ADO - ADO Recordset CursorStatus Property

The CursorStatus property in ADO is used to determine the current status of a Recordset object's cursor. A cursor represents the position and movement of the current record within a set of records returned from a database. The CursorStatus property helps an application identify whether the cursor is active, whether the recordset is closed, or whether certain cursor-related operations are possible.

Purpose of CursorStatus

When an application works with an ADO Recordset, it may need to know whether the cursor is currently available and usable. Instead of assuming that a recordset is active, the application can check the CursorStatus property.

This is particularly useful when an application performs operations such as moving through records, editing records, or checking whether a recordset has been successfully opened.

The basic syntax is:

recordset.CursorStatus

For example:

Dim rs As ADODB.Recordset

Set rs = New ADODB.Recordset

rs.Open "SELECT * FROM Students", conn

If rs.CursorStatus = adCursorOK Then
    MsgBox "The cursor is active and ready."
End If

Here, CursorStatus is examined after opening the recordset to determine whether the cursor is functioning properly.

CursorStatus Values

The CursorStatus property returns an CursorStatusEnum value. Some important values include:

adCursorOK

This indicates that the cursor is valid and operational. The application can normally work with the recordset and navigate through its records.

adCursorClosed

This indicates that the cursor is closed. This can occur when the recordset has been closed or has not been opened successfully.

adCursorNotFound

This indicates that the requested cursor could not be located or established.

adCursorUnspecified

This represents an unspecified cursor status. It can be used when ADO cannot provide a more specific status.

The exact status returned depends on the state of the recordset and the provider being used.

Example Using CursorStatus

Consider the following example:

Dim rs As ADODB.Recordset

Set rs = New ADODB.Recordset

rs.Open "SELECT StudentID, StudentName FROM Students", conn

If rs.CursorStatus = adCursorOK Then
    MsgBox "Recordset cursor is available."
ElseIf rs.CursorStatus = adCursorClosed Then
    MsgBox "Recordset cursor is closed."
Else
    MsgBox "Cursor status is unavailable or unspecified."
End If

In this example, the application checks the cursor before performing further operations. This can make database code safer because the application does not blindly attempt to use an unavailable cursor.

CursorStatus and Recordset State

CursorStatus should not be confused with the ADO State property.

The State property indicates whether an ADO object, such as a Connection or Recordset, is open or closed. For example:

If rs.State = adStateOpen Then
    MsgBox "Recordset is open."
End If

The CursorStatus property, on the other hand, provides information specifically about the status of the cursor associated with the recordset.

Therefore, an application can use both properties when necessary:

If rs.State = adStateOpen Then

    If rs.CursorStatus = adCursorOK Then
        MsgBox "Recordset is open and cursor is available."
    End If

End If

This distinction is important when developing applications that need to carefully manage database operations.

Why CursorStatus Is Useful

CursorStatus can be useful in several situations:

  1. Checking cursor availability
    Before performing cursor-dependent operations, an application can determine whether the cursor is usable.

  2. Handling database errors
    If a cursor cannot be established, the application can respond appropriately rather than continuing with invalid operations.

  3. Managing record navigation
    Applications that move between records can use cursor information when determining whether navigation is supported.

  4. Working with different providers
    Different OLE DB providers may support different cursor capabilities. Checking cursor-related information helps applications handle provider-specific behavior more safely.

  5. Debugging database applications
    When a recordset does not behave as expected, examining its cursor status can help identify whether the problem is related to cursor availability.

Important Consideration

CursorStatus does not tell the application where the current record is located. It should not be confused with the AbsolutePosition property, which can provide information about the current record's position when supported.

For example:

If rs.CursorStatus = adCursorOK Then
    MsgBox "Cursor is available."
    
    If Not rs.EOF Then
        MsgBox rs.Fields("StudentName").Value
    End If
End If

Here, CursorStatus determines whether the cursor is operational, while EOF determines whether the current position has reached the end of the recordset.

Conclusion

The ADO Recordset CursorStatus property provides information about the status of the cursor associated with a recordset. It allows developers to determine whether the cursor is operational, closed, unavailable, or in an unspecified state. By checking CursorStatus before performing cursor-dependent operations, developers can write more reliable and manageable ADO applications. It is especially useful when working with different database providers and when an application needs to handle recordset and cursor conditions carefully.