Reference fields in a tab control

The tab control isn't part of the reference as, like mike stated, the subform is seen as part of the mainform.
So it's like referencing directly from a main to a subform like:
me.subformname.form.fieldname
or in your case:
me.frmEdit.form.txtUpdate = "What you want"

Nic;o)

I will try an redo the code,

txtUpdate IS unbound - it is my field used to perform the Recordset Bookmark routine
as a search tool.

I am pulling a search item from several search routines I have imbedded into the
frmEDIT and placing the selected value into txtUPDATE to perform the Bookmark routine.

The form works perfectly when opend as a standalone form - but when I placed it into
a Tab subpage, I got errors of not being able to find the form.  So I instinctively thought it
was a Tab Control problem...

I will rework my code - as soon as my laptop is released from the hell of nickjr.com,
and if it still doesn't work - give you a sample of the code and the specific errors.

OK,

I tried the later.  And I new I had used that line of code before...

Here is the error I get:
Run-Time error -2146500594
Method 'Item' of object 'Forms' failed

I used your code to the letter

frmEDIT is a subform within frmMAIN.
txtUpdate IS a unbound textbox on frmEDIT.
frmEDIT is in the first page ot a tab control.

What is the name of control that frmEDIT goes.  In its source object if should say frmEDIT,  I need its name.  Its name could be also frmEDIT or something else.

I'm not sure I understand what you mean by the control that frmEDIT goes.
Unless you mean the name of the Tab Control and then the Tab Name...
In which case,

The Tab Control is (for now) TabCtl0 (standard MS Access name)
and the Page or Tab name is "Edit"

In design view, select tab where frmEDIT is.  Now, there will be a rectangle (sometimes appears white) where frmEDIT is.

You need to select that control (usually, first click selects it and a second click selects form frmEDIT itself).  This control has a property calle "Source Object", it will be 2nd property from the top I think.  This property will read "frmEDIT", above that, there will be "Form-Container-Control" name.  That is what I am referring to.

mike

btw, don't look for "Form-Container-Control", I  should have had like form-container-control.  This what I am making up in order to say what you are looking for is a control that acts as container to a form.

This is what I am making up in order to say what you are looking for is a control that acts as container to a form.

Wow,

Why can't I seem to get this figured out???  :-)  Please bear with me...
I just can't find any other names that I haven't already provided.  Let me try to start from
scratch and explain all the names and see if it helps...

I made two forms - frmADD and frmEDIT.  Form edit has a unbound text box called txtUPDATE.
I use this text box to perform searches.  I pull search value from three other search routines
and plop their values into txtUPDATE then on the after update event of txtUPDATE I perform
the Bookmark routine to advance the form to the desired record.  

Each form works fine on it's own.  In frmEDIT I used Forms!FrmEDIT!txtUPDATE=searchvalue
to move the search value to the txt box.

Then I decided to put each form on a tab control so you can tab between adding and editing.

I created a form called frmMAIN

inserted a TAB Control and left it's name as tabctl0

The tab control made two pages or two tabs called Page 1 and Page 2.  I renamed each of those
to Add and Edit

Then I dragged and dropped frmEDIT to the Edit Page and frmADD to the Add Page.

Now my Forms!frmEDIT!txtUPDATE doesn't work.

I have looked all around these forms and their properties, but I can't seem to figure out what you need...  Sorry!  :-(

Every sub-form sits inside a container--it is selectable in Design mode by clicking on the very edge of the subform while it resides in the main form (when it is selected, you will see the resize points on the whole sub-form).  Right-click on one of the resize points while the subform container is selected, and go to properties, and see what the property "Name" and "Source Object" values are, and report them here.

HTH,
AJ

OK,

Here tis:

For Subform Edit

Name: Edit
Source Object: frmEdit
Link Child: blank
Link Master blank
---snip---

Hmm, "behind" the form it's best to refer to:
me.txtUPDATE
Thus a possible rename of the form won't effect the statement.
When you want to fill the field from code in the mainform you can use:
me.frmEdit.form.txtUPDATE
Just check the subformname in the properties "Other" tab when the subform is clicked in design mode only once.
When you did place the form twice, access will make a name up to be sure it's unique !

