Microsoft Access VBA Programming for the Absolute Beginner

Controls whether the Access interface is repainted.

Syntax

DoCmd.Echo EchoOn[, StatusBarText]

with the following parameters:

EchoOn

An Integer or Boolean that indicates whether interface repainting is on.

StatusBarText

A String containing the text to appear in the application’s status bar as a result of the method call.

Example

Private Sub Form_Load() DoCmd.Echo False, "Application loading..." DoCmd.Hourglass True ' Load images for opening screen DoCmd.Echo True, "Screen update turned on..." DoCmd.Hourglass False End Sub

Comments

• DoCmd.Echo is a “compatibility” command. It is identical to the Application.Echo method, whose usage is preferred.

• Typically, the Echo method is called to turn off window repainting in operations that draw or write frequently to the application window, thereby improving the application’s performance and eliminating screen flicker.

• Since only a call to Echo can turn window repainting back on once it has been turned off, it’s a good idea to create an Autokeys macro that allows window repainting to be turned back on in the event of an error.

• Functions that produce a user interface, such as the MsgBox or InputBox functions, should not be called when screen repainting has been set off.