Wednesday, December 29, 2004

Latest MS Access Knowledge Base Articles

Courtesy of KBAlertz.com:

How to use TOP N Query from Microsoft Access 2.0 in VB (147724) - One of the new types of queries added to Microsoft Access version 2.0 for Windows is called a TOP N query. If you have Microsoft Access version 2.0 or higher, and Microsoft Visual Basic for Windows version 4.0 and higher, you can use this type of ...

How to work with the Outlook E-mail Security Update in an Access database (263084) - Describes that you may receive "A program is trying to automatically send e-mail on your behalf" message when you run the SendObject macro action. Or, you may receive a "run-time error '2293'" when calling the SendObject VBA method in Access.

Cannot edit or update a record on an Access form (209571) - You may not be able to edit a record on a form even though the AllowEdits property of the form is set to Yes . When you try to update data on the form, you may receive the following error message: This Recordset is not updateable. If the form is ...

ACC2000: How to Use a Query to Format Data for a Mail Merge (197520) - In a Microsoft Access table, if you've added formatting to the numbers in a Number field, and you send that data to Microsoft Word through a mail merge, the numbers will lose their formatting when they appear in Microsoft Word. In a mail merge, ...

Objects are removed when you convert partial replicas from Access 97 to Access 2000 (263171) - You convert a Microsoft Access 97 partial replica to Access 2000. Then you synchronize the Access 97 partial replica with a converted full replica or with Design Master. All the database objects are removed from the converted partial replica ...

No records returned in query between an Access 2000 table and a linked Access 97 table (244137) - No records are returned for a query that joins a Microsoft Access 2000 (Jet 4.0) table to a linked Microsoft Access 97 (Jet 3.5) table. This happens even though you are certain that there are matching records. This behavior can occur only when all ...

You receive a "Not a Valid Password" error message when you open an Access 97 database in Access 2000 (246033) - When you open a Microsoft Access 97 database in Microsoft Access 2000, and if the database password has 14 or more characters, you may receive the following error message: Not a valid password. To work around this behavior, follow these steps: ...

A newly created Access 97 database is not secure when you convert a security-enhanced Access 2000 database to Access 97 format (198986) - When you convert a security-enhanced Microsoft Access 2000 database to Microsoft Access 97 format, the newly created Access 97 database is not secure. Permissions are reset to their defaults in the newly created Access 97 database. This problem ...

Friday, December 17, 2004

Sorting Out Order Of Events in MS Access Objects

Order of Events for Access Database Objects An excellent interactive article from MS that takes you through the labyrinth...

Thursday, December 16, 2004

Easier MS Access Debugging

A big frustration in debugging in Access 2000 and later is the clunky rigmarole required to check/set error-trapping. Now you can dramatically simplify the process with my new free Access COM AddIn. Ezy Debug is launched from the right-click popup menu in the code window of the Access VB Editor. The applet provides quick access to the Access error-trapping settings in the code window, and once invoked it is available both in the Access Database and VBE window. The current error-trapping setting is displayed and can be changed on the fly... Free download


Improving MS Access Performance

Improve Access Performance by Turning Off Track Name AutoCorrect A performance tip for boosting performance from AccessAdvisor.com: By default, Access 2000 and higher maintain a list of changes to database objects and will automatically change references to those objects on forms and reports. For instance, changing the name of a field in an Access table will ripple throughout the application, and all references to the field in forms and reports are automatically updated. Unfortunately, Access imposes a tremendous overhead on the AutoCorrect feature... Read the Full Tip

Wednesday, December 15, 2004

New on MSDN:

Smart Access: Invisible Forms Revisited: Park Your Global Values Here! How adding an invisible form to your application can make a number of difficult tasks much easier.

What's New and Different for the Access Developer Moving to SQL Reporting Services Review Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services, specifically the key advantages, similarities, and differences between Microsoft Access reports and SQL Reporting Services reports.

Friday, December 10, 2004

New MS Office Migration White Papers

Office 2000 to Office 2003 Migration Issues Possible problem areas administrators might encounter when moving from Office 2000 to Office 2003.

Microsoft Office XP to Microsoft Office 2003 Migration Issues Possible problem areas administrators might encounter when moving from Office XP to Office 2003.

Wednesday, December 08, 2004

MS Access Tip: Use Field Descriptions

Often overlooked is the easy way to document tables fields and automatically provide data entry guidance to users. In Table Design view, express the Description for each field as you would describe it to users making data entries. Access automatically displays the description in the Access status bar in a table's datasheet view and in forms.

Monday, December 06, 2004

Hot off the Press:

Moving Your Access 2002 Database to SQL Server 2000 Use this features comparison in preparation for moving your MS Access 2002 database back-end to SQL Server 2000.

Visual Studio Tools for Office, Version 2005 Beta 1 Code Samples

Visual Studio Tools for Office, Version 2005 Beta 1 IntelliSense Code Snippets This MS download contains 200 IntelliSense Word and Excel code snippets for use with Visual Studio Tools for Office, Version 2005 Beta 1.

Wednesday, December 01, 2004

Analyze XML data with MS Excel 2002/2003

A handy tip from TechRepublic.com. Excel 2002/2003 lets you open and analyze an XML file as a native Excel file. You can use all of Excel's analysis tools, including pivot tables and pivot charts, with XML data. Use File Open, and select XML Files from the Files Of Type drop-down list. Navigate to the XML file you want to open, and click Open. Excel displays XML tags as column headings and lists the data in the rows below the appropriate column headings. For example, in an XML Orders file, every Orders element may have Ship Region as a child element. In the worksheet, Excel represents the child element as the column header /Orders/Ship Region/. Excel opens XML files as read-only files, so users can't make changes to the original file while analyzing it in Excel.

New Ms Office Articles from MSDN

Handy Tips When Using MS Word 2003 Tips and VBA code to make your MS Office applications more robust and even provide even more options to users.

Best of Blogs: Visual Studio Tools for Office, Version 2003 Links to blogs that offer first-hand experience and tips for designing, implementing, and deploying smart client solutions built with Visual Studio Tools for MS Office 2003.

Monday, November 29, 2004

Handling Image Storage in MS Access Databases

Interesting articles with many references from ammara.com, the makers of DBPix, an Image Control for building database applications with picture handling capabilities, such as photo databases and other image management systems:

Images - Access image storage Avoiding overhead and loss when storing images in Microsoft Access.
Pictures in Access Forms & Reports Common Access OLE Object Photo & Image Problems including Access 2003.
Access Image Database Techniques Access image-handling approaches compared.


Multiple Column Reports Sample MS Access Database

Access 2003/2002/2000 Sample: Multiple Column Reports Sample Database The Multiple Column reports sample database for Microsoft Access contains sample reports that demonstrate creating telephone book style multiple column reports.

