How to: Show a status from a field of the record

Show the state of the current record (“running”, “stopped”, “failed”) as a colored, one-line status on a single form or in the form header, with a WklStatusLabel bound to a field.

Requires WKL Forms Object Library 1.23 or later.

• Bind it like a text box: Control Source (ControlSource) names the field or an expression. Access writes the value of the current record to the label on every record change; the label never writes back.
• Values become text and kind through entries (AddStatusItem): one entry per value, with the text shown and the kind (wskOk, wskWarn, wskBad, wskInfo, wskNeutral) that sets the colors. Values without an entry show the value formatted with Format, in the designed Kind.
• Or take the kind from another field (KindField) when the record stores it: a number 0-5 or a name such as ok or bad.
• The look is chosen with Display: a pill (wsdPill), a dot (wsdDot) or a symbol (wsdSymbol) before the text; Caption puts plain text in front (“Service”).

A form frmServices bound to tblServices, whose field State holds 0, 1, or 2, has a status label stState. The entries are added once in Design view and stored with the form:

' Once, in design view (for example from the Immediate window); saved with the form.
DoCmd.OpenForm "frmServices", acDesign
With Forms!frmServices!stState
    .ControlSource = "State"
    With .Object
        .Caption = "Service"
        .Display = wsdPill
        .ClearStatusItems
        .AddStatusItem 0, "stopped", wskNeutral
        .AddStatusItem 1, "running", wskOk
        .AddStatusItem 2, "failed", wskBad
        .NullText = "unknown"
    End With
End With
DoCmd.Close acForm, "frmServices", acSaveYes

When the record stores the kind in a field of its own (Kind: ok, warn, bad, and so on) and the text in another (Message), bind the text and name the kind field:

With Forms!frmServices!stMessage
    .ControlSource = "Message"
    .Object.KindField = "Kind"
End With

While a long-running action runs, show it with the busy pulse:

Me!stState.Object.Busy = True
' ... the action ...
Me!stState.Object.Busy = False

• Where you can use it: single forms, form headers and footers, and Excel and Word UserForms, but not the detail section of a continuous form: Access creates only one instance there, and a bound one keeps Access from opening the form. For a status per record in a list, use a status column of WklGrid (wedStatus), which takes the same entries.
• Code changes on the same record: the label follows record changes on its own; when code changes the kind field without moving to another record, call Refresh.
• Never color alone: the text is always shown, and high contrast is respected; screen readers announce the caption, the text, and the kind.

• WklStatusLabel overview and tutorial
• The status label shows nothing or the wrong color
• API reference: WklStatusLabel