Switchboards

1 - Introduction:

To deliver your application and make it more functional, you need to provide a central point for your users to choose and access the right component to do their job. That's the role of a switchboard.

There are at least two common ways you can create or build a switchboard. You can use Microsoft Access built-in features to build a switchboard, or you can design one from a form.

5 - Designing A Switchboard:

There are two formal ways you can get a switchboard in Microsoft Access. You can design your own, or use the Switchboard Manager so that Microsoft Access will help you create one.

To explore the Switchboard Manager, we will use three directories for our database. The first directory (1) or dialog will be the main entrance of the database, the Main Switchboard. It will allow the user to preview the read-only albums form or to view the albums by categories. It will also allow the user to access another switchboard (2) where the user will be lead to other forms on the database. The main switchboard will also give access to another switchboard(3) that has a list of all the available reports. The user will also be able to exit the whole database from the main switchboard. 

1. Start Microsoft Access and open the Music Collection8 database.
2. In Microsoft Access 97, on the main menu, click Tools -> Add-Ins -> Switchboard Manager. In MS AC2000, on the main menu, click Tools Database Utilities -> Switchboard Manger. If you didn't have a switchboard yet, you will receive a message like the following:
     
   
       
3. Click Yes to create a new switchboard.
4. In the main dialog of Switchboard Manager, click the Edit button and change the name of the Main Switchboard to 
   Music Collection Database
     
   
     Click Close.
5. Click the New button and type Other Forms. Click OK. Click New, type Preview Reports and click OK. Now that various switchboards have been created, we can edit the content of each.
6. Double-click Music Collection Database (Default).
7. In the Edit Switchboard Page dialog, click New and type View Albums Records, and press Tab. In the Command combo box, choose Open Form In Edit Mode. In the Form combo box, choose frmAlbumsView and click OK.
     
   
     
8. In the Edit Switchboard Page dialog, click New and type View Albums By Categories, and press Tab. In the Command combo box, choose Open Form In Edit Mode. In the Form combo box, choose fvwAlbumsCategories and click OK.
9. In the Edit Switchboard Page dialog, click New and type Access Other Forms, and press Tab. Make sure the Commands combo box displays Go To Switchboard. In the Form combo box, choose Other Forms, and click OK.
10. In the Edit Switchboard Page dialog, click New and type Preview Reports, and press Tab. Make sure the Commands combo box displays Go To Switchboard. In the Form combo box, choose Preview Reports, and click OK.
11. In the Edit Switchboard Page dialog, click New and type Exit The Music Collection Database, and press Tab. In the Command combo box, choose Exit Application, and click OK.
12. In the Edit Switchboard Page, click Close.
13. In the Switchboard Manager, click Other Forms. Then click Edit.
14. Change the Switchboard name to Access To Other Forms.
15. Click New and type Edit Artists Names, and press Tab. In the Commands combo box, choose Open Form In Edit Mode. In the Form combo box, choose frmArtists and click OK.
16. Click New and type Edit Music Categories, and press Tab. In the Commands combo box, choose Open Form In Edit Mode. In the Form combo box, choose frmMusicCategories and click OK.
17. Click New and type Edit Albums Tracks, and press Tab. In the Commands combo box, choose Open Form In Edit Mode. In the Form combo box, choose frmAlbumsTracks and click OK.
18. Click New and type Edit Albums, and press Tab. In the Commands combo box, choose Open Form In Edit Mode. In the Form combo box, choose frmEditAlbums and click OK.
19. Click New. In the Text box, type Return to Main Switchboard. Make sure the Command box displays Go to Switchboard. In the Switchboard combo box, choose Music Collection Database. Click OK and click Close.
20. Continue the same process to build and configure the Preview Report switch board. On the Switchboard Manager, click Preview Reports. Make sure you provide a Return To Main Switchboard.
21. When you have finished, close all switchboard dialogs.
22. From the Database Window, click the Forms button, and double-click the Switchboard.
23. You can make your switchboard always display at startup (when you start your application). On the main menu, click Tools -> Startup...
24. In the Application Title box, type Music Collection. In the Display Form/Page combo box, choose Switchboard. Click OK.