Create a form that has the maximum number of text boxes you think you'll
need, and simply set the Visible property to False for the unneeded ones.

--
Doug Steele, Microsoft Access MVP
http://www.AccessMVP.com/DJSteele
(no e-mails, please!)

"DRedDog" wrote in message
...
Thanks for your response. Assigning the SQL to the form's recordsource
property is not the problem - it is adding/deleting controls that the MDE
database objects to.
Troubleshooting the MDE is a little awkward but I think the offending line
might be -:

DeleteControl strForm, Forms(strForm).Controls(0).name

This is the sub that creates the datasheet form in the mdb file.

Sub MakeRptDataForm(strForm As String, strQuery As String)
Dim ctl As Control
Dim fld As Field
Dim qdf As DAO.QueryDef
Dim db As DAO.Database
Dim sngTop As Single

On Error GoTo Err_MakeRptDataForm
DoCmd.OpenForm strForm, acDesign, , , , acHidden

Do Until Forms(strForm).Controls.Count = 0
DeleteControl strForm, Forms(strForm).Controls(0).name
Loop

Forms(strForm).RecordSource = strQuery
Set db = CurrentDb
Set qdf = db.QueryDefs(strQuery)
sngTop = 0
For Each fld In qdf.Fields
CreateControl strForm, acTextBox, acDetail, , fld.name, 0, sngTop
sngTop = sngTop + 0.725 * 567
Next fld

For Each ctl In Forms(strForm).Controls
If ctl.ControlType = acTextBox Then
ctl.name = ctl.ControlSource
End If
Next ctl

Exit_MakeRptDataForm:
DoCmd.SetWarnings False
DoCmd.Close acForm, Forms(strForm).name
DoCmd.SetWarnings True
Exit Sub

Err_MakeRptDataForm:
Select Case Err
Case Else
MsgBox Err.Description
'Stop
Resume Exit_MakeRptDataForm

End Select
End Sub

"Tom van Stiphout" wrote in message
...
On Tue, 18 May 2010 12:57:59 -0400, "DRedDog"
wrote:

What command?
Surely MDE would allow you to create a sql statement and assign that
to the RecordSource of a form?

-Tom.
Microsoft Access MVP


My application creates a datasheet on the fly. Users make a selection
from a
set parameters including column names, sort order, etc and the code
populates a querydef with the set of columns selected by the user.

This works fine in an MDB. The equivalent MDE crashes - "That command
isn't
available in an MDE database"

Please tell me how to add/delete columns from a querydef in an MDE file?

DT