Not Obeying Tab Stops

[hlewton]

My problem get complicated to explain so I am going to try to condense it so it makes sense.

My database is all about movies, those I had on tapes and those I now have on DVDs or have watched and not purchased an original. I call these UnSaved movies. I will attach a screenshot to try to make sense of my post.

I just had a friend create the control button you see that the red arrow points to. I wanted to place a control button to that Open UnSaved Movies Search on all the other forms that open when clicking on any of the other control buttons you see in the first attachment. The only other form it work fine on is the Open All Title Search.

I am attaching a screenshot of the form the first button opens the Open New Movies Form. This form allows me to enter new movies, as many as I want to. The way it works now and has for years is once I hit the Enter key in the Category field, it enters that record in the correct data table and return to the top input field allowing me to enter another record.

The problem is if I create a control button to any of the 3 input buttons of the database's opening form, Open New Movies, Open New Unsaved Movies, or Open New TV Series Form the cursor will not enter a new record once I fill in the Category field and press the Enter Key.

The 3rd attachment shows the Tab stops it should follow. combo35 is actually Rating and combo32 is actually Category. The next tab is add new record and it does not do that. It is not following the listed Tab stop order. Is there a way to fix this problem?

 

[Pat Hartman]

Is the control locked?

PS your should assign real names to your combos. Keep in mind that if you fix the problem now, the code will be disassociated so you will also need to rename the procedure and fix and references in the vba also.

 

[plog]

I can't stop focusing on your table names (of course you've done something similar with TV series as well):

NEW_MOVIES
NEW_UNSAVED_MOVIES
Unsaved Movies

Then on one of your forms you have a [Category] field in your table. Why does the Category data of a movie go into a field in a table, but if a movie is "New" or "Unsaved" you store that information in the name of a table?

Seems you could save yourself 2 tables (and get all your movies into 1 table) by moving the New and Unsaved data to a field.

 

[hlewton]

Is the control locked?

PS your should assign real names to your combos. Keep in mind that if you fix the problem now, the code will be disassociated so you will also need to rename the procedure and fix and references in the vba also.

I am not sure what you mean, "Is the control locked." However let me answer it this way. That form I use to input new movies which creates a record in the table named new movies, and the form works perfectly if I don't create the new control button. If that control button is what you're asking about, I don't know if it's locked however, the button I want to create only serves to open that "Open UnSaved Movies Search Form." That form does nothing except allow me to search a table that stores all the movies that I did not save. As far as the naming of the Tabs goes, I really had no idea what I was doing back then and tried to learn as I went. That is why some Tabs are named. I didn't follow the same procedure, which I wish I had, on other tabs. The VBA code I could never change because I have no idea what I'd be doing.

Thank you for the reply.

 

[hlewton]

I can't stop focusing on your table names (of course you've done something similar with TV series as well):

NEW_MOVIES
NEW_UNSAVED_MOVIES
Unsaved Movies

Then on one of your forms you have a [Category] field in your table. Why does the Category data of a movie go into a field in a table, but if a movie is "New" or "Unsaved" you store that information in the name of a table?

Seems you could save yourself 2 tables (and get all your movies into 1 table) by moving the New and Unsaved data to a field.

I really don't know how to reply to this because the only way I knew how to separate everything I wanted to include in this database was to make a table for each classification, was to do as I did. Of course, I didn't figure out all the groups to begin with and had to add one such as TV Series. At the time, I had no idea I would be purchasing series such as Friends, Cheers, Dallas, etc. When my collection grew to something much more than just a few, I added the group TV Series and also added a new table at the same time.

Please keep in mind, I was learning and only asked friends for help when it came to designing a complicated procedure I wanted the database to execute. My databases have held up for many years and in hind sight, I know they could have been designed much more efficiently but not by me. I am amazed I did as much as I did. 25 or more years later, I don't remember how I did things. I'm just saying this because I may not understand some replies but I'll do my best to answer them.

Thanks for the reply.

 

[LarryE]

It appears you know how to open the tab order window. So just select any control, hold the mouse button down, and drag it to the position you want it to be. The directions are right there on the tab order window.

However, your forms controls tab order is the least of your issues. I can tell by the tables you have created that this design is an attempt to use ACCESS like a spreadsheet and needs to be designed properly from the ground up.

Can you take a screenshot of what is in the Database Tools>Relationships window? Maybe if we can see how this was designed in the beginning, we can assess what needs to be done so it can work properly for you. Keeping track of movies and TV shows and TV Series data is not complicated in theory. You do not need to create new tables and forms for every type of show or category of show or TV Series. ACCESS can track all of that if you design the tables and their relationships to one another properly in the first place.

 

[Pat Hartman]

The proper design would have been to have a single table for all movies and then category codes to divide them into tv series and regular movies. And another code to indicate which you've watched and a third that separates owned from desired, etc.

We don't expect you to redo your app, but you might consider it. If your objective is to learn how to use Access, you may as well do it right

I wasn't talking about the button. You said there was a text box that you couldn't update. Put the form in design view. click into the box and open the property sheet if it doesn't open automatically.

