Report Snapshot Not Working with Timer Event

[sophistiKate]

I am working with an Access 2003 database. Since adding a timer event to check for idle time to a form, a custom toolbar button that creates a snapshot has stopped working properly. Until the first time the timer event procedure is run, the button works fine, but after that, it produces an error "The Object Type argument for the action or method is blank or invalid."

The button runs a macro which runs the action "OutputTo" with the following settings:
Object Type: Report
Object Name: (blank)
Output Format: Snapshot Format

The code for the timer procedure is:

Private Sub Form_Timer()
'**********************************************************************
'* This timer event procedure will shut down the application
'* after a specified number of minutes of inactivity. Inactivity
'* is measured based on how long a control remains the ActiveControl.
'**********************************************************************
Dim sngElapsedTime As Single
Dim ctlNew As Control
Dim currObject As String
On Error Resume Next
 
Set ctlNew = Screen.ActiveControl
If Err <> 0 Then
    '* No activecontrol
    sngElapsedTime = Timer - sngStartTime
    Err.Clear
Else
    If ctlNew.Name = "InactiveShutDownCancel" Then
        '* The warning form has appeared, and the cancel button
        '* is the active control
        sngElapsedTime = Timer - sngStartTime
    Else
        If ctlNew.Name = ctlSave.Name Then
            '* Still at same control
            sngElapsedTime = Timer - sngStartTime
        Else
            '* Some change has occured, we're at a new control
            Set ctlSave = ctlNew
            resetTimer
        End If
        If Err <> 0 Then
            Set ctlSave = Screen.ActiveControl
        End If
    End If
End If
Err.Clear
 
On Error GoTo Err_Path
 
Set ctlNew = Nothing
 
If sngElapsedTime > (intMinutesUntilShutDown * 60) Then    ' First interval has passed; present idle warning.
        DoCmd.OpenForm "frmInactiveShutDown", , , , , , sngElapsedTime & "|" & sngStartTime & "|" & intMinutesUntilShutDown & "|" & intMinutesWarningAppears
End If
 
Exit Sub
Err_Path:
    MsgBox (ErrorLogRuntime(Error$, Screen.ActiveForm.Name, Screen.ActiveControl.Name))
 
Exit_Section:
End Sub
 

Any help is most appreciated.

[ADezii]

I am working with an Access 2003 database. Since adding a timer event to check for idle time to a form, a custom toolbar button that creates a snapshot has stopped working properly. Until the first time the timer event procedure is run, the button works fine, but after that, it produces an error "The Object Type argument for the action or method is blank or invalid."

The button runs a macro which runs the action "OutputTo" with the following settings:
Object Type: Report
Object Name: (blank)
Output Format: Snapshot Format

The code for the timer procedure is:

Private Sub Form_Timer()
'**********************************************************************
'* This timer event procedure will shut down the application
'* after a specified number of minutes of inactivity. Inactivity
'* is measured based on how long a control remains the ActiveControl.
'**********************************************************************
Dim sngElapsedTime As Single
Dim ctlNew As Control
Dim currObject As String
On Error Resume Next
 
Set ctlNew = Screen.ActiveControl
If Err <> 0 Then
    '* No activecontrol
    sngElapsedTime = Timer - sngStartTime
    Err.Clear
Else
    If ctlNew.Name = "InactiveShutDownCancel" Then
        '* The warning form has appeared, and the cancel button
        '* is the active control
        sngElapsedTime = Timer - sngStartTime
    Else
        If ctlNew.Name = ctlSave.Name Then
            '* Still at same control
            sngElapsedTime = Timer - sngStartTime
        Else
            '* Some change has occured, we're at a new control
            Set ctlSave = ctlNew
            resetTimer
        End If
        If Err <> 0 Then
            Set ctlSave = Screen.ActiveControl
        End If
    End If
End If
Err.Clear
 
On Error GoTo Err_Path
 
Set ctlNew = Nothing
 
If sngElapsedTime > (intMinutesUntilShutDown * 60) Then    ' First interval has passed; present idle warning.
        DoCmd.OpenForm "frmInactiveShutDown", , , , , , sngElapsedTime & "|" & sngStartTime & "|" & intMinutesUntilShutDown & "|" & intMinutesWarningAppears
End If
 
Exit Sub
Err_Path:
    MsgBox (ErrorLogRuntime(Error$, Screen.ActiveForm.Name, Screen.ActiveControl.Name))
 
Exit_Section:
End Sub
 

Any help is most appreciated.

With the Object Name being blank, the OutPutTo() Method will Default to the Active Object and prompt for an Output File. Once code execution shifts to the Timer Event, a Report is no longer the Active Object, and the Snapshot Format is not valid for the Active Control. I hope this makes sense. Specify the Object Name directly within the Macro and I'll bet the code will run fine. Let me know how you made out.

[sophistiKate]

Oh, great, thank you. That's what I've been suspecting, so it is really good to have that confirmed.

Unfortunately, I can't specify the report name, because the same macro is used for all reports. Is there a way around this? Can I specify at the end of my timer procedure to return to the previous active object? (I have searched and searched and found no information about setting the active object.)

With the Object Name being blank, the OutPutTo() Method will Default to the Active Object and prompt for an Output File. Once code execution shifts to the Timer Event, a Report is no longer the Active Object, and the Snapshot Format is not valid for the Active Control. I hope this makes sense. Specify the Object Name directly within the Macro and I'll bet the code will run fine. Let me know how you made out.

[ADezii]

Oh, great, thank you. That's what I've been suspecting, so it is really good to have that confirmed.

Unfortunately, I can't specify the report name, because the same macro is used for all reports. Is there a way around this? Can I specify at the end of my timer procedure to return to the previous active object? (I have searched and searched and found no information about setting the active object.)

You may be able to make use of the PreviousControl Property, here is some sample code below will may be of assistance to you:

Public Function ProcessData() As Integer
 
    ' No previous control error.
    Const conNoPreviousControl = 2483
    Dim ctlPrevious As Control
 
    On Error GoTo Process_Err
 
    Set ctlPrevious = Screen.PreviousControl
    If ctlPrevious.Name = "txtFinalEntry" Then
        '
        ' Process Data Here.
        '
        ProcessData = True
    Else
        ' Set focus to txtFinalEntry and display message.
        Me!txtFinalEntry.SetFocus
        ProcessData = False
    End If
 
Process_Exit:
    Set ctlPrevious = Nothing
    Exit Function
 
Process_Err:
    If Err = conNoPreviousControl Then
        Me!txtFinalEntry.SetFocus
        MsgBox "Please enter a value to process.", vbInformation
        ProcessData = False
    End If
    Resume Process_Exit
End Function

[sophistiKate]

Thank you for your help, and I will definitely hang on to this sample for future reference. I solved my problem eventually by using code in place of the macro as follows:

    Dim reportName As String
 
    reportName = Application.CurrentObjectName
 
    On Error Resume Next
    DoCmd.OutputTo acOutputReport, reportName, acFormatSNP, , True
 

It seems obvious to me that this shouldn't work, but it sure does. My project is all set, now, but if anyone has any ideas why this works when my original attempt (below) doesn't, I'm very curious and would love to hear about it:

    DoCmd.OutputTo acOutputReport, , acFormatSNP, , True