Thursday, November 25, 2004

Download the Latest MS Office Language References

Discover 15 New MS Office 2003 VBA Language References Customise and integrate Office programs with the new Office 2003 language references for Access, Excel, FrontPage, Office 2003, Outlook, PowerPoint, Project, Publisher, Visio and Word. Also, refences for Office XP And Office 2000.

Related Resources:

Tuesday, November 23, 2004

Ditch that Tired and Boring native MS Access Switchboard!

My latest Access Demo Database featuring cutting edge application navigation:




Maximizes available application space by using these dynamic features:

  • Uses Switchboard Items table created by the MS Access Switchboard Manager
  • Outlook-style navigation
  • Custom combined graphical buttons/hyperlinks
  • Users can hide the Switchboard to maximize form size
  • Users can adjust the width of the Switchboard on the fly...

You can use the demo as a Contacts Manager or buy the source code to use the GUI in your own Access applications.

Download the free SideBar Switchboard Demo
(sidebarswbdemo.zip - 4mb includes MSI Installer)

Friday, November 19, 2004

New Free Office 2003 Add-In

Office 2003 Add-in: Microsoft Outlook SMS Add-in (MOSA) Send SMS text messages through most Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) mobile phones connected to your PC using Microsoft Office Outlook 2003.

Wednesday, November 17, 2004

Database Design: The Danger of NULL values

Does allowing NULL values in fields introduce a whole new degree of uncertainty into your database? Article

Friday, November 12, 2004

Get up to Speed on New MS Office Technologies #2

Creating an Estimate Solution Using Visual Studio Tools for Office, Version 2005 Learn about a basic order entry system that uses Excel 2003 for data entry, calculation, and charting capabilities, and Word 2003 for the generation of a report.

Enhancing Office 2003 Research Services with Graphics and Fancy Fonts how to jazz up a Microsoft Office 2003 research service by displaying results using graphics and special fonts.

Thursday, November 11, 2004

Get up to Speed on New MS Office Technologies:

New DataSet Features in ADO.NET 2.0 Get performance enhancements and improved functionality in the .NET Framework 2.0 DataSet class, and in the closely related DataTable and DataView classes.

Enhancing Office 2003 Research Services with Graphics and Fancy Fonts How to jazz up a Microsoft Office 2003 research service by displaying results using graphics and special fonts.

Creating an Estimate Solution Using Visual Studio Tools for Office, Version 2005 Learn about a basic order entry system that uses Excel 2003 for data entry, calculation, and charting capabilities, and Word 2003 for the generation of a report.

Wednesday, November 10, 2004

Latest Articles and Sample Applications for MS Office Developers

Excel 2003 Sample: Microsoft Excel 2003 Inside Out Sample files from the book Microsoft Excel 2003 Inside Out.

Excel 2003 Sample: Microsoft Office 2003 Inside Out Sample files from the book Microsoft Office 2003 Inside Out.

Access 2003 Sample: Inside Out Sample Files Sample files from the book Access 2003 Inside Out.

MSDE 2000 Deployment Toolkit (Sample Application) Automates the process of creating an integrated package with both the application and the MSDE database.

From MS TechNet:

Tuesday, November 09, 2004

Microsoft Word Help Center

TechRepublic's MS Word Help Center for one-stop tips and tricks for mastering Word's myriad features.

Microsoft Office 12 is coming... Sources close to Microsoft indicate that the next version of Office is coming to beta in August of 2005 with general release by July of 2006. According to the sources, the next Office will have both desktop and server components, including the "Excel Calculation Server" and the "InfoPath Forms Server" along with updated version of Content Management Server and SharePoint Portal Server.

Friday, November 05, 2004

New MS Office Small Business Release to include New Payroll Functionality

Microsoft is set to launch on November 8 its small-business solutions strategy, one element of which will be a new version of Microsoft Office designed expressly for the small-business manager/owner. The new Office release is expected to include new payroll functionality, an updated version of Microsoft's business-contact-manager technology, and new Web services, according to sources close to the company. Microsoft already sells a small-business version of Office, Office Small Business Edition 2003. That product bundles together Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint, Publisher and the current release of business-contact manager. From microsoft-watch

Microsoft Office Outlook 2003 Inside Out: Using VBA in Outlook Introduction to the VBA environment. Provides examples of simple ways to use VBA within Outlook 2003 to automate common tasks.

Wednesday, November 03, 2004

100 Microsoft Office Tricks:

100 MS Office Tricks: Part 1

100 MS Office Tricks: Part 2

Tuesday, November 02, 2004

Tip: Add (All) to a LookUp Combobox

To add (All) as the first item in the droplist of an unbound combobox, replace the RowSource property with the following SQL string:

SELECT City FROM tblRegions
UNION SELECT "(All)" FROM tblRegions;

Friday, October 29, 2004

XML and Other Resources for Microsoft Office Developers

XML on the Desktop
XML Reference Schemas for Documents and Templates

Custom-defined XML Schema Support

Excel

Access

InfoPath

Smart Documents

ISmartDocument


Visual Studio Tools for Office, version 2005 (Beta 1)


Information Bridge Framework

Research Services


Smart Tags

Web Services Support


Network Deployment and Updating Models

Office Runtime

Solution Guidance

Thursday, October 21, 2004

Smart Documents

Designing SmartDocuments in Office 2003 A comprehensive overview with samples from DevX.com.


Monday, October 18, 2004

Legacy Code Analysis

Does this sound familiar:

"Aargh! I just inherited a mess of projects from a team who left the company 3 years ago. I can't even touch that code without breaking anything. What do I do know?"

Read this article to learn techniques for understanding legacy apps: http://www.aivosto.com/vbtips/legacycode.html

Thursday, October 14, 2004

More For Developers in Microsoft Office 2003

Overview of Office 2003 Developer Technologies Overview article for an understanding of the new development techniques around Office 2003 Editions and the types of solutions you can create with them. Then use the Solution Guidance and List of References to learn even more.

What's Updated for Outlook Developers in Office 2003? Office 2003 SP1 includes a number of enhancements for developers designing forms and programming with the Outlook object model in Outlook 2003.

Building a Status Report Application with Visual Studio Tools for Office, Version 2005 Compare the process of creating a solution that supports schema-based programming and the actions pane in Visual C# with the Microsoft Smart Document API.

Wednesday, October 13, 2004

New Microft XML Parser Service Pack

The Microsoft XML Parser (MSXML) 3.0 Service Pack 5 (SP5), which includes a number of security and bug fixes over the previous MSXML 3.0 SP releases, has just been released.

