What is a MS Access Macro?
A macro is a stored series of commands that carry out an action. They can be very used to automate simple tasks like executing an action when a user clicks on a button. You don’t need to know programming to utilize macros. They are able to perform many common tasks similar to Visual Basic and can significantly boost your productivity. Using VB code on the other hand provides much greater power and flexibility. VB delivers additional functionality such as iterations and value returns.
Developing MS Access Macros
If you do not have a programming background, you can still use a macro to automate a simple task using a series of options that MS Access provides. You can easily chain commands such as queries, exporting and importing data, printing and previewing reports, etc. These macros use basic ‘IF/Then’ logic as well as being able to call other macros. They can also use sub-macros very much like subroutines. Access 2007 significantly improved macros by including error handling and support for temporary variables. Also, 2007 introduced embedded macros which are basically an objects event properties which eliminated store macros as unique objects. However, macros are limited in functionality due to a lack of program loops and advanced program coding logic.
