APPENDIX

The Microsoft Access Sample Applications

In addition to the Northwind sample application, which has examples of objects that you can create in your own applications, Microsoft Access includes two sample applications especially for application developers: Orders and Developer Solutions. The Orders and Developer Solutions sample applications provide examples of how an application is constructed and show many techniques that you can use as you develop your own applications.

You can use the examples in Orders and Developer Solutions as templates for the forms and reports you want to create, or you can use them as ideas for improving your applications. The steps needed to reproduce the forms and reports are documented in Show Me, the Help system designed specifically for these sample applications.

The best way to see what the sample applications have to offer is to install them and start exploring. The procedures that follow show you how to get started.

If you clicked Custom when you installed Microsoft Access, and then clicked Select All, you already have copies of Orders and Developer Solutions in the Samples subfolder of the Office folder. If you chose a different option during installation, or if you deleted either of the sample applications, you can install them now.

   To install the sample applications

1   Run the Microsoft Access Setup program or the Microsoft Office Setup program.

2   Click Add/Remove.

3   In the Options box, select the Sample Databases check box.

4   Click Change Option.

5   Click Select All, and then click OK.

6   Follow the instructions in the dialog boxes that appear.

Important   To use the Help system for the sample applications, the database file and the help file for each sample application must be in the same folder. For example, you must have Developer Solutions and the Developer Solutions Help file in the same folder.

The Orders Sample Application

Orders is a sample order entry and invoicing system. Its features include the ShowEvents form, which helps you see the order in which events occur when you are working with forms and controls, and custom data filtering capabilities you can use in addition to the filtering functionality provided by Microsoft Access. There are also several useful functions located in the UtilityFunctions module, such as the IsLocked function which determines whether the current record is locked.

   To open the Orders sample application

1   Start Microsoft Access.

2   In the Microsoft Access dialog box, make sure that Open An Existing Database is selected, and then click OK.

3   In the Open dialog box, navigate to the Office folder in the Look In box, double-click the Samples folder, and then double-click Orders.

Tip   The Orders sample application has settings in the Startup dialog box (Tools menu) that hide the Database window and open the Orders form. To show the Database window after starting the application, press F11. To bypass the startup settings altogether, hold down the SHIFT key when you open the database.

Chapters 1 through 3 of this book explain how to build the features shown in the Orders sample application. For quick information on the features in the application, click the Show Me button on the toolbar of any form in the Orders application, or press F1.

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