Access prompts you for the location of the output
file name.
7.
Choose a destination output file, and then click OK. This should
successfully output the Customers table to the file you selected.
8.
Close and save the form as Form1.
9.
On the Tools menu, click Startup.
10.
In the Startup dialog box, select the Form1 form from the Display Form
combo box, and then click OK.
11.
Close the database.
12.
Use the Setup Wizard to create disk images for the Northwind database.
Be sure to select Northwind.mdb as the application's main file, and
create a shortcut that uses the Run-time option to open Northwind.mdb.
13.
Install the application on a computer that has never had the retail
version of Microsoft Access 97 installed.
14.
Start the application. When the startup form is displayed, click the
command button.
Note that you receive the message "The OutputTo action was canceled,"
and then the application terminates.
For more information about the OutputTo method, search the Help Index for
"OutputTo method," or ask the Microsoft Access 97 Office Assistant.
For more information about the RunCommand method, search the Help Index for
"RunCommand method," or ask the Microsoft Access 97 Office Assistant.
For more information about the Common Dialog ActiveX control, search the
Help Index for "CommonDialog control," or ask the Microsoft Access 97
Office Assistant.
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