Custom switchboard buttons (1 Viewer)

Hi,


I want to recreat my menu form with a switchboard created through the switchboard wizard.


The only thing is that the new switchboard buttons aren't catchy; I want buttons with images on them corresponding to the button action.


Here is my switchboard for easy reference.


I will appreciate any help.

Don't think can because there really is only one button control on the form. Each 'button' you see is a record from the Switchboard table.

The Switchboard was removed from the Forms group on the ribbon and made hard to find (i.e., deprecated) because it is cumbersome, confusing, and limiting. I have never used it. It uses embedded macro attached to the button. Whether using macros or VBA, recommend a normal form.

I have no idea what your question is. Forget the wizard, just create those buttons on a form. On the click event of the buttons write code to do what you want.
Docmd.OpenFOrm ....
Docmd.OpenReport

Give this a read. It is a little more than what you are looking for but it is probably the best replacement for the SwitchBoard I have seen and it is fully customizable. I myself didn’t use it but I do think it has its uses...

https://bytes.com/topic/access/insi...e-user-permissions-customized-menus-ms-access

June7 said:

The Switchboard was removed..... because it is cumbersome, confusing, and limiting.

Click to expand...

It was a shame that such a good example of data driven coding was so poorly implemented.

If you can get a hold of an original copy of the VBA driven switchboard it's well worth studying.

I am creating my own interface for the switchboard menu system which I work on from time to time, it's a one of "those" projects!

Sent from my SM-G925F using Tapatalk

Someone on here created an alternative i'm sure, that allowed for more than 8 entries per menu, and with different pictures.
I cannot find it on my home laptop, so will search my works laptop tomorrow.

I was interested in it as I had just started using a switchboard, but never got around to converting to it.

Although the old switchboard was a good idea in principle, it was horrible and very limiting to use in practice & I was very pleased to see it disappear

My own take on a switchboard or main menu form has been in use in various apps for over 15 years. In one large app, it consists of 3 sections
a) 20 toggle button main options in the centre column
b) 20 toggle sub options in the right column whose captions / actions depend on the main option selected
c) a further set of 6 'stand alone' toggle buttons on the left that aren't part of the main set of options

This 'low-res' screenshot shows one of the main options and its sub option menu


in the above screenshot, the top main option 'Grades & Assessments' has been selected & its suboptions displayed
The 'Attendance Registers' button is highlighted as the mouse is currently over that button. Mouse move code is used to explain its purpose in a label at the bottom of the form (not shown here)

Further screenshots are attached for other main option menus

Taking all possible combinations into account, this gives a total of up to 406 options available from one main form.
In practice there are about 250 in use at the moment with unused options being hidden in each menu.

Depending on user status, some buttons in each section may be hidden or have different captions/actions.

Mouse move code is used for all buttons to give additional details about what each item is used for.
I don't use images or multiple colours for the buttons as in my opinion this would be distracting

One huge advantage about this approach is it is reuseable in different apps.
In the same app, an admin menu form also uses exactly the same layout / type of code

Found it.

As I said, I have not used it yet.


HTH

Gasman said:

Found it.

As I said, I have not used it yet.


HTH

Click to expand...

Another interesting modification you can do to the Microsoft Switchboard is to add the Eval function to the VBA code so that your Switchboard also has the ability to run functions.

Sent from my SM-G925F using Tapatalk

I believe the macro version only uses Functions?

Gasman said:

I believe the macro version only uses Functions?

Click to expand...

I don't know...

I would guess that you mean the macro version calls built in functions.

Using Eval in the switchboard VBA allows you to call your own custom functions, and also pass arguments through via those functions if required.

I believe using it this way will allow you to build a menu system with user level security very easily.

However, until I've finished building a new easy to use switchboard management interface, I won't know for sure....

I also think that my changes to the switchboard management interface will lend its self to the possibility of allowing the user to customize their own personal dB menu system.

This means a user could put the things they use the most often right on the first page.

Or possibly they could sort things into a logical order which makes more sense to themselves.

Don't know for sure yet. It needs a lot of time and effort spent on it, both of which I don't have much of at the moment!

Sent from my SM-G925F using Tapatalk

Well, if you need beta testers?.......

I use the switchboard all the time. As you can see by this example, I have 12 buttons and you can use whatever style you like. I don't use the embedded macro version. I use the old VBA version from earlier versions. It is quite easy to increase the number of buttons. What you loose by doing that is the ability to use the wizard to update the items. Although, if you understand how the wizard works and how your change affects it, you can still use the wizard but you will have to modify the generated items.
Here are two pictures.

Design view


Form view


Increased button count to 12


Added option to open main form in DS view

I also made my own switchboard using a subform. It lets you customize the buttons so each item can have a custom button. There are a few samples. Add others or make your own.

This demo also includes simple security. Each menu item has View/Edit/Add/Del security levels. The Update menu uses these to decide if you can even see or update the switchboard update menu. Most users will not have access to the update menu since they won't be adding objects to the database. Only the developer would use this form.

Switchboard Form


Switchboard maintenance form

Gasman said:

Found it.

As I said, I have not used it yet.


HTH

Click to expand...

Not too shabby!

for what it's worth. I use the original A97, A2003 switchboard, which is far better than the later replacement.

I have amended mine from the standard. The largest one I have shows options in 3 columns of 10, so I get 30 menu items per page, plus an extra item35 to return to the previous menu. I do a lot of accounting applications, and this is perfect for that. I manage menus directly in the switchboard items table, and this is also so easy. Menu Number, Item Number, Menu Item Type, MenuTitle for ScreenDisplay, Actual form/Report/Query name etc.