Shutdown Access application when a modal form is showing

[rdemyan via AccessMonster.com]

I have a forced logoff routine in place that works well unless an Access
messagebox is showing in the front-end that the routine is trying to shut
down. It doesn't work use Access commands to shut down the application.

Is there a way to use a Windows API to shutdown the application? I'm hoping
that, like the task manager, a Windows API shutdown would work even if a
modal form is displayed in the application it is trying to shutdown.

The code to shutdown the application would be within the application, so I
don't know if this is a problem or not.

Thank you.

--
Message posted via AccessMonster.com
http://www.accessmonster.com/Uwe/For...ccess/200603/1

[Albert D. Kallal]

A model form should work ok. A dialog form, no dice.

You can use the windows task manger to blow out a running applications, but
then that is a sure fire way to damage and current a database file.

Using the task manger to kill a running applications mans that you can't
ensure that ms-access will complete its disk operations, and that equates to
damaged files.

I suppose if you kill a word processor running, then again the changes will
not be saved So, you are playing to brute force fire here...

I would simply dump the use of dialog forms in your applications. Use of
model forms should work just fine however, and if you execute a quit command
in the application, then things will be saved if you exit....
...

You can read about the difference between dialog forms, and model forms
here:
http://www.members.shaw.ca/AlbertKal...log/Index.html

--
Albert D. Kallal (Access MVP)
Edmonton, Alberta Canada
pl*****************@msn.com
http://www.members.shaw.ca/AlbertKallal

[rdemyan via AccessMonster.com]

Yes, I considered maybe implementing a custom messagebox, but it would be
"after the fact". After the fact that I have about 150 forms and I would
guess at least 1000 instances where a messagebox could be called. Even if I
come up with a clever Find/Replace to change these out to the custom message
box, I would still have to test them all and that doesn't seem to appealing.

You day sure fire way to damage a current database file. This would be a
front-end file in .mde format. Do you think the back-end could possibly be
damaged with a "hard" shutdown.

Thanks.

Albert D. Kallal wrote:

A model form should work ok. A dialog form, no dice.

You can use the windows task manger to blow out a running applications, but
then that is a sure fire way to damage and current a database file.

Using the task manger to kill a running applications mans that you can't
ensure that ms-access will complete its disk operations, and that equates to
damaged files.

I suppose if you kill a word processor running, then again the changes will
not be saved So, you are playing to brute force fire here...

I would simply dump the use of dialog forms in your applications. Use of
model forms should work just fine however, and if you execute a quit command
in the application, then things will be saved if you exit....
..

You can read about the difference between dialog forms, and model forms
here:
http://www.members.shaw.ca/AlbertKal...log/Index.html

--
Message posted via AccessMonster.com
http://www.accessmonster.com/Uwe/For...ccess/200603/1

[Albert D. Kallal]

Yes, you certainly reduce the possibility of damage if the application is
split, but the problem still remains.

I just don't have a solution for you (and, I agree 100% with you, trying to
modify all of the msgboxes is just not reasonable solution here).

I have several applications in which I also use a "hidden" timer form to
exit the application (after one hours of in-activity...it shuts down).

For the most part users do NOT wind up sitting at some msgbox prompt. On the
other hand, I certainly made a LOT of efforts to remove those msgbox
(dialog) prompts. For example, I used display a message that a record has
been successful deleted. (well, that just annoyed users). I used have
another msgbox that would explain that after removing people from the hotel
room, that the room has just been retuned to the available list of rooms. It
turns out that MOST of these messages were not needed, and thus I have
SUBSTANTIALLY remove the number of msgbox prompts in my applications.

You can be editing a new customer...and if you go for lunch..and my hidden
form shuts down the application, then that customer is saved. And, I did not
put in a bunch of VERY annoying save prompts etc. It is when you start
throwing in all kinds of EXTRA dialog prompts like "do you want to save"
that this breaks down. MS-access by default does not prompt to save, and
most new applications such as pda's, and Smartphone also have eliminated
these extra "ANNOYING" prompts. Removing these prompts makes the application
so much more easy to use, nags the user less, and ultimately allows the
applications to be shutdown by code gracefully also.

So, about my only suggestion here is to remove things like save prompts and
eliminate any extra dialog prompts - your users will love for this decisions
anyway. Train users to use the undo if they don't want save their changes,
but for the 99% of the time...don't nag with dialogs....

--
Albert D. Kallal (Access MVP)
Edmonton, Alberta Canada
pl*****************@msn.com
http://www.members.shaw.ca/AlbertKallal