If you are developing in XML I recommend XMLSpy from altova.com, a comprehensive tool for XML document creation and management, and which includes an XHTML editor. Their web site also offers comprehensive XML resources.

Check out also the XML Resources on the AccessExtra Access Resources CD:

Access 2002 Add-in XML Spreadsheet
Access New XML Features Sample
Add XML Functionality in Excel 2003 from VB.NET
Alternatives to XML
Introduction to XML
Clearing the confusion about XML databases
Create Editable XML Documents Using XPath and the TreeView Control
Create XML Web Reports from Access 2002
Exporting Access2002 schema using XML
Extract XML from a TreeView control
Immediately convert a Recordset into XML
Import XML Data Into Microsoft Access
The Great XML-Access Database Exchange
Keep XML Simple
Learn your way around XML
Load XML into a TreeView control
Microsoft NET XML
MS Word XML Sample
MS XML Spreadsheet Add-In for Access2002
MS XML SS AddIn for Access2002
Office 2003 XML Reference Schemas
Office Developer Center: Bind an Access Form's Record Source from an XML File at Runtime
Office Developer Center: Using Visual Basic and ASP with XML to Generate Excel 2003 Workbooks
Remedial XML
Save Recordsets as XML
Save time and prevent errors by converting data to XML format
Simple XML Retrieval Class
Taking Outlook and XML to Task
Create XML Web Reports from Access
Use XML in Access 2002 to generate Web-enabled Reports
Use XML in Access 2002 to Share All Types of Data
Using ADO to exchange data as XML
Using Complex Data Types with XML Web Services in Microsoft
Working with Microsoft Office Word 2003's XML
XML and Related Standards-based Technologies Simplify Communication
XML Path Language (XPath)
XML Spreadsheet AddIn for Access2002
XML support for Excel 2002 provides new data-sharing opportunities
XML COM - XML and Visual Basic
XML Programming Sample Chapter Using the MS XML Parser and DOM

Tuesday, October 12, 2004

MS Office Updates

What's New in Visual Studio Tools for Office, Version 2005 Separation of data and view elements, server-side and offline scenarios, and seamless integration with the Visual Studio tools set...

Office XP Update: KB837253 This update provides fixes based on the Microsoft Trustworthy Computing Initiative, and the latest fixes for customer-reported issues. It is recommended for all Office XP users. This update may require a reboot.

Security Update for Excel 2002 (KB873366) and Security Update for Excel 2000 (KB873372 A security vulnerability exists in Microsoft Excel that could allow arbitrary code to run when opening a maliciously modified spreadsheet. This update resolves this vulnerability so that Excel spreadsheets are handled appropriately.

New Access Knowledge Base Articles

Use this URL:
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;xxxxx
where xxxxx is the Article No.

209229 ACC2000: Update Query on More Than One Table Gives Wrong Data
207763 ACC2000: You Cannot Sum Calculated Controls in Forms or Reports
210098 ACC2000: Same Named Module and Procedure Causes Errors
207784 ACC2000: MS Access Behavior When Importing Data to Fields with Default Values
209261 ACC2000: Showing All Records (Including Null) in a Parameter Query
207836 ACC2000: Error "Operation Is Not Supported" with OldValue Property
209482 ACC2000: Error Previewing Subreports That Call Filter Macro
207878 ACC2000: Cannot Import Spreadsheet If Field Name Begins with Space
209098 ACC2000: Using the AllowZeroLength and Required Properties
197373 ACC2000: You Cannot Follow Hyperlinks in Totals Query
209106 ACC2000: Table Field Validation Rule Causes Error
197384 ACC2000: Static Hyperlink on Disabled Subform Appears Enabled
209185 ACC2000: Options Dialog Box Items Are Not Visible
209193 ACC2000: How to Return Records in a Many-to-Many Relationship
207751 ACC2000: OLE Objects Do Not Appear in Output File
207755 ACC2000: Subform Field Linker Builder Error Creating Links
294198 ACC2002: Data is unchanged when you change dates on calendar control
294202 ACC2002: How to enumerate selected form records in Access 2002
290133 ACC2002: How to create a "Please Wait" message in Access2002
295194 ACC2002: ADO help does not work if you reference ADO 2.6 object library in Access 2002
295225 ACC2002: You receive a write conflict error when you add a record in multi-table view in Access 2002
884457 ACC2003: How to deploy an Access 2003 project that connects to an existing SQL Server 2000 database
884998 ACC2003: You may receive a security warning message when you use the SendObject macro action or the SendObject method in Access 2002 and in Access 2003

Friday, October 08, 2004

Overview of Office 2003 Developer Tools and Programs A compehensive overview article for MS Office Developers from Microsoft.

My AccessExtra MS Access Resources CD, which contains over 650mb of MS Access sample applications, source code, articles, and Access tools, includes 27mb of specific Access 2003 resources:
  • A Developer's First Look at Office 2003 Web Parts
  • Access 2003VBA Languag Reference
  • Access Fundamentals of SQL Access 2003 Sample Database
  • Access 2003: Managing State Transitions
  • Signing Access 2003 Projects
  • Access2003 Sample Using Automation with Outlook
  • Add XML Functionality in Excel 2003 from VB.NET
  • Creating Your Own Research Service for the Microsoft Office 2003 Research Library
  • Five things every tech should know about Microsoft Office 2003
  • Getting Started Developing Smart Tag Solutions with Microsoft Office Access 2003
  • Relationships Your Key to Data Integrity in Access 2003
  • Leverage Office 2003 Resource Kit's Custom Installation Wizard to speed Office 2003 deployments
  • Listing Button Faces in the Command Bar in Office 2003
  • Making the decision to upgrade to Office 2003
  • Upgrading the Office 2003 core
  • Microsoft bundles Office 2003 Developer Tools
  • Office 2003 Web Services ToolPak
  • Office 2003 and Visual Studio NET Business Solutions
  • Office 2003 Critical Update KB828041
  • Office 2003 Editions: Compare them to Previous Versions
  • Office 2003 Pro FAQ
  • Office 2003 Should you upgrade?
  • Office 2003 Web Components Toolkit
  • Office 2003 XML Reference Schemas
  • Office Developer Center Using Visual Basic and ASP with XML to Generate Excel 2003 Workbooks
  • Office Developer Center Working with HTML DOCTYPE Declarations in FrontPage 2003
  • Office 2003 SharePoint Integration Guide
  • Office 2003 Review Guide
  • Uncovering what's in the Office 2003 Resource Kit
  • Using Smart Tags in Office 2003
  • Using the Microsoft Visual Studio Tools for the Microsoft Office 2003 System
  • What's New for Office 2003 Developers (from Office Talk)
  • What's New in Office 2003
  • Where to Get Tools and Help to Develop With Microsoft Office 2003
  • Working with Microsoft Office Word 2003's XML features

Tuesday, October 05, 2004

MS Office 97 Resources

Microsoft has just relaunched the Office 97 Resource Kit as Compiled HTML Help file for all you loyal Office 97 developers and users.

