Hotkeys (Keyboard Shortcuts)

I have constructed a database application in MS 2003 (Access 2000 file
format) that uses a series of standard switchboards as the GUI to access
various functionality of the database. I've been asked if it is possible
to establish keyboard shortcuts or hotkeys or keyboard combinations--
whatever you like to call it--that would bypass the need to click on one
option on a switchboard in order to have another switchboard appear from
which another option is selected, and so on, in succession from which the
user would then make the final option selection to get at what they
needed to do within the application; in essence bypassing the
intermediary steps to go directly to an option desired. Does anyone know
if this is possible and how one would go about implementing this feature?

Re: Hotkeys (Keyboard Shortcuts)

"Donald Calloway" wrote in message
news:f%Oij.25346$UX2.1504@trnddc08...
>I have constructed a database application in MS 2003 (Access 2000 file
> format) that uses a series of standard switchboards as the GUI to access
> various functionality of the database. I've been asked if it is possible
> to establish keyboard shortcuts or hotkeys or keyboard combinations--
> whatever you like to call it--that would bypass the need to click on one
> option on a switchboard in order to have another switchboard appear from
> which another option is selected, and so on, in succession from which the
> user would then make the final option selection to get at what they
> needed to do within the application; in essence bypassing the
> intermediary steps to go directly to an option desired. Does anyone know
> if this is possible and how one would go about implementing this feature?

Search help for 'Autokeys Macro'. Select the first result. You can set up
hotkeys in this manner which are global to the application. Use the OpenForm
action to open your switchboard forms.

Re: Hotkeys (Keyboard Shortcuts)

Donald Calloway wrote in
news:f%Oij.25346$UX2.1504@trnddc08:

> I have constructed a database application in MS 2003 (Access 2000 file
> format) that uses a series of standard switchboards as the GUI to
> access various functionality of the database. I've been asked if it
> is possible to establish keyboard shortcuts or hotkeys or keyboard
> combinations-- whatever you like to call it--that would bypass the
> need to click on one option on a switchboard in order to have another
> switchboard appear from which another option is selected, and so on,
> in succession from which the user would then make the final option
> selection to get at what they needed to do within the application; in
> essence bypassing the intermediary steps to go directly to an option
> desired. Does anyone know if this is possible and how one would go
> about implementing this feature?

Yes, It's called a menu.
Right click on your menu. Choose customize. Find the [New Menu] at the
bottom of the categories. Drag it up to the menu. Give it a name, like
"Forms". Find the All Forms category. Drag your forms up there.
Ditto with your reports.
Oh ... the keyboard shortcuts. for the Form called "Employees" enter its
name as "&Employees". Then will open it.


--
lyle fairfield

In ancient times Ulysses had to outwit the sirens, who had the power to
charm by their song all sailors who heard them, so that the mariners were
compelled to cast themselves into the sea to their destruction.
Today, he would have to deal with (free) Aim-Mail.

Re: Hotkeys (Keyboard Shortcuts)

On Mon, 14 Jan 2008 20:35:19 +0000, Stuart McCall wrote:

> "Donald Calloway" wrote in message
> news:f%Oij.25346$UX2.1504@trnddc08...
>>I have constructed a database application in MS 2003 (Access 2000 file
>> format) that uses a series of standard switchboards as the GUI to
>> access various functionality of the database. I've been asked if it is
>> possible to establish keyboard shortcuts or hotkeys or keyboard
>> combinations-- whatever you like to call it--that would bypass the need
>> to click on one option on a switchboard in order to have another
>> switchboard appear from which another option is selected, and so on, in
>> succession from which the user would then make the final option
>> selection to get at what they needed to do within the application; in
>> essence bypassing the intermediary steps to go directly to an option
>> desired. Does anyone know if this is possible and how one would go
>> about implementing this feature?
>
> Search help for 'Autokeys Macro'. Select the first result. You can set
> up hotkeys in this manner which are global to the application. Use the
> OpenForm action to open your switchboard forms.

