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AfterUpdate/Change/Dirty question

So I have a quick question, I think. Can someone explain to me the difference between these two, or better yet, tell me how to do what I am trying to do. I have a textbox on a form that populates today's date (IssueDate). I have another box that the user puts in the expiration date. On the AfterUpdate event I have some code that checks to see if the ExpirationDate is > 30 days, and if it is, alerts the user that it must be within 30 days. This is all great, however, the alert doesn't happen when the user picks the date, it happens once they click on another control on the form. I want it to happen right away. I have put this code on AfterUpdate, BeforeUpdate, Dirty, and Change, and none of those work. How do I get this to function correctly. Thanks for any help.

Here is my code:

Private Sub txtExpDate_AfterUpdate()
Dim daysDiff As Integer
daysDiff = DateDiff("d", Me.IssueDate, Me.ExpirationDate)
If daysDiff > 30 Then
MsgBox "Quality alerts cannot expire more than 30 days from date of issue."
Me.ExpirationDate.Value = ""
'Me.ExpirationDate.SetFocus
End If


End Sub

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p.s. that line Me.ExpirationDate.SetFocus bombs out too, what's up with that?

Thanks again for taking the time to help me out.

incerc

Hi,

For the differences btw the events, please see :
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ee291976%28v=office.12%29.aspx

Long story short :

- BeforeUpdate and AfterUpdate events for the text box or combo box control occur after you have entered the new or changed data in the control and moved to another control (or clicked Save Record on the Records menu)
- Change and Dirty events occur when the content of the control is changed by typing the data into the control or set the control's Text property (not its value!).

Please try to set the Text property of your textbox and handle the OnChange event.

omgang

What is the name of the text box for IssueDate? ExpirationDate?

Me.ExpriationDate.SetFocus -- is there a control on the form NAMED ExpirationDate? From your code it seems that the control NAME is txtExpDate.

When you attempted this using the BeforeUpdate event did you add to your code
If daysDiff > 30 Then
MsgBox "Quality alerts cannot expire more than 30 days from date of issue."
Cancel = True
?

OM Gang

G Scott

ASKER

omgang - yes, you are right, I had my names all messed up.
incerc - I have placed my code on the OnChange event and it works, somewhat.

When I use the DatePicker as soon as I choose the date I can tell it is running the code, however, I am getting and 'Invalid Use of Null' error. I will attach the code that I am using now, forgive me that it has changed a bit from the first post, I have added some msgbox statements to see where/when things are going wrong. It errors on the line:

theExpirationDate = Me.expDate

Private Sub expDate_Change()
Dim theExpirationDate As String
theExpirationDate = Me.expDate
MsgBox Me.theIssueDate
MsgBox theExpirationDate
Dim daysDiff As Integer
daysDiff = DateDiff("d", CDate(Me.theIssueDate), Me.expDate)
If daysDiff > 30 Then
MsgBox "Quality alerts cannot expire more than 30 days from date of issue."
Cancel = True
Me.expDate.Value = ""
Me.expDate.SetFocus
End If
End Sub

Open in new window

I feel like an idiot. I have done this before on other DB's and it's worked fine. I don't know what my problem is today. I guess either too much or not enough coffee.

Thank you both for helping me out. I really appreciate it. QualityAlerts.accdb

SOLUTION

omgang

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