Microsoft KB Archive/121677

= ACC: Dirty Property Not Recognized on Unbound Forms =

Article ID: 121677

Article Last Modified on 1/19/2007

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APPLIES TO


 * Microsoft Access 2.0 Standard Edition
 * Microsoft Access 95 Standard Edition
 * Microsoft Access 97 Standard Edition

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This article was previously published under Q121677



Moderate: Requires basic macro, coding, and interoperability skills.



SYMPTOMS
When you reference the Dirty property of an unbound form (a form that is not based on a table or query), you may receive the following error message.

In Microsoft Access 7.0 and 97:

Run-time error '2455': You entered an expression that has an invalid reference to the property Dirty

In Microsoft Access 2.0:

Invalid reference to field 'Dirty'



CAUSE
The Dirty property is unavailable on unbound forms. The Dirty property was intended to indicate if the current record in the forms recordset is in edit mode. Because an unbound form has no recordset (the RecordSource property is blank) the Dirty property is not available.



RESOLUTION
Set the form's RecordSource property to a table, query, or SQL statement.



STATUS
This behavior is by design.



Steps to Reproduce Behavior

 * 1) Open the sample database Northwind.mdb (or NWIND.MDB in Microsoft Access 2.0).
 * 2) Create a blank, new form. Do not base the form on any table or query.
 * 3) Add a text box to the form.
 * 4) Save the form as Test.
 * 5) View the form in Form view.
 * 6) Open the Utility Functions module.
 * 7) On the View menu, click Debug Window (or Immediate Window in Microsoft Access 2.0.)
 * 8) In the Debug window, type the following line, and then press ENTER:

? forms!test.Dirty

Note that you receive the error message mentioned earlier in this article.

