How to hide access window killing my popup menus?

[munkee]

Hi all,

I am using the following article code to minimize the access container window when my application starts because it looks really professional without the grey background being there.

However I have found my shortcut menu's no longer work. I have tried even executing code such as:

CommandBars("mymenu").showpopup

This fails with an error saying method popup of command bar failed (runtime error).

Is there another method which can be used to hide the access window so only my popup form shows cleanly? or some form of shortcut way to get past this issue.

I have also found this method also stops the default menu popups working also.

[Stewart Ross]

Could you post the specific code for hiding the Access DB window you are referring to? You mention it but have not posted it.

Thanks

Stewart

[munkee]

In my splash screens on load even I call a routine as follows:

Private Sub Form_Open(Cancel As Integer)
'Start open ended error handler
On Error GoTo tagError

Call AccessMinimize

DoCmd.OpenForm "frmHidden", acNormal, , , , acHidden

'End of successful code
ExitMe:
Exit Sub

'Handle the error type code
tagError:
    MsgBox Err.Description
    Resume ExitMe
End Sub

This is then running the following code:

  Option Explicit

Declare Function apiGetActiveWindow Lib "user32" Alias _
         "GetActiveWindow" () As Long
Declare Function apiGetParent Lib "user32" Alias "GetParent" _
         (ByVal hwnd As Long) As Long
Declare Function apiShowWindow Lib "user32" Alias "ShowWindow" _
         (ByVal hwnd As Long, ByVal nCmdShow As Long) As Long
Declare Function apiIsIconic Lib "user32" Alias "IsIconic" (ByVal _
         hwnd As Long) As Long
Declare Function apiIsZoomed Lib "user32" Alias "IsZoomed" (ByVal _
         hwnd As Long) As Long
         
Global Const SW_MAXIMIZE = 3
Global Const SW_SHOWNORMAL = 1
Global Const SW_SHOWMINIMIZED = 2
      
Function GetAccesshWnd()
Dim hwnd As Long
Dim hWndAccess As Long

' Get the handle to the currently active window.
hwnd = apiGetActiveWindow()
hWndAccess = hwnd

' Find the top window without a parent window.
While hwnd <> 0
    hWndAccess = hwnd
    hwnd = apiGetParent(hwnd)
Wend

GetAccesshWnd = hWndAccess

End Function
     
Function AccessMinimize()
    AccessMinimize = apiShowWindow(GetAccesshWnd(), SW_SHOWMINIMIZED)
End Function

Function AccessMaximize()
    AccessMaximize = apiShowWindow(GetAccesshWnd(), SW_MAXIMIZE)
End Function

Function AccessRestore()
    AccessRestore = apiShowWindow(GetAccesshWnd(), SW_SHOWNORMAL)
End Function


                
Function IsAccessMaximized()
If apiIsZoomed(GetAccesshWnd()) = 0 Then
    IsAccessMaximized = False
Else
    IsAccessMaximized = True
End If
End Function

Function IsAccessMinimized()
If apiIsIconic(GetAccesshWnd()) = 0 Then
    IsAccessMinimized = False
Else
    IsAccessMinimized = True
End If
End Function

Function IsAccessRestored()
If IsAccessMaximized() = False And IsAccessMinimized() = False Then
    IsAccessRestored = True
Else
    IsAccessRestored = False
End If
End Function

[Stewart Ross]

I suspect the problem is that the application is not hidden at all; it's window is minimised, in which case Access itself is no longer the active window as far as Windows is concerned. In my tests (in Access 2007 rather than 2003) with a dummy popup switchboard the switchboard functions, but as the results are minimised within the application window they are not visible unless the application is restored manually.

If you wish the splash screen to be visible without the normal Access background you can use the minimise function as at present to keep the splash screen visible with the application minimised, then (say) call the restore function from the splash screen form's On Close event to allow the other forms to behave normally.

-Stewart

[munkee]

Scott

that is how I run one of my databases. minimise on load and restore when I work with reports. But for my new database I wanted the same professional look but needed custom short cut menus. Looks like I will have to deal with the ugly background being there. I'm also wondering if the access windows opacity could be changed so it isnt minimised but its invisible.... More research to be done into that though



Also forgot to add you need to use popup forms for this code to work correctly. Access minimises but the forms stay visible. You can see your desktop and the form floating on top. Hence the professional look

[munkee]

I've managed to crack this using some apis.

I have dropped the minimisation of the application window because to be honest it is full of drawbacks.

I have mixed a couple of apis together to produce code which firstly grabs the current screen resolution. Divides this by half to get the theoretical centre of the screen. The access window is then resized to be at a minimum footprint of 0 by 0.

I then position this to the centre of my screen with all of my forms within access being set to popups.

I execute the code via my autoexec macro by calling the function "SizeAccess "

       Option Compare Database
       Option Explicit
       
       Declare Function GetSystemMetrics Lib "user32" (ByVal nIndex As Long) As Long
       Declare Sub SetWindowPos Lib "user32" (ByVal hwnd&, ByVal hWndInsertAfter&, ByVal x&, ByVal y&, ByVal cx&, ByVal cy&, ByVal wFlags&)
       Declare Function SetWindowLong Lib "user32" Alias "SetWindowLongA" (ByVal hwnd As Long, ByVal nIndex As Long, ByVal dwNewLong As Long) As Long
       Declare Function GetWindowLong Lib "user32" Alias "GetWindowLongA" (ByVal hwnd As Long, ByVal nIndex As Long) As Long

       'PUBLIC Constants
       Public Const SM_CXSCREEN = 0
       Public Const SM_CYSCREEN = 1
       
       'Moves MS Access window to top of Z-order.
       Global Const HWND_TOP = 0
       'Creates a window with a maximize box
       Global Const WS_MINIMIZEBOX = &H20000
       'Creates a window with a minimize box
       Global Const WS_MAXIMIZEBOX = &H10000
       Global Const GWL_STYLE = (-16)
       'Values for wFlags.
       Global Const SWP_NOZORDER = &H4      'Ignores the hWndInsertAfter.
       
       Function SizeAccess()
        Dim cx As Long
        Dim cy As Long
        Dim h As Long
        Dim L As Long
        Dim cHeight As Long
        Dim cWidth As Long
        
        'Size to set app window height/width
        cHeight = 0
        cWidth = 0
        
        'Get handle to Microsoft Access.
        h = Application.hWndAccessApp
        
        'Set the position for the app to be centred to (50 and 100 refer to offsetting due to application titlebar size)
        cx = (GetSystemMetrics(SM_CXSCREEN) / 2) - 50
        cy = (GetSystemMetrics(SM_CYSCREEN) / 2) - 100
           
        'Position the access window
        SetWindowPos h, HWND_TOP, cx, cy, cWidth, cHeight, SWP_NOZORDER
         
         'Get the current style.
         L = GetWindowLong(h, GWL_STYLE)
        
         'Get rid of the Minimize Button
         L = L And Not (WS_MINIMIZEBOX)
         
         'Get rid of the maximise button
         L = L And Not (WS_MAXIMIZEBOX)
         
         L = SetWindowLong(h, GWL_STYLE, L)
         
        End Function

The reason this works is basically by ensuring my application window is always small and "hidden" behind my popup forms. The application will continue to have focus so now shortcut menus will work correctly.

[TheSmileyCoder]

Could you post a screenshot of your application (or parts of it)? Im a bit curious about the "profession al" look you get from using such code.