 

[hlewton]

It appears you know how to open the tab order window. So just select any control, hold the mouse button down, and drag it to the position you want it to be. The directions are right there on the tab order window.

However, your forms controls tab order is the least of your issues. I can tell by the tables you have created that this design is an attempt to use ACCESS like a spreadsheet and needs to be designed properly from the ground up.

Can you take a screenshot of what is in the Database Tools>Relationships window? Maybe if we can see how this was designed in the beginning, we can assess what needs to be done so it can work properly for you. Keeping track of movies and TV shows and TV Series data is not complicated in theory. You do not need to create new tables and forms for every type of show or category of show or TV Series. ACCESS can track all of that if you design the tables and their relationships to one another properly in the first place.

Yes I figured out how to organize the tabs again yesterday and the Tabs are in the correct order they should be. Please remember without me creating a button on that current form to Open UnSaved Movies Search Form, it works as it should. No idea why that causes a problem but it does. I hope I'm attaching the screenshot you're asking for.

I am way too old to start any redesigning of databases. If you think this one is a mess, you should see my address database but it works perfectly for me and so does this one if I forget about putting that control button on any form used to enter data. I was just hoping to be consistent in having control buttons on every form that would open all the other forms but it is not a game changer for me. Thanks.

It appears you know how to open the tab order window. So just select any control, hold the mouse button down, and drag it to the position you want it to be. The directions are right there on the tab order window.

However, your forms controls tab order is the least of your issues. I can tell by the tables you have created that this design is an attempt to use ACCESS like a spreadsheet and needs to be designed properly from the ground up.

Can you take a screenshot of what is in the Database Tools>Relationships window? Maybe if we can see how this was designed in the beginning, we can assess what needs to be done so it can work properly for you. Keeping track of movies and TV shows and TV Series data is not complicated in theory. You do not need to create new tables and forms for every type of show or category of show or TV Series. ACCESS can track all of that if you design the tables and their relationships to one another properly in the first place.

 

[hlewton]

The proper design would have been to have a single table for all movies and then category codes to divide them into tv series and regular movies. And another code to indicate which you've watched and a third that separates owned from desired, etc.

We don't expect you to redo your app, but you might consider it. If your objective is to learn how to use Access, you may as well do it right

I wasn't talking about the button. You said there was a text box that you couldn't update. Put the form in design view. click into the box and open the property sheet if it doesn't open automatically.
View attachment 109560

I'm not sure I said I couldn't update a text box. What I can't do is add a new record to my database after using the "combo box" named Category on the form and combo32 on the list of tabs. I took a screenshot of the form that is Open UnSaved Movie Search and I don't see exactly what you show. I did find what the red arrow is point to but it has a slightly different name, "Records Lock.

 

[LarryE]

Yes I figured out how to organize the tabs again yesterday and the Tabs are in the correct order they should be. Please remember without me creating a button on that current form to Open UnSaved Movies Search Form, it works as it should. No idea why that causes a problem but it does. I hope I'm attaching the screenshot you're asking for.View attachment 109561

That's what I suspected. No table relationships.

Please remember without me creating a button on that current form to Open UnSaved Movies Search Form, it works as it should

I have no clue what you mean by that. What works as it should? Are you simply trying to create a command button on a form that opens a table recordset? I don't know what you are attempting to do here. Are you getting some kind of error message when you create a command button?

 

[hlewton]

That's what I suspected. No table relationships.

I have no clue what you mean by that. What works as it should? Are you simply trying to create a command button on a form that opens a table recordset? I don't know what you are attempting to do here. Are you getting some kind of error message when you create a command button?

OK, a few days ago I had a friend create a control button on the opening form of this database. That control button is named Open UnSaved Movies Search. If you count the control buttons on the opening form you'll see ther are 6 of them - top 3 buttons allow entering new records and the bottom 3 are only allowing me to do a search of all the records specified by the control's name. If you look above, far up, you see a form that opens when I click on the Open New Movies control button. If you count the control buttons on that form you'll see only 5 of them. I'm going to add another screenshot here to try to help my explanation.

If you count the control buttons on this, again as on the opening form, you'll see 6 control buttons including the one that opens the Unsaved movies search form. I can put this same button on any of the last 3 forms that only open searches. Above where you only count 5 control buttons in the form is because it is a form that allows me to enter new data. The moment I create the button to search Unsaved Movies I can no longer enter data, as I should be able to. I just recreated that scenario and here is a screenshot of that.

As you can see above I tried to enter a new record. If it worked, as it should, you would not see my entries, you'd see blank fields again with the cursor or focus in the Movie Title box. Please take note that the cursor's focus is now on the button I just created, the Open UnSaved Movie Search and the next time the Enter key is pressed that form will open.

