Frequently Asked Questions by Developers

Total Access Components is a collection of 30 ActiveX controls designed specifically for Access. No other product makes it easier to add powerful functionality to your Microsoft Access forms and reports.

I need ActiveX controls that work in Access
I need powerful visual controls
I need powerful system controls
I need controls that can bind to Access data
I need a solution that is easy to redistribute
I need a solution that is cost-effective

I need ActiveX controls that work in Access

I've tried other ActiveX controls in Access and they often don't work!

Solution: Only Total Access Components is designed specifically for Microsoft Access. Access uses a non-standard interface for hosting ActiveX controls. This means that almost all controls written for Visual Basic 6 have problems interacting with Access forms and reports. Our controls are 100% tested to work with Microsoft Access forms and reports.

I need powerful visual controls

I want to add advanced functionality to my forms and reports to make them easier to use and more visual.

Solution: Total Access Components includes many powerful visual components that make your forms and reports, including:

About Box	Add an About Box with version and copyright information with just one control.
Bitmap Effects	Use transitions, fades, and other exciting effects with your bitmap images.
Border	Add borders with 3D looks, including bevels and rounded corners.
Browse for Folder	Display a browse for folder dialog, and specify whether your users can select a folder, a computer, a printer, or a file.
Clock	Add digital or analog clocks.
Cursor	Set the windows cursor to a variety of styles, including a custom image.
DateTime Picker	Allow users to view and select a date or time in the appropriate format, and optionally allow a drop-down calendar.
Digital Display	Add digital displays to display numerical data.
Enhanced Button	Use buttons with shadows and aligned bitmaps.
Gauge	Show progress using a variety of gauge styles.
Icon Menu	Display a menu of icons, just like in Microsoft Outlook.
Marquee	Display scrolling text in a marquee fashion.
Notes	Display pop-up notes with a variety of formatting options.
Popup Menu	Add right-click popup menus anywhere on your form. You control the menu contents.
Progress Meter	Provide feedback to your users with standard or segmented progress meters in a variety of styles.
Resizer	Add automatic resizing control to your form with just one ActiveX control.
Slider	Control numerical data with sliders.
Spin Button	Control values with up/down buttons.
Splitter	Add a splitter to divide Access form areas.
Tab Strip	Add a lightweight tab strip with tabs on the top, bottom, or side.
Text Effects	Add rotated text (great for report labels) and shadow effects.
Multimedia Controls	Controls to display AVI movies, play CDs, and Wave and MIDI files.

I need powerful system controls

I don't want to have to write loads of Windows API code to do simple things like show common dialogs, work with the clipboard, or access the system registry.

Solution: Total Access Components includes several system controls that make such tasks a breeze. System controls included in the product are:

Common Dialogs	Quick access to the Windows Open File, Save File, Color Chooser, Font, and Print dialogs.
Clipboard	Cut, copy, and paste data with our easy to use Clipboard control.
Registry	Read and write to the system registry.
System Information	Return a wealth of information about the system hardware and software.
Timer	Add high resolution timers to your forms.
INI File	Read and write INI data files.

I need controls that can bind to Access data

My Access forms show data from tables. I want ActiveX controls that can bind to that data.

Solution: Many of the Total Access Components controls support data-binding. For example, the Popup Notes control can be assigned to a field in a table--the display is automatically updated as you scroll through records.

I need a solution that is easy to redistribute

I don't want to have to create complex setup and registration routines. I want a super easy way to redistribute my Access application with Total Access Components controls.

Solution: Total Access Components was designed from the ground up to be easy to redistribute. Simply include our TACRUN.EXE program with your setup and have it run on the end-user's computer. We take care of installing the controls, registering them, and making them available to your Access application--that's all you have to do. Plus, since all Total Access Components controls are stored in a single OCX file, redistribution and updates are pain-free.

I need a solution that is cost effective

I don't want to pay royalty or redistribution fees. I want a cost-effective solution.

Solution: Total Access Components includes a royalty-free runtime distribution license. Redistribute our controls with as many applications as you want, with no additional fees, costs, or charges.