Echo Tips - Access Developer Forum - Computer Learning Zone


	Back to Access Developer Forum Comments List

Upload Images @Reply Bookmark Link Email Next Unseen

Echo Tips

Donald Blackwell

3 months ago

Thought I'd share a recent experience.

I mostly do freelance work, step in to add stuff to a database or fix issues, improve performance, etc., as side work. One of my recent "clients" had built their own database - mostly just using wizards etc in Access. However, occasionally, they try to get in "enhance" it and often do more damage than good because they've never bothered to learn anything about how databases actually work, SQL, queries, VBA, etc.

Over the weekend, they decided to do some "cosmetic" work in a form. As with many, they didn't like flickering as the screen redraws so they threw in "Echo False" with a subsequent "Echo True" later. However, they did this before testing the code.

Needless to say, they locked their screen and didn't know how to recover. In fact, they didn't even think to go to task manager to shut Access down, they literally hard-rebooted their machine! Here are the steps I gave them to help avoid this (other than NOT using Echo when they don't understand it)...
... more

Donald Blackwell OP @Reply

3 months ago

1) They violated the Access Prime Directive
2) When Echo is turned off in Access, it turns off screen writes to the Access workspace only, not all of Access (at least on my systems). You can still use the ribbon, QAT, status bar, etc. just not the actual work area where forms are or the Navigation Pane
3) Even with Echo Off (unless an unseen dialog box is open), you can go to the Visual Basic Editor and type "Echo True" in the Immediate Window and it will restore screen writes.
4) If you're lucky, even if there is a dialog box, you can try pressing "ESC" several times to clear it, or if you don't mind taking risks, pressing "Enter" to accept whatever unseen consequences there are.

In any case, I advised them to avoid Echo False until they had fully vetted their code!

	Kevin Robertson @Reply 3 months ago
Consider Me.Painting = False \| Me.Painting = True While `Docmd.Echo False` turns off screen writes for the entire database, `Me.Painting = False` turns screen writes for the current Form only.

	Matt Hall @Reply 3 months ago
Thanks to both of you for sharing this information.

Donald Blackwell OP @Reply

3 months ago

Kevin Yeah, I usually try to limit the scope as much as possible unless I intentionally want to disable multiple objects at once. This instance was a person who just saw something on youtube that you could use echo and wasn't well versed in the risks and alternate solutions.

I always like sharing experiences here a) because someone else may run into the same problem, and b) down the road, if I forget what I did, I can always come here and search and usually find something ;) As I've said before, I've learned as much in little technical solutions from forum posts like you guys helping people as I have from the videos. The videos are mostly a controlled environment, but the forums help fill in the gaps of, "Yeah, but what to do when xyz happens." lol.

Richard would never have the time to make enough videos to cover every idiosyncrasy, though, he's well on his way.

	Sandra Truax @Reply 3 months ago
Kevin, I did not know that. Thanks for posting.

	Dave Clark @Reply 3 months ago
All, Great information! Thank You.

	Richard Rost @Reply 3 months ago
First of all, great story. Thanks for sharing. Secondly, how have I never heard that Back That Access Up before? You know that's going to go in a Quick Queries video now. OMG, that was amazing!

	Donald Blackwell OP @Reply 3 months ago
Lol, it's one of those things I created with AI. Thought I'd share since you recently mentioned something in one of your videos about backup sounding like a song. Could be better but it works.

	Mike Ackland @Reply 3 months ago
Good to know Donald & Kevin. Thanks for the share!

	Richard Rost @Reply 3 months ago
Donald no, that's wonderful. Do I have your permission to share it?

	Donald Blackwell OP @Reply 3 months ago
Richard share away :)

	Darrin Harris @Reply 3 months ago
Donald Would it be safer to put this into error handling. Like this? Private Sub NextBtn_Click() On Error GoTo NextBtn_Err Painting = False or echo Recordset.MoveNext NextBtn_Exit: Painting = True Exit Sub NextBtn_Err: MsgBox Err.Description Resume NextBtn_Exit End Sub

Donald Blackwell OP @Reply

3 months ago

Darrin Yeah, a great little escape hatch was what I wanted to do, but this guy thought I was trying to "grift" him just to charge more... I literally spent less than a half hour with him and charged him for an hour just to cover drive time, luckily wasn't that far. He wouldn't just send me a copy to look at to diagnose. I guess he thought I might try to steal his form designs and code or something. But I get it, some people have proprietary concerns about their data.

Once he was past the echo problem I realized how simple what he was trying to do is. I already have my own global function that does it that's only a few lines of code. He was trying to accomplish something similar to what Richard id in the Fitness Series with his "Bounce" function.

For what it's worth, I DID tell him it wouldn't cost much for me to plug my function in but he wasn't interested. So then I did recommend he learn at least the basics about Access and VBA and referred him here, so hopefully, for his sake...

	Darrin Harris @Reply 3 months ago
Donald Hopefully he will

This thread is now CLOSED. If you wish to comment, start a NEW discussion in Access Developer Forum.

Next Unseen

New Feature: Comment Live View