Check if user enter a value in a text box when click on save button

[JoeKid09]

Hi All,

Thanks you in advance for your help. I am working on a form that has text box for Budget information, combo box for location and list box for population which is related to locations combo items.

I would like to make sure that all information has been selected before clicking the save record button. If not, prompt users to make the proper selection based on the information provided.

When I check if the combo box item has been selected, everything works fine as well as for the list box. The only issue is checking on the text box whether data has been entered or not. Below is my code to check this one out. Please let me know what the best solution to this problem is.

Private Sub cmdSaveDWData_Click()

If Me.cboLocationID.ListIndex = "-1" Then
MsgBox "A selection is requiered for location and Budget information", vbCritical, EnterLocation
Me.cboLocationID.SetFocus
Exit Sub
End If


If Len(Me.txtBudgetDW & "") = 0 Then
MsgBox "Enter Buget Information", vbInformation, BudgetInfoDW
Me.txtBudgetDW.SetFocus
Exit Sub
End If


If Me.lstTargetPopDW.ListIndex < 0 Then
MsgBox "A selection is required for Target Population", vbInformation, USLocation
Me.lstTargetPopDW.SetFocus
Exit Sub
End If

End sub

[beacon]

Hi Joe,

I think you would be better off using the IsNull() function when trying to determine if there's a value in the textbox. By using the Len() function, you are assuming that there is actually a value in there for the function to work with.

I'm not 100% on this, but I imagine that the Len() function requires SOMETHING to be there in order for it to return a value...even if the value is zero. You could check my theory by putting a msgbox in the code after you check the condition:

If Len(Me.txtBudgetDW & "") = 0 Then
     'Check the length
     Msgbox Len(Me.txtBudgetDW & "")
     MsgBox "Enter Buget Information", vbInformation, BudgetInfoDW
     Me.txtBudgetDW.SetFocus
     Exit Sub
End If
 

Here's the code that I would personally use instead:

If IsNull(Me.txtBudgetDW) Then
     MsgBox "Enter Buget Information", vbInformation, BudgetInfoDW
     Me.txtBudgetDW.SetFocus
     Exit Sub
End If
 

Hope this helps and good luck,
beacon

[TheSmileyCoder]

You should put validation in the form's before update event, as access will automatically update your record regardless of whether the save button was clicked or not, when you browse to a new record, close the form, close access.

So in your form's BeforeUpdate it could look like this:

Private Sub Form_BeforeUpdate(Cancel As Integer)
 
 'Check that required fields are filled out
    Dim strErrMsg As String
 
    If IsNull(Me.cboLocationID) Then
       strErrMsg= "A selection is requiered for location and Budget information" & vbNewline
    End If
 
    If Me.txtBudgetDW & "" = "" Then
       strErrMsg=strErrMsg & "Enter Budget Information" & vbnewline
    End If
 
    If Me.lstTargetPopDW.ListIndex < 0 Then
       strErrMsg=strErrMsg &  "A selection is required for Target Population" & vbnewline
    End If
 
 
    If strErrMsg & "" = "" Then
        'No errors
        Cancel = False
    Else
        'Errors found
        Cancel = True
        strErrMsg = strProjectName & " could not save your record at this time for the following reasons:" & _
                    vbNewLine & vbNewLine & _
                    strErrMsg & _
                    vbNewLine & vbNewLine & _
                    "Please correct and try again"
        MsgBox strErrMsg, vbOKOnly + vbInformation, strProjectName
    End If
 
End Function

strProjectName is a constant I have defined in a module, so that If I should ever change the project name I only have to change it in 1 place.

Replace your current code with:

Private Sub cmdSaveDWData_Click()
On error goto Err_Handler:
Me.Dirty=false
 
exit Sub
Err_Handler:
If Err.Number=2455
 'Form validation failed, informaiton is missing
 'This error basicly says that the save was cancelled (as we wanted it to be)
  Err.Clear
  Exit Sub
Else
  Msgbox "Error [" & err.number & "] occured." & vbnewline & err.description
End If
End Sub

Setting Cancel=True basicly means that the code is cancelling the update of the form, if the validation fails. If you have questions please ask.

[beacon]

@Joe - Is your form bound or unbound? I got the impression that it was unbound since you are using a command button to invoke a save procedure. After seeing Smiley's post, I should have offered up a response similar to Smiley's.

The good thing is that you've got two sides of the coin with our responses. If your form is unbound and you are using DAO, ADO, or a SQL command as your save procedure to input data into your table, then you could use a command button to submit your data. This method wouldn't check the data until the user was ready to submit the data.

If your form is bound, then you can use Smiley's code in the BeforeUpdate event to check the data immediately once it's input by the user. You could also use this in an unbound form too...it's all a matter of preference whether or not you want to notify the user once he/she has entered all the data collectively or immediately after entering one piece of data in a single control.

@Smiley - Cheers to you for picking up my slack.

[TheSmileyCoder]

@Beacon, please don't take my posting after you as a criticism of what you posted. The original post could very well indicate an unbound form.
Besides its merely a statement of how I personally do, and what I find best. I know that others prefer to do it differently.

[beacon]

@Smiley - No offense taken...I was glad that you covered that method.

[JoeKid09]

Hi Guys,

I apologies for not replying to you earlier, I do appreciate your (TheSmileyCoder & Beacon) support on this request.

Indeed, I am using an unbound form that insert data items selected into a table, but the only issue I have is that my code won’t work for the text box when there is not data entered. In other words, when Users select data from the list box and not values for text box (Budget) the code execute anyways leaving the budget field with null value which is not what I am looking for. I am so confused by this; any help will be greatly appreciated.

Beacon,

I tried your suggestion and it still the code bypasses the validation check on the text box, so the table got data from list boxes, but not from the text box object.


Smiley,

Given the fact I am using an unbound form would beforeupdate event still the best option? Should I use on Current event for this exercise. Please help me!

Thanks again!

Joe

[TheSmileyCoder]

The reason for using the Before_Update was based on using a bound form, becauses access automatically updates the record in certain cases. Since your using an unbound field that is no longer relevant.

Personally when I check a textbox on whether or not something has been entered I use:

If Me.txtBudgetDW & "" = "" Then

[JoeKid09]

Hey Guys,

I found the solution. I didn’t realized that I had put the following code (me.txtBudgetDW = “ “)on the open event form. I guess that was the issues because once I remove it from that event then your code work perfectly well. Thank you both so much.

I’d like to give you both credits on this, but not sure if that is doable. What should I do in this case?

Joe

[TheSmileyCoder]

The Best answer is not about credit. Its intended to give other readers a quick guide to the answer.

So choose the answer which you think best suits the original question whether mine or Beacons.

[JoeKid09]

Great! Thanks again for your valuable help