Nic;o)

OK,

Not sure if this helps - but it helped me!  :-)

Me.Parent.txtUPDATE = Value

I got this from the following:

Syntax for main/subforms

For these examples:
Mainform is the name of the top level form
Subform1 is the name of the subform CONTROL on mainform
Subform2 is the name of the subform CONTROL on the 1st subform.
           
    If you are on    
    Main form    Sub 1
To refer to a form property, like RecordSource        
On Mainform    Me.RecordSource    Me.Parent.RecordSource
On Sub 1    Me!Subform1.Form.RecordSource    Me.RecordSource
On Sub 2    Me!Subform1.Form!Subform2.Form.
RecordSource    Me!Subform2.Form.RecordSource
To refer to a control        
On Mainform    Me!ControlName    Me.Parent!ControlName
On Sub 1    Me!Subform1.Form!ControlName    Me!ControlName
On Sub 2    Me!Subform1.Form!Subform2.Form!
ControlName    Me!Subform2.Form!ControlName
To refer to a control property, like Enabled        
On Mainform    Me!ControlName.Enabled    Me.Parent!ControlName.Enabled
On Sub 1    Me!Subform1.Form!ControlName.Enabled    Me!ControlName.Enabled
On Sub 2    Me!Subform1.Form!Subform2.Form!
ControlName.Enabled    Me!Subform2.Form!ControlName.Enabled
To refer to a subform control property, like SourceObject        
On Mainform    N/A    N/A
On Sub 1    Me!Subform1.SourceObject    N/A
On Sub 2    Me!Subform1.Form!Subform2.SourceObject    Me!Subform2.SourceObject
       
    If you are on    
    Sub2    Not in these forms
To refer to a form property, like RecordSource        
On Mainform    Me.Parent.Parent.RecordSource    Forms!Mainform.RecordSource
On Sub 1    Me.Parent.RecordSource    Forms!Mainform!Subform1.Form.RecordSource
On Sub 2    Me.RecordSource    Forms!Mainform!Subform1.Form!Subform2.
Form.RecordSource
To refer to a control        
On Mainform    Me.Parent.Parent!ControlName    Forms!Mainform!ControlName
On Sub 1    Me.Parent!ControlName    Forms!Mainform!Subform1.Form!ControlName
On Sub 2    Me!ControlName    Forms!Mainform!Subform1.Form!Subform2.
Form!ControlName
To refer to a control property, like Enabled        
On Mainform    Me.Parent.Parent!ControlName.Enabled    Forms!Mainform!ControlName.Enabled
On Sub 1    Me.Parent!ControlName.Enabled    Forms!Mainform!Subform1.Form!ControlName.Enabled
On Sub 2    Me!ControlName.Enabled    Forms!Mainform!Subform1.Form!Subform2.
Form!ControlName.Enabled
To refer to a subform control property, like SourceObject        
On Mainform    N/A    N/A
On Sub 1    N/A    Forms!Mainform!Subform1.SourceObject
On Sub 2    N/A    Forms!Mainform!Subform1.Form!Subform2.
SourceObject

So to help with all of this...

In the end - If I wanted to do the same above - but use the [Forms]![frmEDIT]! routine...   How would,
Me.Parent.txtUPDATE look if it is called from a subfrom of frmEDIT which is a subform of frmMAIN?

Just so I understand.... :-)

The Me refers to the active form, used as sub or "standalone"
When you want to "push" a value from the subform to the main form you can use:
Parent.txtUpdate = me.txtUpdate
Or when on a sub/sub form use Parent.Parent.txtUpdate to push up two levels.

From your question it looked like you wanted to fill a subform field from a field on the mainform.

Nic;o)

OK,

So because I was working from a subform and not the main form the [Forms]![frmMAIN]![frmEDIT].[Form]![txtUPDATE] would not
work?

I figured it WOULD work no matter what - if you simply got the code right....

I always thought - Me.Parent was just another way of stating [Forms]![subform]! without having to specifically identify the exact
forms and names.

thanks for all your help though!