Check out also the many my Access 97 Add-Ins at aadconsulting.com, and while you're there have a look at the contents of the AccessExtra MS Access Resources CD, which includes nearly 240mb of Access97 sample applications, source code, articles, and 30 free Access97 add-ins from MS and other Access developers.

Monday, September 27, 2004

New MS Office Downloads:

Office 2003 Editions: Excel VBA Language Reference
Office 2003 Editions: Office Web Components VBA Language Reference
Office 2003 Editions: Outlook VBA Language Reference
Office 2000 Outlook Today information and sample files (2)
HTML Help Workshop sample files Sample cascading style sheet (CSS) files to use with HTML Help Workshop. Download HTML Help Workshop from the MSDN Online Web Workshop.
Office 2000 Outlook 98/2000 E-mail Security Update White Paper
Office 2000 Outlook Bar reference information
Office 2000 Outlook 2000 SR-1 Security and Encryption White Paper
Office 2000 Resource Kit Readme file — updated August 31, 1999 Additional information about Office 2000 and Office Resource Kit tools and documentation. The latest version includes notes about reinstalling Office with your original customized settings.
Access 2000 Runtime for Terminal Server
Office 2000 Outlook Information A sample Microsoft Outlook profile.
Office 2000 transform for Setup error messages Copy this transform (MST file) to your computer in the same folder as the Office 2000 Setup.exe and Setup.ini files.
Office 2000 Multilingual Deployment Guide
Microsoft Office Project Initiation Tool An add-in for the Microsoft Office Accelerator for Six Sigma that enables you to easily capture and rank new project ideas, approve them, and initiate the project within Microsoft Project Server 2003 SP1. The tool tracks the progress of each idea through its approval process.
Microsoft Office Information Bridge Framework 1.0 - Updates

Friday, September 24, 2004


Office XP Security Update: KB832332 The latest security update for Microsoft Office XP.


New MS Access KB Articles

Use this URL:
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;xxxxx
where xxxxx is the Article No.

209045 ACC2000 Sample expressions to extract portion of text string in Access 2000
208191 ACC2000 Can't See Controls Placed in Tab Area of Tab Control
209053 ACC2000 Cannot Delete the Admin User
209062 ACC2000 Shortcut Method for Creating an SQL Union Query
208203 ACC2000 ActiveX Controls Do Not Appear in the Expression Builder
209075 ACC2000 Unexpected Pointer Behavior in Text Box with Input Mask
207591 ACC2000 Table Filter Is Lost After Importing Table
208222 ACC2000 "The Replication ID You Entered Is invalid" Error in Query
199028 ACC2000 Cannot Use acOLEDelete to Clear Object Frame
205085 ACC2000 Can't Import Modules from Protected VBA Project
205183 ACC2000 How to Create a Grouped Running Sum in a Query
197220 ACC2000 Cannot Completely Remove Form Filter
199113 ACC2000 Error with Subform Based on Hierarchical ADO Recordset
203383 ACC2000 Error When You Paste a Field into Navigation Section
203627 ACC2000 Synchronization Fails When System Date Is Greater Than 2038
199138 ACC2000 Copying Linked Table Does Not Create Local Table
199140 ACC2000 #Error in Linked Spreadsheet After Closing File in Excel
199197 ACC2000 Error Message When You Choose Not to Install Northwind
872834 ACC2003 Issues that are fixed in Access 2003 by Office 2003 Service Pack 1
875286 ACC2003 The "Analyze Databases" button may not be available in the "Scan for Databases" form after you select a scanned database
875287 ACC2003 Description of the "RecordCount" property, the "NoConvertDialog" property, and the "Compiled State" property and their possible values when viewed in the Access Conversion Report Tool
875288 ACC2003 The Access Conversion Scanning Tool does not collect Access properties information for Access databases
875289 ACC2003 Description of how to run the Access Conversion Scanning Tool at the command-line interface
875290 ACC2003 You may receive the "Invalid command line" error message when you run the Access Conversion Scanning Tool at the command prompt
832510 ACC2003 How to add a digital signature to an Access 2003 run-time application
870753 ACC2003 Description of the Jet 4.0 Database Engine post-837001 hotfix package July 21, 2004
883867 ACC2003 BUG A control on a form or on a report that refers to a control on a subform or on a subreport is blank in Access 2003
870961 ACC2003 Description of how to run multiple versions of Microsoft Access with Access 2003
884185 ACC2003 BUG You may receive an error message when you try to insert a new record in a table that contains an Autonumber field in Access 2003
870962 ACC2003 References that you may have to set when you work with databases in Access 2003
838900 ACC2003 Description of the Access 2003 post-Service Pack 1 hotfix package August 20, 2004
823224 ACC2003 Access queries with a wildcard character do not export data to an XML document
883866 ACC2003 The display of a data Access page is blocked in Web Page Preview mode on a computer that is running Windows XP Service Pack 2
840258 ACC2003 BUG You may receive a "Data provider failed while executing a provider command" error message when you try to Access a three-tier data Access page that is bound to a security-enhanced Access database or to an SQL Server database
841413 ACC2003 The Database window may not appear when you open an existing Access database or an existing Access project
871060 ACC2003 The first page of the Package Wizard or the Custom Startup Wizard appears blank in Office Access 2003 Developer Extensions
842004 ACC2003 How to create a distributable Access run-time application by using Microsoft Office Access 2003 Developer Extensions
191883 ACCESS Data Changes Are Saved to the Incorrect Record

Thursday, September 16, 2004

Get trained!

Fundamental Microsoft Jet SQL for Access 2000
Program Pivot Tables for Access Forms
Using Automation in Access 2003 to Work with Outlook 2003
Access training roadmap
MS Access Functions Reference
Access 2003 VBA Language Reference
MS Office 2003 Research Services How To's:

Getting Started with the Research Service Development Extras Toolkit for Office 2003 Edition Overview of the items included in the toolkit—Research Services Class Library, Research Services Class Library Samples, Research Services Class Library Wizard, and the Research Services Tracing and Validation Tool.
Introduction to the Office 2003 Research Services Class Library How to use the Research Services Class Library to abstract often-used features of the Office 2003 Research task pane into a simple object model wrapper that produces the XML defined by the Research Service’s XML schemas.
Customizing Time-Out Values for Office 2003 Research Services How to adjust the time-out value of the Research feature to accommodate the time requirements of different research services so that users are more likely to find the information they want.

