Video: Introduction to the Macro Builder

In Access 2010, the venerable Macro Builder gets a facelift and a variety of new features. For example, conditional statements are more flexible and easier to use, macro actions are easier to find, and IntelliSense helps you type expressions more accurately. Watch this demo for a quick tour.

In the video

Learn the parts of the Macro Builder

Use this procedure to familiarize yourself with the Macro Builder and basic macro-building tasks.

1. On the Create tab, in the Macros & Code group, click Macro.

2. Access opens the Macro Builder, and places the cursor in the Add New Action drop-down list in the macro pane.

3. Add actions to the macro by doing one of the following:

   • Select a macro action from the Add New Action drop-down list.

   • Expand the action lists in the Action Catalog pane, and then double-click or drag actions to add them to the macro pane.

Note:  If the Action Catalog pane is not displayed, on the Design tab, in the Show/Hide group, click Action Catalog.

1. Fill in the arguments for each action by selecting the action in the macro pane and then typing the arguments into the boxes, or selecting values from the drop-down lists.

Find actions in the Action Catalog

To find actions more quickly, type a search term in the Search box at the top of the Action Catalog pane. Access filters the list to show any actions that match the criteria. To remove the search terms and display all macro actions, click the cancel button next to the search box.

Note:  If the Action Catalog pane is not displayed, on the Design tab, in the Show/Hide group, click Action Catalog.

Other basic tasks

• To view other macros that you have already created in the current database and reuse them inside the current macro, expand the In this Database node in the Action Catalog. If you drag a macro into the macro pane, Access copies the actions from that macro into the current macro.

• To move an action, drag it up or down in the macro pane, or click the up or down arrows to move it one position at a time.

• To delete an action, click the Delete button (X) at the top right corner of the action.

• To control the level of detail that is displayed in the macro pane, on the Design tab, in the Collapse/Expand group, click the Expand… or Collapse… buttons to show the level of detail that you want.

• You can use If blocks to control the flow of the macro. In the Action Catalog pane, under Program Flow, drag or double-click If to add it to the macro, and then add actions inside that block. To add Else or Else If branches, select the If block, and then at the bottom right corner of the block, click Add Else or Add Else If.