I got it to work with a combination of two things: 1) renaming the
switchboard options using &, &, ... & letter n> on each of 1...n switchboards, which you would press in
succession so that ALT+, +, +... letter n> activates the desired option on the nth switchboard; then 2)
creating a macro named Autokeys with macro key name of ^ and
consecutive Sendkeys actions which correspond to the ALT+,
+, ... , + key combinations that would need
to be pressed from the Main Switchboard in order to reach the option
desired. I decided the menu option wasn't as clean.

Re: Hotkeys (Keyboard Shortcuts)

On Tue, 15 Jan 2008 01:35:10 +0000, Don Calloway wrote:

> On Mon, 14 Jan 2008 20:35:19 +0000, Stuart McCall wrote:
>
>> "Donald Calloway" wrote in message
>> news:f%Oij.25346$UX2.1504@trnddc08...
>>>I have constructed a database application in MS 2003 (Access 2000 file
>>> format) that uses a series of standard switchboards as the GUI to
>>> access various functionality of the database. I've been asked if it
>>> is possible to establish keyboard shortcuts or hotkeys or keyboard
>>> combinations-- whatever you like to call it--that would bypass the
>>> need to click on one option on a switchboard in order to have another
>>> switchboard appear from which another option is selected, and so on,
>>> in succession from which the user would then make the final option
>>> selection to get at what they needed to do within the application; in
>>> essence bypassing the intermediary steps to go directly to an option
>>> desired. Does anyone know if this is possible and how one would go
>>> about implementing this feature?
>>
>> Search help for 'Autokeys Macro'. Select the first result. You can set
>> up hotkeys in this manner which are global to the application. Use the
>> OpenForm action to open your switchboard forms.
>
> I got it to work with a combination of two things: 1) renaming the
> switchboard options using &, &, ... & > letter n> on each of 1...n switchboards, which you would press in
> succession so that ALT+, +, +... > letter n> activates the desired option on the nth switchboard; then 2)
> creating a macro named Autokeys with macro key name of ^
> and consecutive Sendkeys actions which correspond to the ALT+ > letter 1>, +, ... , + key combinations
> that would need to be pressed from the Main Switchboard in order to
> reach the option desired. I decided the menu option wasn't as clean.

I forgot to tell you thanks for your help.

Re: Hotkeys (Keyboard Shortcuts)

> I forgot to tell you thanks for your help.

No problem. I only gave you a push in the right direction, really. The
system you've devised sounds reasonable to me, although you may find you
have problems using SendKeys - it sends kbd input to whichever object
currently has input focus, which can be changed by a user (with say a mouse
click) before the keystroke executes. That said, you may never run into
this. I have an app constructed using A97 which is controlled almost
exclusively by SendKeys and it hasn't caused any hiccups so far (about 7yrs
on).

Hope your users 'take to' your system. Fingers crossed.

Re: Hotkeys (Keyboard Shortcuts)

Of cause, you could always use the Form's OnKeyDown or OnKeyPress events.
OnKeyDown is better because it can track your shift keys. create a form
and add this:

Private Sub Form_KeyDown(KeyCode As Integer, Shift As Integer)
MsgBox "KeyCode=" & KeyCode & ":Shift=" & Shift
End Sub




"Donald Calloway" wrote in message
news:f%Oij.25346$UX2.1504@trnddc08...
>I have constructed a database application in MS 2003 (Access 2000 file
> format) that uses a series of standard switchboards as the GUI to access
> various functionality of the database. I've been asked if it is possible
> to establish keyboard shortcuts or hotkeys or keyboard combinations--
> whatever you like to call it--that would bypass the need to click on one
> option on a switchboard in order to have another switchboard appear from
> which another option is selected, and so on, in succession from which the
> user would then make the final option selection to get at what they
> needed to do within the application; in essence bypassing the
> intermediary steps to go directly to an option desired. Does anyone know
> if this is possible and how one would go about implementing this feature?