Access 2.0 Converter

Access 2.0 Converter for Access 2003 The Access 2.0 Converter is used by MS Access 2003 to convert files from the Access 2.0 file format

Tuesday, September 14, 2004

New Articles and Downloads from MSDN

From the SmartAccess Newsletter:
Access Interfaces: Creating Paired Listbox Controls, Part 1 How to create linked Listbox controls and base them on a single table, two tables, or even data created at runtime.
Access Interfaces: Creating Paired Listbox Controls, Part 2 Create paired listbox controls by adding two additional functions: deferring data updates and restoring initial contents.
Signing Access 2003 Projects How to digitally sign your code.
Lost in Translation How to create an application to be deployed in different languages for different locales or different groups of users.
Managing State Transitions How to use lookup tables to handle hierarchies as well as complex state transitions.

Hardcore Visual Basic: Database Developer Corner: Managing Disconnected Data in ADO and ADO.NET Demonstrates fabricated RecordSets in VB6 and DataTables in VB.NET.

Office XP Security Update KB832332 offers the highest levels of stability and security available for Microsoft Office XP.

Friday, September 10, 2004

Articles on New MS Office Technologies:

Using the XML Features of the Excel 2003 Object Model Explore the XML-related objects, methods, and properties in Excel 2003.
Using an ADO.NET DataSet as a Reporting Services Data Source How to build a data processing extension for Reporting Services using an ADO.NET DataSet as a data source.
Data Points: Handling Data Concurrency Using ADO.NET How to handle data concurrency violations in ADO.NET.

Thursday, September 09, 2004

Latest MS Knowledge Base Articles for Access 2003:
823224 Access queries with a wildcard character do not export data to an XML document
840258 BUG: You may receive a "Data provider failed while executing a provider command" error message when you try to access a three-tier data access page that is bound to a security-enhanced Access database or to an SQL Server database
841413 The Database window may not appear when you open an existing Access database or an existing Access project
842004 How to create a distributable Access run-time application by using Microsoft Office Access 2003 Developer Extensions
842532 Description of Office 2003 Service Pack 1
871060 The first page of the Package Wizard or the Custom Startup Wizard appears blank in Office Access 2003 Developer Extensions
883866 The display of a data access page is blocked in Web Page Preview mode on a computer that is running Windows XP Service Pack 2

Copernic Desktop Search Freeware I have just discovered a cool new indexing/search freeware application that you can use to search within the files on your PC. Copernic Desktop Search uses a small search box in your Windows Taskbar to search your PC or the web. It also indexes and search all your Outlook folders and contact lists. You can use Boolean connectors as well as nested searches in parentheses. A preview pane displays the full text of each document in the results list and highlights all search terms. Results can be sorted by folder name, date modified, or file type directly from the results panel. You also have several options to control the indexing process. Content can be saved as it is indexed, at a specific time, or at regular intervals. You can also selectively index folders. Download Copernic Desktop

Latest MS Access 2003 Sample Applications from Microsoft Go to the Microsoft Developer Center Sample Code Page to download a stack of sample MS Access databases. Many demonstrate the new technologies in Access 2003.

Get the latest service pack for the Microsoft Jet 4.0 Database Engine Go to this MS KB Article for info and downloads.

Wednesday, September 08, 2004

New MS Office Tools

Introduction to the Smart Tag Explorer and Smart Tag Recognize Tester New utilities to help smart tag developers quickly build efficient, stable, and robust smart tags for a variety of applications.

Office 2003 Toolkit: Research Service Development Extras Provides tools, white papers, and code samples of building research services for MS Office 2003.

Office 2003 Document: Overview of Developer Technologies An overview of developer technologies and tools for building custom solutions for MS Office 2003 Editions.


Friday, September 03, 2004

MS Office 2003 Articles and Code Samples

Using the XML Features of the Access 2003 Object Model Explore the XML-related objects, methods, and properties in Access 2003, as well as changes to the XML Object Model and code samples.

Using the XML Features of the Excel 2003 Object Model Explore the XML-related objects, methods, and properties in Excel 2003

Digitally Signing Data in InfoPath 2003 Use new features and object model members to customize and extend digital signatures capabilities in your InfoPath 2003 form templates.

Thursday, September 02, 2004

MS Office resources:

Office Talk: Search Inbox Data Using Smart Tags in Word 2003
Use smart tags in Word 2003 to create search queries against the Exchange message store, search the message store programmatically to acquire results, and then import the search result data into a Word document.

Schemas in ADO.NET 2.0 Use the enhanced support in ADO.NET 2.0 to access metadata in your data sources.

New MS Access links:

http://www.accessdatabasetips.com/

http://www.databasedesign-resource.com/


Friday, August 27, 2004

Developing Office 2003 solutions with .NET Get started with a simple VB.NET application from TechRepublic.

Access 2003 Add-in: Source Code Control New MS Access Add-In from MS to support integration between source code control programs and Access 2003 SP1.

Thursday, August 26, 2004

Office 2003 Tool: Smart Tag Developer Tools This MS download contains tools for developing smart tags, including the Smart Tag Explorer and Smart Tag Recognize Tester, and a white paper explaining how to use these tools.

Friday, August 20, 2004

ASP, ASP.NET, Personal Web Servers, and Windows XP Home After discovering that WinXP Home does not support MS Personal Web Server or IIS, I was in a quandary on how to work on ASP pages on a WinXP Home PC.

After Googling around on and off for a few days, I located the following easy to setup and reliable solutions:
  • For ASP install Abyss Web Server XI (freeware) and Selisoft's Active HTML Extensions (shareware)
  • For ASP.NET install Cassini ASP.NET Web Server (freeware: requires .NET Framework 1.1)

For developing web pages accessing MS Access databases try these applications:

  • ASP: DBQwikSite v2.5.2 (Sponsored Version is free)
  • ASP.NET: Microsoft's free ASP.NET Web Matrix (requires .NET Framework 1.1)

Google searches will quickly locate download sites for all these applications.


Wednesday, August 18, 2004

Find Databases Wizard I have today launched this free application, which finds all the MS Access files in the location you select and classifies each file by Access version, lists all the files found in the application, and saves the data in a text-delimited file.

Friday, August 13, 2004

Download VB and VBA Code Samples from Microsoft

101 Visual Basic Code Samples This download includes a master set of Visual Basic code samples demonstrating various aspects of the language in the following areas: syntax, data access, Windows Forms, Web development and Web services, XML, security, the .NET Framework, file system and file I/O, interop and migration issues, COM+, ADO.NET, and advanced topics including graphics with GDI+, remoting, serialization, MSMQ, and Windows services.

VBA Samples for Working with Excel 2003 Worksheets Macros that you can use to add additional functionality to your Excel worksheets.

