Copy a Record with AutoNumber ID
Introduction
Back in 2004, I wrote an Access Archon article (Copying Records and Linked Records) that described a method for copying a record with possible linked data in another table, using an array based on form controls. This article describes a different approach, based on table fields rather than form controls, and also shows how to deal with creating a new record in another table, linked one-to-one with the main table.
The Copying Technique
In my older article, the fields to be copied were picked up from controls on a form, skipping those with “No Copy” in their Tag properties. This technique worked well for a form based on a single table, but not so well when the form is based on a query that includes two or more tables. In the case that inspired this article, a main form was based on a query that included two tables joined one-to-one, and it had a subform based on another table, also linked one-to-one to the main table.
In some cases, the one-to-one table is split off from the main table because the number of fields needed exceeds the limit for an Access table; a one-to-one join might also be needed to make some information confidential. In either case, when a record in the main table is copied, it is also necessary to make new records in the other table(s), so that is what my code does.
The sample database, Copy Record with AutoNumber ID.accdb, has a table of employees which will be familiar to old Access hands, since it dates from early versions of the sample Northwind database. I added a table of financial data, linked to tblEmployeesAutoNumber one-to-one. The technique used to do the copying in this instance uses a table called tlkpNoCopyFields instead of the Tag property of a control to indicate which fields should not be copied.
The Relationships diagram for the database is shown in Figure A:
Figure A. The Relationships diagram
And the tabbed form in Figures B and C:
Figure B. The General Data tab of the Employees form
Figure C. The General Data tab of the Employees form
VBA Code
In this database, the EmployeeID field is an AutoNumber field, so the determination of the new value is a little different; a new record is created and the value of the EmployeeID field is picked up from the new record; it may not be the next number after the last EmployeeID value, but it will be unique, and it will match the ID of the new record in the main table.
The first procedure is called from the Copy Record button on frmEmployeesAutoNumberID:
Private Sub cmdCopyRecord_Click()
On Error GoTo ErrorHandler
Dim intReturn As Integer
Dim lngID As Long
Dim lngNewID As Long
Dim strPrompt As String
Dim strTitle As String
'Get current ID value
lngID = Nz(Me![EmployeeID])
strTitle = "Question"
strPrompt = "Copy Employee ID " & lngID & " to a new record?"
intReturn = MsgBox(prompt:=strPrompt, _
Buttons:=vbQuestion + vbYesNo, _
Title:=strTitle)
If intReturn = vbNo Then
GoTo ErrorHandlerExit
End If
lngNewID = CopyRecordAutoNumber(lngID)
Debug.Print "New ID: " & lngNewID
If lngNewID > 0 Then
strPrompt = "Copy of Employee ID " & lngID _
& " to Employee ID " & lngNewID & " successful"
Me.Requery
DoCmd.GoToRecord record:=acLast
Else
strPrompt = "Copy of Employee ID " & lngID _
& " to Employee ID to a new ID not successful"
End If
MsgBox prompt:=strPrompt, _
Buttons:=vbInformation + vbOKOnly, _
Title:=strTitle
ErrorHandlerExit:
Exit Sub
ErrorHandler:
MsgBox "Error No: " & Err.Number _
& " in CopyLinkedRecordsAutoID procedure; " _
& "Description: " & Err.Description
Resume ErrorHandlerExit
End Sub
Two other procedures are called in turn; they are located in basUtilities:
Public Function CopyRecordAutoNumber(lngID As Long) As Long
On Error GoTo ErrorHandler
lngNewID = Nz(CopyTableAutoNumber("tblEmployeesAutoNumber", lngID))
If lngNewID = 0 Then
CopyRecordAutoNumber = 0
GoTo ErrorHandlerExit
End If
lngNewID = Nz(CopyTableAutoNumber("tblConfidentalDataAutoNumber", lngID))
If lngNewID = 0 Then
CopyRecordAutoNumber = 0
GoTo ErrorHandlerExit
End If
CopyRecordAutoNumber = lngNewID
ErrorHandlerExit:
Exit Function
ErrorHandler:
MsgBox "Error No: " & Err.Number _
& " in CopyRecordAutoNumber procedure; " _
& "Description: " & Err.Description
Resume ErrorHandlerExit
End Function
Public Function CopyTableAutoNumber(strTable As String, lngID As Long) _
As Long
On Error GoTo ErrorHandler
Dim intCounter As Integer
Dim lngFieldCount As Long
Dim lngNewID As Long
Dim rstNoCopy As DAO.Recordset
Dim rstSource As DAO.Recordset
Dim rstTarget As DAO.Recordset
Dim strField As String
Dim strNoCopyTable As String
Dim strSearch As String
Dim varData As Variant
CopyTableAutoNumber = 0
strNoCopyTable = "tlkpNoCopyFields"
Set rstSource = CurrentDb.OpenRecordset(strTable, dbOpenDynaset)
Set rstTarget = CurrentDb.OpenRecordset(strTable, dbOpenDynaset)
Set rstNoCopy = CurrentDb.OpenRecordset(strNoCopyTable, dbOpenDynaset)
lngFieldCount = rstSource.Fields.Count
Debug.Print lngFieldCount & " fields in " & strTable
strSearch = "[EmployeeID] = " & lngID
Debug.Print "Search string: " & strSearch
rstSource.FindFirst strSearch
'Iterate through table fields, copying values from each
'one that has data to a new record (except for fields that
'should not be copied)
rstTarget.AddNew
For intCounter = 0 To lngFieldCount - 1
strField = rstSource.Fields(intCounter).Name
'Debug.Print "Field name: " & strField _
& " (Field No. " & intCounter & ")"
'Search for field name in No Copy table
strSearch = "[FieldName] = " & Chr(39) & strField & Chr(39)
'Debug.Print "Search string: " & strSearch
rstNoCopy.MoveFirst
rstNoCopy.FindFirst strSearch
If rstNoCopy.NoMatch = True Then
varData = rstSource.Fields(intCounter)
'Debug.Print "Field data: " & varData
If IsNull(varData) = False And varData <> "" Then
rstTarget.Fields(intCounter) = varData
Debug.Print strField & " in " & strTable & " copied"
End If
Else
'Field should not be copied
Debug.Print strField & " in " & strTable & " not copied"
End If
NextField:
Next intCounter
'Get new ID value from new record
lngNewID = rstTarget![EmployeeID]
Debug.Print "New ID: " & lngNewID
CopyTableAutoNumber = lngNewID
rstTarget.Update
ErrorHandlerExit:
Exit Function
ErrorHandler:
MsgBox "Error No: " & Err.Number _
& " in CopyTableAutoNumber procedure; " _
& "Description: " & Err.Description
Resume ErrorHandlerExit
End Function
References
The code in the sample database needs the following references (in addition to the default references):
Microsoft Word 14.0 Object Library (for SortDeclarations procedure only)
Microsoft Forms 2.0 Object Library (for SortDeclarations procedure only)
If you import code or objects into a database of your own, you may need to set one or more of these references. The version number may differ, depending on your Office version; check the version you have. References are set in the References dialog, opened from the VBA window. For more information on working with references, see Access Archon #107, Working with References.
Supporting Files
The zip file containing this article, in Word 2007-2010 format, plus the supporting file(s), may be downloaded from the Access Archon page of my Web site, as accarch250.zip, which is the last entry in the table of Access Archon columns for Access Watch.
| Document Name | Document Type | Place in |
| Copy a Record with AutoNumber ID.accdb | Access 2007-2010 database (can also be used in higher versions of Access) | Wherever you want |