Detect user idle time or inactivity
This topic shows how to create a procedure that will run if your Access application does not detect any user input for a specified period of time. It involves creating a hidden form, DetectIdleTime, which keeps track of idle time.
Follow these steps to create the DetectIdleTime form.
Create a blank form that is not based on any table or query and name it DetectIdleTime.
Set the following form properties:
Note
The TimerInterval setting indicates how often (in milliseconds) the application checks for user inactivity. A setting of 1000 equals 1 second.
Property Value OnTimer [Event Procedure] TimerInterval 1000 Enter the following code for the OnTimer property event procedure:
Sub Form_Timer() ' IDLEMINUTES determines how much idle time to wait for before ' running the IdleTimeDetected subroutine. Const IDLEMINUTES = 5 Static PrevControlName As String Static PrevFormName As String Static ExpiredTime Dim ActiveFormName As String Dim ActiveControlName As String Dim ExpiredMinutes On Error Resume Next ' Get the active form and control name. ActiveFormName = Screen.ActiveForm.Name If Err Then ActiveFormName = "No Active Form" Err = 0 End If ActiveControlName = Screen.ActiveControl.Name If Err Then ActiveControlName = "No Active Control" Err = 0 End If ' Record the current active names and reset ExpiredTime if: ' 1. They have not been recorded yet (code is running ' for the first time). ' 2. The previous names are different than the current ones ' (the user has done something different during the timer ' interval). If (PrevControlName = "") Or (PrevFormName = "") _ Or (ActiveFormName <> PrevFormName) _ Or (ActiveControlName <> PrevControlName) Then PrevControlName = ActiveControlName PrevFormName = ActiveFormName ExpiredTime = 0 Else ' ...otherwise the user was idle during the time interval, so ' increment the total expired time. ExpiredTime = ExpiredTime + Me.TimerInterval End If ' Does the total expired time exceed the IDLEMINUTES? ExpiredMinutes = (ExpiredTime / 1000) / 60 If ExpiredMinutes >= IDLEMINUTES Then ' ...if so, then reset the expired time to zero... ExpiredTime = 0 ' ...and call the IdleTimeDetected subroutine. IdleTimeDetected ExpiredMinutes End If End Sub
Then, create the following procedure in the form module:
Sub IdleTimeDetected(ExpiredMinutes)
Dim Msg As String
Msg = "No user activity detected in the last "
Msg = Msg & ExpiredMinutes & " minute(s)!"
MsgBox Msg, 48
End Sub
To hide the DetectIdleTime form as it opens, set the WindowMode argument of the OpenForm method to acHidden.
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