Wednesday, August 11, 2004

XML Everywhere:

New XML Features of the Microsoft Office Word 2003 Object Model

Transform a MS Word ML Document with XSL

Microsoft Office 2003 XML Reference Schemas

XSLT Articles

DevX: XML Zone

Generating XML Documents from XML Schemas Use the classes in the System.XML.Schema namespace of the Microsoft .NET Framework to build a tool that generates sample XML documents conforming to a given schema.

Sunday, August 08, 2004

New MSDN MS Office-related articles:

Generating XML Documents from XML Schemas
Generate XML Documents from XML Schemas

Office 2003 Tool: FabriKam Solutions Learning Platform
A compiled help file (CHM) for use with the Fabrikam sample files.

InfoPath 2003 Software Development Kit (SDK) Contains sample forms, tools, and documentation to assist with Microsoft Office InfoPath 2003 and InfoPath 2003 Service Pack 1 form development and deployment.

KioskXMLFile KioskXMLFile

Wednesday, August 04, 2004

Access 2003 Conversion Toolkit Use the Toolkit to find and analyze your databases in preparation for switching to the latest version of MS Access.


Need help with MS Access? Try these free resource, support, and forum sites:

Allexperts.com
Volunteer experts answer one-on-one Microsoft Access questions for free.

AxSOS
Submit your MS Access questions and receive responses by email. Has a searchable FAQ.

Experts-Exchange.com: Microsoft Access
Exchange information and solve problems in discussions forums.

OpenITx: Access-L
An email list and archive of all aspects of MS Access development.

QuickTechUSA Discussion Forum
Active forum discussing all aspects of MS Access.

Tek-Tips Microsoft Access Forum
Technical support forums and mutual help system for Access developers.

Utter Access Discussion Forums
Free site with discussion forums and entry level articles about using Access.

Sunday, July 25, 2004

MS Office Migration Articles from Microsoft:

Whitepaper: Microsoft Office 2000 to Microsoft Office 2003 Migration

Whitepaper: Office 97 to Office 2003 Migration

Whitepaper:: Microsoft Office XP to Microsoft Office 2003 Migration

Monday, July 19, 2004

How to Customise Menus and Menu Bars in MS Office This article uses MS Excel to demonstrate customisation of Office CommandBars.

Query Dependencies in MS Access Tracking complex query dependencies in Access was difficult before Access 2003, which provides this functionality natively. But what abour earlier versions of Access? Thankfully, questica.com provides an excellent add-in for earlier Access versions as donationware. Just run the setup.exe file and all your installed versions of Access will now have this functionality: right-click on a query in the Queries tab of the Database Window and select Dependencies from the popup menu to see a treeview of the dependencies in a custom dialog. There are addtional features: run a query from the dialog or view the design, or copy the dependencies to the Clipboard. Download



Monday, July 12, 2004

G-Mail I have another invitation to give away... Go!

Friday, July 09, 2004

New Articles of Interest:

How to Customise Menus and Menu Bars in Excel Applies generally to Office 2000 and later.

Security in Office 2003 Editions How to hook into the security features in Office 2003 Editions and, more importantly, how to avoid accidentally circumventing them in your Office-based solutions.

Working with Files and Folders in Office 2003 Editions Tips on how to use the Office object model to enhance your custom solutions.

MS Access KB Browser Now On-line All the Access KB article links from my Access Knowledge Base Browser application are now available on-line. Try it. You can browse or search 2,752 Access KB article references in your browser, with a link to each article at the Microsoft KB site.

BTW, the KB Browser application is free for all buyers of a Premium Access Tool from aadconsulting.com, with prices starting from a low US$9.95.


Tuesday, July 06, 2004

Access Knowledge Base Browser The Articles database for my Access Knowledge Base Browser has been just updated. The number of article references has been increased by nearly 101 to 2,742 article titles. The KB Browser is an easy way to search the on-line Microsoft Access Knowledge Base. Existing Users can click the "Update KB Table" button on the Application Toolbar to get the update. KB Browser is free for all buyers of a Premium Access Tool from aadconsulting.com, with prices starting from a low US$9.95.

Monday, July 05, 2004

New MS Access KB Articles
Use this URL: http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;xxxxx
where xxxxx is the Article No.

196809 ACC97 CompactDatabase Method Requires Locale to Convert 2.0 MDB
148287 ACC2 Neatcod2.mdb Available in Download Center
148402 ACC95 Neatcode.mdb Available in Download Center
148572 ACC95 Viewable Wzcnf70.mda Code Available in Download Center
148581 ACC95 Using Updatable Queries White Paper Available in Download Center
149357 ACC2 Parameter Typing Utility Available in Download Center
149358 ACC2 Sample to Undo Changes in Forms Available in Download Center
149360 ACC2 Multiuser Wizards Available in Download Center
209505 ACC2002 Expressions to count yes, no, and other responses in Access
235280 ACC2000 """Can't Find the Database You Specified"" Error When Starting Access 97 After Upgrade to Office 2000"
259134 ACC2000 Microsoft Policy on Forgotten Password Assistance with Access 2000
207868 ACC2000 """Microsoft Access Can't Represent the Join Expression"" Error Message in Query Design"
225989 ACC2000 Cannot Use Access Client-Server Tools After Installation of Microsoft Data Engine
236531 MOD2000 Cannot Insert HHCtrl.ocx into a Microsoft Access Form
232595 ACC2000 How to Sum a Calculation in a Data Access Page
241471 ACC2000 """Microsoft Jet Database Engine Could Not Find the Object"" Error Message Exporting Visual FoxPro Table"
234343 ACC2000 How to Secure Database Diagrams in a Microsoft Access Project
209643 ACC2000 How to Determine the Version of Catalog Stored Procedures
245181 ACC2000 Expression Builder Is Not Available in Visual Basic Environment
244904 ACC2000 ODBC Call Failed (#200) Error Running a Union Query on Linked Visual FoxPro Tables
255132 ACC2000 """Stop 0x1e"" Creating a Report with the Access Report Wizard"
282751 ACC2000 Linked Excel Worksheet Grows by 50 to 100 Percent When Updated in Access
240962 ACC2000 Starting Hyperlink from Access Minimizes Access Session
210181 ACC2000 Visual Basic Editor Displays Hidden Modules
208888 ACC2000 How to Attach Existing SQL Server 7.0 Database Files to Microsoft Data Engine (MSDE)
197232 ACC2000 New Microsoft Excel Data Does Not Appear in Microsoft Access Form
223201 ACC2000 Shortcut Keys May Not Work in Access Project
197111 ACC2000 Lookup Wizard Error
207597 ACC2000 AutoLookup Field Returns Unexpected Value in Word Mail Merge
207632 ACC2000 TransferText Ignores Indexes in Import Specification
209170 ACC2000 Starting Another Application from a Text Box on a Form
209148 ACC2000 Cannot Save a Blank Record in a Table or Form
207662 ACC2000 Parameter Prompt If LinkMasterFields or LinkChildFields Contains Table Name
209132 ACC2000 Troubleshooting Tips for Error Values
207624 ACC2000 How to Create a 'Continued' Header with Groups That Span Multiple Pages
205703 ACC2000 Can't Import Single Cell Excel Named Range
207471 ACC2000 You Receive No Warning When a Number Is Too Large for a Single Data Type
208178 ACC2000 GoToControl to Control with Focus in AfterUpdate Ignored
205596 ACC2000 Optional Fields Not Added to Database Made by Database Wizard
275563 ACC2000 Programmatically Populated Combo Box or List Box Is Not Sorted in the Order Expected
209759 ACC2000 Unsupported SQL Keywords Are Not Listed in Microsoft Access
223248 ACC2000 PreviousSection Property Causes Microsoft Access and Internet Explorer to Quit Unexpectedly
225891 ACC2000 Microsoft Script Editor Does Not Execute the OnBeforeUnload Window Event Procedure
231839 ACC2000 Cannot Use Legacy Database Templates with Access 2000
234303 ACC2000 How to Start Another Application from a Data Access Page
204204 ACC2000 Option Buttons on a Data Access Page Must Have Name and ID Property Values
197221 ACC2000 Error Message Clicking Start Page on Web Toolbar
199086 ACC2000 Can't Use ENTER to Move Data to Next Line of Wizard
203447 ACC2000 Hiding Control on a Page Doesn't Hide Control's Label
209001 ACC2000 How to Print a Variable-Length Character String
209006 ACC2000 How to Control the Number of Records Printed per Page
199253 ACC2000 Spelling Checker Ignores Misspelled Uppercase Words
209072 ACC2000 Two Device Independent Bitmaps in Paste Special Dialog Box
209108 ACC2000 How to Use In-place Activation with OLE Objects
198666 ACC2000 Standard Toolbar Not Available in Microsoft Access
235267 ACC2000 Table in a Microsoft Access Project Cannot Be Updated
240246 ACC2000 Operational Range for Dates in Microsoft Access 2000
G-Mail I have two invitations to give away... Go!


