How to: Edit records beside the list

When the user picks a record, open an edit form in a panel to the right of the list, without a dialog box and without leaving the list.

Requires WKL Forms Object Library 1.48 or later.

Place a WklDrawer between the list and a subform control. Content names the subform control, Open shows a form in it, and Close hides it again. The edit form is an ordinary Access form; the drawer only positions it. Filter it to the record in AfterOpen or through the subform control's link fields.

In Design view, put the list on the left and a subform control named sfEdit on the right, then draw a WKL Drawer (Form Design › Controls › ActiveX Controls) as a narrow bar in the gap and name it drw1. In the designer ([...] in the Custom row, Drawer page), select sfEdit as the Content; the preview names the controls that become narrower.

Private Sub lstCustomers_DblClick(Cancel As Integer)
    Me!drw1.Object.Open "frmCustomerEdit"
End Sub
 
Private Sub drw1_AfterOpen(ByVal SourceObject As String)
    ' The content is loaded now: show the chosen record.
    Me!sfEdit.Form.Filter = "CustomerID = " & Me!lstCustomers
    Me!sfEdit.Form.FilterOn = True
End Sub
 
Private Sub drw1_BeforeClose(ByVal Reason As Long, Cancel As Integer)
    ' Keep the panel open while the record there has unsaved changes.
    If Me!sfEdit.Form.Dirty Then Cancel = True
End Sub

Different contents can each have their own width:

With Me!drw1.Object
    .Widths = "{""frmCustomerEdit"": 4500, ""frmOrderMatrix"": 9000}"
    .MinBeside = 3402            ' 6 cm of the list stay visible
    .CloseOnEscape = True        ' Esc in an unchanged record closes the panel
End With

• The Reason of BeforeClose and Closed is a WklDrawerCloseReason: wdcCode (Close, Toggle, or a new Open), wdcUser (the close button, or Enter or Spacebar on the bar), or wdcEscape.
• Setting Width in code doesn't raise AfterResize; only dragging, an arrow key, or UI Automation does, and only those widths are remembered for the user (AutoSaveLayout).
• Leave the anchors of the list and the subform control set to Top Left: the drawer calculates every arrangement from the designed positions. Anchors inside the content form are fine; with AnchorContent, the drawer applies them.
• Design the content form without a horizontal scroll bar and no wider than its narrowest use: Access lets a form grow at run time, but not shrink.
• While the record in the content has unsaved changes, Esc does what it normally does in Access (it undoes the change); only Esc in an unchanged record closes the panel.

• WklDrawer overview
• Edit records in a panel beside the list
• How to: Edit records in a form
• API reference: WklDrawer