Solved MS Access Switch Board Menu

[nector]

Our department want an MS Access switchboard menu , though I Know we add it manually its not on the menu of MS Access 2016 . The sales switchboard must have the following reports :

(1) Sales reports with each button representing a sales area or an outlet (Example, town Centre , first class , second class, subway area and filling stations).

The above reports must have invisible parameters (Example Month and Sales outlet) so that if the directors click for example first class outlet then the sales report should show for that particular current month. I have no problem using the form parameters and a query , but they do not want that they want to be just clicking a button example labeled first class outlet for example the sales report populate no need for them to start entering the listed parameters:

(1) Date , example ( Between 01/01/2025 And 31/01/2025) Plus outlet name these parameters must be automatic no prompt required.

All the sales reports must be present on the dashboard created in MS Access switchboard like the one which was there in MS Access 2003.

The problem here is how to put the parameters on a report driven by such a dash board and that should never ask for any parameters , those parameters must be internally built within the report query but the date of month must be changing by month as the year progresses. For example if we are in February 2025 all the reports must be defaulted to February 2025 with a hard coded outlet name.

 

[DHookom]

I would just place the filtering criteria in hidden text boxes on the form. The form could include a list box of the area/outlet combinations. Use the after update or on click of the list box to open the report with the where condition that uses the control values. As more areas or outlets are added, they should automatically appear in the list box.

 

[Pat Hartman]

This is one of the mini-apps I use in multiple applications. It seems that you always have a need to document reports and you always want an easy way to run them and provide their arguments. There are two different versions. ReportManager is the one I currently use and ReportParms is the old version. I included the Report parms because it has a batch feature that lets the user pick a bunch of reports to run at once. I never included that feature in the newer version of the app.

 

[Pat Hartman]

I know you were asking about the old Access switchboard but that isn't suitable for running reports. You need an intermediate form so you can prompt for arguments and also specifiy whether you want to view, print, export to PDF, export to Excel, or any other output option you might want to support. BUT, I also have several sample versions of the old Access Switchboard as well as a totally custom version that includes a simple security system. I'll include those links also

Replacement Switchboard

This Switchboard form is based on the last VBA version which I think was A2k. I expanded it to allow for 12 items rather than 8 and you can easily change it to do more. I've included directions. This updated version has two switchboards. One more traditional and the other is big buttons...

www.access-programmers.co.uk

Switchboard with simple security

This is a custom switchboard. It expands on the Switchboard Items table to add four additional columns to define view/edit/add/delete security levels for switchboard items and forms/reports referenced by them. It includes tables to manage users and also to assign them security levels. The user...

www.access-programmers.co.uk

 

[nector]

Many thanks to all experts above for providing valuable information this helped a lot.

 

[Pat Hartman]

You're welcome. Keep in mind that the Report Manager needs customization if you want to use it. Since the customization happens only once per app, I never bothered to try to make it more generic You could do it but it would require separating the variables into a separate table and using a subform to enter them. The complicated part then becomes changing the type of control on the subform records to suit the variable. What I discovered after several implementations of this form and customizing it for each use was that each application has a limited number of fields that are used for parameters and once they were identified, I never needed to add new ones.