Sunday, July 04, 2004

What is XML? The XML Programming Bible covers all the most recent XML core and related specifications including XML 1.1, J2EE 1.4, Microsoft .NET's latest iteration, as well as open source XML items from the Apache project. You can download free the first chapter - an excellent introduction - as a.pdf.

Sunday, June 27, 2004

Importance of Installing MS Office Patches Access 2000 error, "Network connection may have been lost," might indicate Vbe6.dll conflict. An article for Tech Republic: In Access 2000, receiving the message "Error accessing file. Network connection may have been lost" may not really reflect a connection issue. Instead, it may merely reflect the hazards of patching security holes over time. The solution is another patch, of course.

Access SQL Tip From TechRepublic: Search for two or more single characters in a field. You can use the [ ] wildcard with the Like operator in your queries to search for two or more single characters in a field.

For example, suppose you want to find all customers with the following ZIP codes: 08052, 08053, or 08055. To use the [ ] wildcard, enter the following in your query's Criteria row under the ZIP Code field:

Like "0805[235]"

This expression searches for all field entries whose last character matches one of the characters specified between the brackets. Conversely, to search for all customers that don't live within these three ZIP code areas, place an exclamation point before the list, as shown below:

Like "0805[!235]"

The exclamation point inside the brackets stands for Not in the list. The query results will include all entries whose characters do not match any character in the list within the brackets.

You can combine the [ ] wildcard with any other wildcard character. For example, you can combine the * wildcard character with [ ] to search for any ZIP codes that begin with 0805, 0807, or 0808:

Like "080[578]*"

New from MSDN:

Creating Charts in Excel 2003 Using Visual Basic for Applications Code Methods of creating charts though the macro recorder, using VB and automation.
Building Office 2003 Research Services That Work Offline Give users the benefit of research services whether they are in their office plugged into the network or writing a proposal on a plane without network connectivity.
Migrate Word VBA Solutions to Visual Studio Tools for Office Learn how to migrate an existing Word VBA solution to a Visual Studio Tools for Office solution.
Microsoft Office Access 2003 VBA Language Reference The new objects, properties, and methods in Access 2003.
Microsoft Office Excel 2003 VBA Language Reference The new objects, properties, methods, and events in Excel 2003.
Migrating Word VBA Solutions to Visual Studio Tools for Office Explores the process of migrating an existing solution to managed code in Visual Studio Tools for the Microsoft Office System.

Sunday, June 20, 2004

Access Knowledge Base Browser The Articles database for my Access Knowledge Base Browser has been just updated. The number of article references has been increased by nearly 100 to 2,641 article titles. The KB Browser is an easy way to search the on-line Microsoft Access Knowledge Base. Existing Users can click the "Update KB Table" button on the Application Toolbar to get the update. KB Browser is free for all buyers of a Premium Access Tool from aadconsulting.com, with prices starting from a low US$9.95.

Access Extra MS Access Reources CD v5.0 I have also just launched the Updated CD full of MS Access and MS Office resources: a massive 650mb of articles, code, add-ins, wizards, utilities and sample databases. Take your Access skills to the next level: the contents is fully organised and classified. You can use the CD's Searchable Browser Application to locate content.

Sunday, June 13, 2004

Quick MS Access Tips:

Give your applications a quick makeover by globally replacing MS Sans Serif font with Tahoma.

Overcome the limited color choices offered by the Format menu for the backcolor of cells in datasheets by using VBA:

Private Sub Form_Open(Cancel As Integer)
Me.DatasheetBackColor = 12910591 'a soft yellow
End Sub

Free Evaluation of InstallShield X The new InstallShield X creates Windows Installer (MSI), InstallScript, and cross-platform installations and extends them to database servers, Web services, and mobile devices.

Tutorial: Validating XML Learn what validation is and how to check a document against a Document Type Definition (DTD) or XML Schema document.

I recently discovered the MSDN Library Archive for older content.

New Articles:

Bind an Access Form's Record Source from an XML File at Runtime Learn how to bind a form dynamically to a recordset created from an XML file.

Excel 2002/2003 Add-in for SQL Server Analysis Services Access multidimensional data, perform in-depth analysis, and create flexible, interactive reports in Microsoft Excel.

Access 2003/2002/2000 Sample: Summing in reports sample database Provides example reports that demonstrate creating group sums, report sums, page sums, running sums, and how to number the rows in your MS Access reports.

