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Application.OpenCurrentDatabase method (Access)

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Use the OpenCurrentDatabase method to open an existing Microsoft Access database as the current database.

Syntax

expression.OpenCurrentDatabase (filepath, Exclusive, bstrPassword)

expression A variable that represents an Application object.

Parameters

Name Required/Optional Data type Description
filepath Required String The name of an existing database file, including the path name and the file name extension.
Exclusive Optional Boolean Specifies whether you want to open the database in exclusive mode. The default value is False, which specifies that the database should be opened in shared mode.
bstrPassword Optional String The password to open the specified database.

Return value

Nothing

Remarks

Use this method to open a database from another application that is controlling Microsoft Access through Automation, formerly called OLE Automation. For example, you can use the OpenCurrentDatabase method from Microsoft Excel to open the Northwind.mdb sample database in the Access window. After you have created an instance of Access from another application, you must also create a new database or specify a particular database to open. This database opens in the Access window.

If you have already opened a database and wish to open another database in the Access window, you can use the CloseCurrentDatabase method to close the first database before opening another.

Note

Use the OpenAccessProject method to open an existing Access project (.adp) as the current database.

Note

Don't confuse the OpenCurrentDatabase method with the ActiveX Data Objects (ADO) Open method or the Data Access Object (DAO) OpenDatabase method. The OpenCurrentDatabase method opens a database in the Access window. The DAO OpenDatabase method returns a Database object variable, which represents a particular database but doesn't actually open that database in the Access window.

Example

The following example opens an Access database from another application through Automation and then opens a form in that database.

You can enter this code in a Visual Basic module in any application that can act as a COM component. For example, you might run the following code from Excel, Visual Basic, or Access.

When the variable pointing to the Application object goes out of scope, the instance of Access that it represents closes as well. Therefore, you should declare this variable at the module level.

' Include the following in Declarations section of module. 
Dim appAccess As Access.Application 
 
Sub DisplayForm() 
 
 Dim strDB as String 
 
 ' Initialize string to database path. 
 Const strConPathToSamples = "C:\Program " _ 
 & "Files\Microsoft Office\Office11\Samples\" 
 
 strDB = strConPathToSamples & "Northwind.mdb" 
 ' Create new instance of Microsoft Access. 
 Set appAccess = _ 
 CreateObject("Access.Application") 
 ' Open database in Microsoft Access window. 
 appAccess.OpenCurrentDatabase strDB 
 ' Open Orders form. 
 appAccess.DoCmd.OpenForm "Orders" 
End Sub

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