I also took a screenshot of the Tab list. It was too long to show the entire length of it but believe me all is the same except the new Tab entry - Open UnSaved Movie Search, which is in the 24th position. So when I enter data and hit the Enter key after entering data in the category field instead of following the Tab List it jumps to the Open UnSaved Movie Search. Here is a screenshot of the Tab list.

So, that is why I started this thread saying my program is not following the Tab list, as it should.

I sure hope this explains what I am trying to say. Thanks.

 

[Pat Hartman]

Look at the new button in design view. If it's Default value is Yes, change it to No.

 

[LarryE]

1. Adding a command button to a form has absolutely nothing to do with whether you can add records to a table or not. So something else is going on here that you don't know about and therefore cannot explain to us. If you cannot add records to a table, then it is the forms Record Source that is the problem. So open the form Record Source and see if you can add records to it manually.
2. If you do not want the Open UnSaved Movies Search button to have its tab setting active, then open the form in design view, select the command button in the forms property setting window and set its Tab Stop setting to No. Do you see the Tab Stop setting in Pats picture in post #12? Set that to No for the command button you just added and all others too if you don't want them to have a Tab Order. The Tab Order window will always show all controls on the form, but you don't have to have them activated on the form itself. Just turn the Tab Order setting to No on the form.

 

[hlewton]

Look at the new button in design view. If it's Default value is Yes, change it to No.
View attachment 109567

Thank you but as soon as I create it, its value set to No. Please see attachment.

 

[hlewton]

1. Adding a command button to a form has absolutely nothing to do with whether you can add records to a table or not. So something else is going on here that you don't know about and therefore cannot explain to us. If you cannot add records to a table, then it is the forms Record Source that is the problem. So open the form Record Source and see if you can add records to it manually.
2. If you do not want the Open UnSaved Movies Search button to have its tab setting active, then open the form in design view, select the command button in the forms property setting window and set its Tab Stop setting to No. Do you see the Tab Stop setting in Pats picture in post #12? Set that to No for the command button you just added and all others too if you don't want them to have a Tab Order. The Tab Order window will always show all controls on the form, but you don't have to have them activated on the form itself. Just turn the Tab Order setting to No on the form.

 

[hlewton]

Number 1above, I can do that manually and also add records to it in my form until I create that Open UnSaved Movies Search on that form.
Number 2 above, I will have to go try that right now. I will get back as soon as I can. Thank you.

 

[hlewton]

Turning that Tab stop off seemed to do the trick. I am going to try it on the other 2 forms but I really want to thank you for that suggestion. And thanks to all who replied to this thread. I'm happy I found this forum.

 

[LarryE]

Number 1above, I can do that manually and also add records to it in my form until I create that Open UnSaved Movies Search on that form.
Number 2 above, I will have to go try that right now. I will get back as soon as I can. Thank you.

Once again, adding a command button to a form has nothing to do with whether you can add or edit records on that form. Nothing. Command buttons execute commands that you tell them to execute when they are clicked (or certain other Events are triggered) and that is all. If you cannot add records to the forms Record Source with a new command button or without any command buttons on the form, there is something wrong. I have been using ACCESS since 1999 and have never heard of, or experienced any instance of not being able to add records in a form after creating a command button on that form. It just makes no sense.

Please attach your database file by clicking the Attach files button in your next response so I can find out what you are talking about.

 

[hlewton]

Once again, adding a command button to a form has nothing to do with whether you can add or edit records on that form. Nothing. Command buttons execute commands that you tell them to execute when they are clicked (or certain other Events are triggered) and that is all. If you cannot add records to the forms Record Source with a new command button or without any command buttons on the form, there is something wrong. I have been using ACCESS since 1999 and have never heard of, or experienced any instance of not being able to add records in a form after creating a command button on that form. It just makes no sense.

Please attach your database file by clicking the Attach files button in your next response so I can find out what you are talking about.

I believe my problem has been solved by the suggestion above to turn the TAB stop off for that particular form. I'm sure what you say is correct but until the above suggestion, it certainly seemed to me that adding a control button to open that form was causing the problem. However, in posting this thread, evidenced by the title, I did have s suspicion that the Tab stops were causing the culprit. I had, over the years since creating this database in Office 95, forgotten how to fix the problem. Thanks

 

[hlewton]

As mentioned above, my problem has been solved thanks to LarryE's suggestion to set the Tab stop to No. But I would like to ask 2 more questions.

1. The Tab stop for that button was Tab index 23. For the form to work correctly when inputting data, it only had to got to Tab index 6. What was the reason, if there is a logical answer, it jumped over all the Tab stops between 6 and landed on tab stop 23?

2. First let me state I use Microsoft 365 so all the Office programs are always kept up to date. My problem is when I was creating the control buttons on the 5 forms I wanted to, I would first click on the Use Control Wizards option and then click on the Button control. I would then paste that button into the form. Always the first time I did this it would not open the Control Wizard. I had to delete the newly created button and repeat the exact same process to get the Control Wizard to open. It would always open on the second attempt. Any idea why this consistently happened and if it could be somehow corrected?