Thanks to all who responded, I am working with your ideas and trying to see
what works best for this situation.

Hey JLOTTER! Nice to hear from you again ;)

Here is the original question:

I am struggling with some DDE issues.  Here is what I am trying to do:

I have a form in Access2000 that has a text box that the user enters a
building identification number.   This number controls a number of queries
in Access.  The Access form also has a button that is pushed that launches
a project file that allows the user to query spatial data based on the
building number selected.  What I need to do is add an avenue script that
goes into access and extracts the value of the text in the text box (on the
form in access)

Here is what I have tried:

I tried to use SQL to get the number.  Here is the code:

'*******************

theSQLCon = SQLCon.Find("AccessDB1")    'This is the name of the ODBC
Connection
theSQLString = "SELECT BLDGID from BLDGS where BLDGID =
Forms![frmMain]![txtBldgSelection].Text"
theVTab = VTab.MakeSQL(theSQLCon, theSQLString)

'*******************

theVTab in this case ends up being a nil value.  When I was in access and
used the same SQL string, a query result table appeared with the building
identification number in it.

So,  I dabbled a bit in DDE.

I could open up a DDE client and work with access

The code that I used was:

MyClient = DDEClient.Make("MSAccess", "Database1.mdb")

This successfully, but when I try to do a request for stuff in the form, I
get nils for values.  I most likely am doing something wrong.

If anyone has any Ideas using DDE or some other way to pas a value form a
text box in a form to a global variable in ArcView, some enlightenment will
be greatly appreciated.


Here is a summary of responses:

Ryan,

We use DDE with Access extensively, but use a different technique to yours.
To achieve what you are attempting we create (within Access) the dataset we
wish to tranfer to AV using queries and forms (the same as you probably do)
and then export the complete dataset to an external .dbf (DBase) file.
Then
Access calls an AV script which loads the dataset as a file which can then
be linkd/joined ar whatever.

This may seem primitive in the current software world, but IT WORKS, and
EVERY TIME.  Going from Access to AV is easy too, and for multiple
selections (eg from within a buffer or drawn graphic) we use an external
dbf
file also.  Again, maybe primitive but is almost foolproof.

If you need help to use these techniques, let me know and I will try to
help
you - although I must tell you that I am not a programmer - a much better
programmer than I am set up the framework on which I have built.

Hope this helps

Bob Davis

*****************************************

Check the white paper in Arcview 3.2 Help samples of making Arcview be a
DDE
client from MSacess.


Alan D. Jacobson, PE

This refers to the ddewhite.txt file in the C:
\ESRI\AV_GIS30\ARCVIEW\Samples\other directory

*****************************************

I just discovered a better way in Access to get info from a table or form
that isn't currently open.  I don't know if this will improve the getting
of data through DDE, but you might give it a try.

Instead of your code snip:
Forms![frmMain]![txtBldgSelection].Text
try Dlookup, which is made to get data from a source not currently open.
It should go something like:
Dlookup(""frmMain","txtBldgSelection")
Look up Dlookup in help to get the syntax right.

Good luck.
Ray Montgomery

*****************************************

Ryan,

This is a little late, but did you try quoting the query string?

Steve

Actually I hadn't I am going to try this

*****************************************

Hi Ryan,  whether it is DDE or SQL Connect; you will be unable to directly
access the form objects.

You may want to pick up the building number in a variable / string when the

access form's button (on_click event) runs and pass this to ArcView.  (add
code after the AV launch);
You started to mention this in your email.

You pass the building number by establishing a DDE connection from Access
to ArcView then sending it an execute command.  Something easy like:

' Send the build number to an ArcView variable
' this code is on your on_click event and builds an avenue string to send
to ArcView
avCmd =  "_gBuildingNumber =" & me.txtBuildingNumber


I believe there are examples of this in the samples directory in $AVHOME.

Once ArcView has the number in the _gBuildingNumber global you are home
free.  You could also have access tell ArcView to zoom to the building
feature etc.... if you wanted to do more coding.

Hope this helps, Isaac Oshima

******************************

Once again, thanks to all who responded, it might take a while for me to
see what works best for me.

-Ryan.

Ryan Belyea
GIS Applications Programmer
URS Corporation / Information Technologies
P.O. Box 13000
Research Triangle Park, NC
(919) 461- 1353
Fx: (919) 461- 1415