Microsoft Access Performance Tip for Forms: Use Late Binding for Subforms on Tab Pages

Provided by the FMS Development Team

The Microsoft Access tab controls makes it easy to show a different subform on each tab page. Unfortunately, it you add too many, the form may take a long time to open. This is because it's loading all the data in each of the subforms even though only page 1 is shown.

To speed up your MS Access form, you can design it with the subforms on page 2 and beyond remain unbound until the user clicks on its page.

This on-demand technique allows the main form to load without trying to populate all of the subforms.

This sample VBA code is for a tab control named tabStuff. We refer to the page by name rather than number because you may reorder or add/delete tabs over time:

Private Sub tabStuff_Change()

  Select Case tabStuff.Pages.item(tabStuff.Value).Name

    Case "pg1"
      ' Where sfrm1 is the name of the subform on page 1
      If Len(sfrm1.SourceObject) = 0 Then
        sfrm1.SourceObject = "frmStuff_1"
        sfrm1.LinkChildFields = "StuffID"
      End If

    Case "pg2"
      ' Where sfrm2 is the name of the subform on page 2
      If Len(sfrm2.SourceObject) = 0 Then
        sfrm2.SourceObject = "frmStuff_2"
        sfrm2.LinkChildFields = "StuffID"
      End If

    ' Repeat for each tab page
    
  End Select

End Sub

Additional Resources

• Here's a resource describing another way to Reference Tab Pages by its PageIndex Property
• Interested in tabs on the sides or bottom? Check out the Microsoft Access tab control in Total Access Components
• Microsoft Access Form Tips and Avoiding Common Mistakes
• Microsoft Access 2007/2010 Form Design Tips
• Microsoft Access Performance Tips to Speed Up Your Access Databases