Custom Menubar

[TimT]

Hello Experts,
How would I create a custom Menubar and have it show up in a packaged mde
file?
I created a custom Menubar but when I install it on another machine without
Access on it they don't show up.

 

[Albert D.Kallal]

If you change the built in ones..then they do NOT "copy" with your
application.

So...just build you own.

You most certainly can, and should hide all of the ms-access interface. The
options to complete hide and keep people out of the ms-access interface can
easily be done using the tools->start-up options. Using those options allows
you to complete hide the ms-access interface (tool bars, database window
etc). Also, using these options means you
do not have to bother setting up security.

Try downloading and running the 3rd example at my following web site that
shows a hidden ms-access interface, and NO CODE is required to do
this....but just some settings in the start-up.

Check out:

http://www.members.shaw.ca/AlbertKallal/msaccess/DownLoad.htm

After you try the application, you can exit, and then re-load the
application, but hold down the shift key to by-pass the start-up options. If
want, you can even disable the shift key by pass. I have a sample mdb file
that will let you "set" the shift key bypass on any application you want.
You can get this at:

http://www.members.shaw.ca/AlbertKallal/msaccess/msaccess.html

The only thing you would need to do to the above application is split
it..and then create a mde.

I talk about why you split..and make a mde here:
http://www.members.shaw.ca/AlbertKallal/Articles/split/index.htm

 

[TimT]

Albert,
Thanks for your response.
I downloaded your sample dbase and that is exactly what I want to do.
I tried to look at your Startup settings but the Tools is disabled when your
program is open so I couldn't see your settings. I'm curious to see what you
did because I tried all the combinations and could not get ALL of the MS menu
items not to show up at startup.
I am using MSA2003 with Developer Tools.

 

[Albert D.Kallal]

Albert,
Thanks for your response.
I downloaded your sample dbase and that is exactly what I want to do.
I tried to look at your Startup settings but the Tools is disabled when
your
program is open so I couldn't see your settings.

I will quote from my previous posting:

--- start of quote ---

After you try the application, you can exit, and then re-load the
application, but hold down the shift key to by-pass the start-up options.
If
want, you can even disable the shift key by pass. I have a sample mdb file
that will let you "set" the shift key bypass on any application you want.
You can get this at:

http://www.members.shaw.ca/AlbertKallal/msaccess/msaccess.html

--- end of quote ---

You have to use the shift key all day long when you develop in ms-access. If
you setup the startup opptions fo ra user..then how can you devlopment?

You will exit...and then hold down the shfit key to go back into "devleoper"
mode. You will make a few changes..and then exit the appcaiton, and
re-launch it without using shfit key (this will happen all day long!!). In
fact, I use alt-f4 to exit the appciaton. At this point the cursor (the mdb
file) is still highlifhged..and I just then hold down the shfit key..and hit
enter to get back in. Devleop some more....alt-f4 to exit ms-acdess..and now
to "test" in uers mode...I hjust hit the enter key (since the mdb file is
still highlighed...it just lanches again). This dance will occur all day...

I'm curious to see what you
did because I tried all the combinations and could not get ALL of the MS
menu
items not to show up at startup.

Just the standard startup options...no code, no security...nothing..just the
startup options. As I mentioned, you have to use the shift key by-pass to
disable the startup options (even the startup form will not launch). So,
just hold down the shift key during the startup of the application. You will
learn this key and feature real fast once you get the hang of this...since
you can't 6 any other way ONCE you start using the startup settings. Those
settings are for "end" users...and as a developer you can't have those
options fire when you try to work on the application...so hold down the
shift key...

 

[TimT]

Thanks again Albert for your response.
I did open it using the shift key, as I am so used to doing myself.
Oddly enough, the Tools menu was enabled but the Startup Options was disabled.
I've been trying all kinds of combinations with the Startup Options and was
only able to achieve losing the toolbars and trimming the normal menu down to
just a few things File|Edit|Insert... etc. or the menu completely hides but
the toolbars are still showing.
So I tried this and posted it earlier:

start of quote:
Thanks Marshall,
Actually I tried that one too, but maybe I'm doing it wrong.
I created a function in Module1

Function HideMenu()
DoCmd.ShowToolbar "Menu Bar", acToolbarNo

End Function

Then, right below it I wrote

Private Sub NoMenu()
Call HideMenu
End Sub

I created a macro called autoexec
and choose RunCode and NoMenu() for the function name.
...do I have that right? or is there another way to do this because if I have
the database open (Shift+ open) and run the macro manually the menu hides
completely but if I just open the database normally it doesn't work.
What am I doing wrong??
Any help would be greatly appreciated.



end of quote.

 

[Albert D.Kallal]

I would suggestion that you take a blank brand new database.

Get all of your menus back to normal. It sounds to me that you made a real
mess of the built in tool and menu bars...

in this "test" blank database, I would select the menu customize (right
click on the menu bar).

In the customize form, I would select the "database" toolbar..and then hit
the "reset" button on the right side.

In other words...are all your applications messed up?

If the view, and customize menus are missing, then that is due things being
messed up BEFORE you launched my sample applications.

(my sample does NOT run any code to setup the menus at startup...nor does it
need to).

Function HideMenu()
DoCmd.ShowToolbar "Menu Bar", acToolbarNo

ah....gee...why the heck are you starting to write a bunch of code because
you have things messed up?

Just take a step back here.....Get all you tool bars back to normal in a
blank database that you just made....

Then, launch my sample (with shift key). You can then go
view->toolbars...and display some extra tool bars if you wish for
development (however, I find the one main menu quite fine).

However, when you are done...you want to hide those extra tool bars...(just
go view->tool bars...and uncheck all of them -- the application does
remember these settings....so, just make sure you hide them before you
deploy the application......else they will show...even in my example).

You should only have the "main" menu bar showing. Since I specify the menu
bar in the startup..then it will replace the one that is showing..

You don't need code here at all to set this up....

 

[TimT]

Your sense of humor kills me dude!
That was the fix... I screwed the whole program up.
I created a new dbase, reset all menus and toolbars (just to be safe) and
imported everything from the original and it works like a charm now.
Thank you Albert, you are a godsend!