Office Talk: Easy Task Reports with Outlook and WordML How to export Outlook 2003 task data to XML and then use this as a source for reports in Word 2003. Sample Files

Recent MS Access Knowledge Base Articles:
Use this URL: http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;xxxxx
where xxxxx is the Article No.

Access 2000

840644 "There are no Office Assistant character files present" error message when you start an Office 2000 program for the second time
841530 Office 2000 post-Service Pack 3 hotfix package: May 13, 2004

Access 2002

839781 You may receive an error message when you try to open a data access page in Access 2002
827983 Access 2002 post-Service Pack 3 hotfix package: May 7, 2004

Access 2003

838983 You may receive "The feature you are trying to use is on a network resource that is unavailable" error message when you try to remove an Access 2003 runtime application from your computer

Access

826137 You may receive the "Can't find the database you specified" error message when you open an Access database by using a shortcut
824165 ActiveX control that is contained in an Access form does not appear when the design-time license is not available
827983 Access 2002 post-Service Pack 3 hotfix package: May 7, 2004
826760 Incorrect object dependencies information appears for database objects in a read-only database
828411 You cannot use the MSODSC control when you insert an Office Chart 11.0 control in a data access page
841779 How to reset the page number and the total page count for each group in a Microsoft Access report
840992 Description of the Office XP post-Service Pack 3 hotfix package: May 8, 2004
828412 Programmatically modifying an action query in an Access database invalidates the digital signature of the Access database
824189 The AutoExpand property may not work when ANSI-92 syntax is enabled and the Combo Box RowSource does not use DISTINCT values
824171 Administrative installation of the Access Run-time Application is not successful
824176 "The Text You Entered Isn't an Item in the List" error message when you programmatically add a new record to a table by using the NotInList event of the Combo Box on a form
824180 Compilation is not successful when you convert a macro to a module
823228 BUG: Field size is changed when you copy and paste a table in an Access project
825445 Data remains unchanged when you modify dates by using the Calendar Control
824279 "Undefined Function '{FunctionName}' in Expression" error message when you open a data access page in Internet Explorer
824261 Jet 4.0 OLE DB Provider requires a Jet 4.0 system data

Friday, May 28, 2004

Recent MS Access Tips I stumbled upon:

A neat way to test both for Null or an empty string using the MS Access Nz function:

If Nz(Me.txtFaxNo,"") = "" Then Me.cmdSendFax.Enabled = True

MS Access Shortcut Keys for data entry:

[Shift][Enter] to save a record
[Ctrl][Alt][Spacebar] to re-instate the default value
[Spacebar] to toggle values in a check box or option
[Ctrl][;] to insert the current date
[Ctrl][Shift][;] to insert the current time
[Ctrl][+] to add a new record
[Ctrl][-] to delete the current record
[Esc] to undo a change to the current record

Check the Access Extra Newsletter Archive for more shortcuts


More new MS Office stuff from Microsoft:

Microsoft Office Information Bridge Framework 1.0 - BETA
A set of components, tools, and prescriptive guidance that enable developers to create solutions that connect Microsoft Office System applications to enterprise systems.
Microsoft Office Information Bridge Framework 1.0 Resource Kit - BETA
The Kit contains tools and sample code designed to make MS Office development job easier.
Office 2003 Editions: VBA Language Reference for the Graph Object Model
The Visual Basic® for Applications (VBA) Language Reference for the Microsoft® Graph Object Model as a compiled Help file.
Office 2003 Tool: Local Installation Source Tool
A wizard to help manage Local Installation Source (LIS) on computers running Microsoft Office 2003
Microsoft Office Data Assistant for PowerPoint 2003
An easy-to-use method of inserting and managing graphical data objects such as Microsoft Office Visio® drawings, Microsoft Office Excel charts, and named ranges into PowerPoint presentations.




Thursday, May 20, 2004

MS Office XML Developer Center The deal on using XML in Office
Microsoft Office 2003 Editions XML Reference Schemas and Documentation: April 2004 Update
MS Outlook 2003 Sample Custom Calendar Providers for Outlook 2003: sample files for creating custom views in MS Outlook using a Web service.

Microsoft DevDays 2004 Presentations Tracks on how to design, develop, and deploy Windows applications

Monday, May 17, 2004

Designing a Better GUI A very useful article on constructing better MS Access data entry forms from ssw.com.au

Saturday, May 15, 2004

TIP: Enforce UpperCase Input Mask

VBA Ascii values 97-122 represent the lowercase letters a-z and 65-90 the uppercase letters A-Z: each uppercase letter's value is 32 less than the corresponding lowercase value.

In a control's KeyPress event procedure add the following code:

Private Sub txtMyName_KeyPress(KeyAscii As Integer)
If KeyAscii >= 97 And KeyAscii <= 122 Then
KeyAscii = KeyAscii - 32
End If
End Sub


Double Quotes Demystified

In string variables and when constructing SQL strings in VBA, using double-quotes can be confusing and frustrating. Try these approaches:

1. Create a global constant to represent double quotes, which makes code easier to read:

Public Const pubconQuotes = """"

Example: strSQL = "Instr(MyField," & pubconQuotes & " " & pubconQuotes & ")<>0"

2. Example: strSQL = "Instr(MyField," & chr(34) & " " & chr(34) & ")<>0"


TIP: Alternate line shading in MS Access Reports

1. Declare a constant in the Declarations of the Report's module:
Const vbLightGrey = 12632256
2. Add the following code to the Detail section OnFormat Event:
If Me.CurrentRecord Mod 2 = 0 Then
Me.Section(acDetail).BackColor = vbLightGrey
Else
Me.Section(acDetail).BackColor = vbWhite
End If
The Report will display a white background for odd records and a light gray background color for even records. The BackStyle of record TextBoxes should be set to Transparent.
Recent MS Access Knowledge Base Articles Use this URL: http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;xxxxx
where xxxxx is the Article No.

841431 You may receive an error message when you try to modify the field information in the Access 2003 Import Wizard
840169 Full-file version update may request Office source files
837146 Dialing rules are ignored when you use the AutoDialer feature in Access
840169 Full-file version update may request Office source files
292634 How to Use a Query to Filter Unique Data
837001 MS04-014: Vulnerability in the Microsoft Jet Database Engine could permit code execution
837146 Dialing rules are ignored when you use the AutoDialer feature in Access
223452 GRAPH2000: Pattern Fills Do Not Print Well
839782 You receive a "You do not have exclusive access to the database at this time. If you proceed to make changes, you may not be able to save them later." error message when you try to open database objects in Access
839785 The data in a linked Excel spreadsheet column is truncated to 255 characters in an Access database