A more user-friendly start to an Application

[NattyP]

I have created a bitmap file with the same name of my Access 97 application so that the user does not see the MS Access-supplied one.

My problem is that after my custom splash screen disappears there is a time delay before my startup form (which is a user login form) appears.

The login form sets a few environment variables such as caption and menubar in its On Load event, but no serious processing.

Am I supposed to use another form eg. "Starting....please wait" as my startup form instead and place all my code there letting it call the login form. I am worried now since I plan to do much more error-checking at startup such as making sure critical files exists where they should?

How is usually done by the experts? Do they verify that the user is valid before you start the first process. or do they prepare the environment first knowing that after 3 attempts it could have been useless to have done so.

All comments are welcomed.

NattyP

 

[HenryAnthony]

Hey Natty,

You wrote:

I have created a bitmap file with the same name of my Access 97 application so that the user does not see the MS Access-supplied one.

I would like some more information on how you did this. I can't find a bitmap for the splash screen.

As to your problem, a delay between forms opening is normal, in my opinion. It could be dependent on the machine the app is running on or the amount of data behind the form. In your app, it seems like not much data. I am wondering if the size of your graphic is causing the problem. You might want to check it.

Best regards,

Henr¥

 

[Alcar]

I have an access 2002 program that starts with the login form as well.
No I didn't change the bitmap at the biginning, and maybe that might be the problem but yes I did put all the setting and error checking AFTER the user logged in succesfully.
My login window pops up very fast, actually I almost can't see the splash screen.

HTH
Alcar

 

[NattyP]

HenryAnthony, the following was taken from

http://www.mvps.org:

---Posted by Dev Ashish---

General: Replace the Access splash screen

You can replace the default splash screen displayed when Access is starting up. Create a new bitmap (BMP) and save it in the same folder where your database resides. Name the bitmap the same as your database. For example

C:\MyApp\SuperApp.MDB
C:\MyApp\SuperApp.BMP

CAUTION:

I've seen this technique frequently result in a complete crash (Blue Screen Of Death) under Win NT 4.0. I haven't been able to duplicate the crash in Win 95 environment.

Some folks suggest that this can be because of the Bitmap file size, however, I haven't seen any conclusive evidence.

So, if you're using this method, make sure that you test your app rigorously in both NT and 95 environments.


Thanks too Alcar for your input....