Microsoft Access Database Documentation and Analysis: Total Access Analyzer

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Microsoft Access Cross-Reference Diagrams

Total Access Analyzer generates cross-reference information that shows where and how each object is referenced. That's nice, but to really understand how your objects are connected, it's helpful to see the relationships across multiple levels.

Three hierarchical diagrams visually reveal the entire family of related objects. You can view them interactively in a form with a treeview display or print it in a report:

Application Flow Diagram shows procedure and event flow for the entire database
Data Diagram shows how data flows from tables into queries, forms, reports, etc.
Object Diagram shows what objects are referenced by a form, report, or query.

Select an Item and Redraw the Diagram from It

Application, Data Flow, and Object diagrams can also be redrawn to show the hierarchy of a single object you select. The redrawn diagram can also be printed from the Documentation Explorer, allowing you to view or print a report of a single object's diagram.

Application Diagram

The Application Diagram shows the hierarchical flow of your entire application. It starts with the Startup form or Autoexec macro, then shows what procedures and objects it calls, along with the same for the called objects. Every form, report, or procedure that is not called by another object starts its own tree. This provides a visual overview of all your procedure calls, macro calls, and form and report events, and is the most detailed of the three diagrams.

Treeview Application Flow Diagram Displayed in a Form

Application Flow Diagram Report

Sample Report for the Application Flow Diagram

Data Flow Diagram

The Data Flow Diagram shows how your database's tables are used across your application. See where the data flows from a table into a query, into a report, etc. The Data Flow Diagram illustrates the entire family of objects related to each table.

Treeview Data Flow Diagram Displayed in a Form

Data Flow Diagram Report

Sample Report for the Data Flow Diagram

Object Diagram

The Object Diagram shows all the objects a form, report, or query is dependent on. You can quickly see a form, its subforms, and the queries, tables, and macros they use. Whether it's used in the RecordSource or combo box RowSource, the referenced object is displayed here. The Object Diagram is almost like the Data Diagram in reverse. Rather than seeing how data flows from a table, the Object Diagram reveals what flows into an object.

Unlike the Application Diagram, the Object Diagram includes form and report use of tables and queries, and excludes procedure calls. This significantly simplifies the diagram.

Treeview Object Diagram Displayed in a Form