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DoCmd.OpenForm Method

Access Developer Reference

The OpenForm method carries out the OpenForm action in Visual Basic.

Syntax

expression.OpenForm(FormName, View, FilterName, WhereCondition, DataMode, WindowMode, OpenArgs)

expression   A variable that represents a DoCmd object.

Parameters

Name Required/Optional Data Type Description
FormName Required Variant A string expression that's the valid name of a form in the current database. If you execute Visual Basic code containing the OpenForm method in a library database, Microsoft Access looks for the form with this name first in the library database, then in the current database.
View Optional AcFormView A AcFormView constant that specifies the view in which the form will open. The default value is acNormal.
FilterName Optional Variant A string expression that's the valid name of a query in the current database.
WhereCondition Optional Variant A string expression that's a valid SQL WHERE clause without the word WHERE.
DataMode Optional AcFormOpenDataMode A AcFormOpenDataMode constant that specifies the data entry mode for the form. This applies only to forms opened in Form view or Datasheet view. The default value is acFormPropertySettings.
WindowMode Optional AcWindowMode A AcWindowMode constant that specifies the window mode in which the form opens. The default value is acWindowNormal.
OpenArgs Optional Variant A string expression. This expression is used to set the form's OpenArgs property. This setting can then be used by code in a form module, such as the Open event procedure. The OpenArgs property can also be referred to in macros and expressions. For example, suppose that the form you open is a continuous-form list of clients. If you want the focus to move to a specific client record when the form opens, you can specify the client name with the openargs argument, and then use the FindRecord method to move the focus to the record for the client with the specified name.

Remarks

You can use the OpenForm method to open a form in Form view, form Design view, Print Preview, or Datasheet view. You can select data entry and window modes for the form and restrict the records that the form displays.

The maximum length of the wherecondition argument is 32,768 characters (unlike the Where Condition action argument in the Macro window, whose maximum length is 256 characters).

Example

The following example opens the Employees form in Form view and displays only records with King in the LastName field. The displayed records can be edited, and new records can be added.

Visual Basic for Applications
  DoCmd.OpenForm "Employees", , ,"LastName = 'King'"

See Also