Office 2010 scheduled for release in June 2010

Microsoft has announced Office 2010 will be released in June 2010 in six different configurations (including a free version that will include Word and Excel with limited functionality and embedded ads): Starter, Home and Student, Home and Business, Standard, Professional, and Professional Plus.

New Free Access 2007 Menu Switchboard

The latest free download from aadconsulitng.com. The Menu Switchboard for Access 2007 replaces the native Access Switchboard with this free superior menu switchboard, which uses the Switchboard Items table created by the native MS Access Switchboard Manager and only native Access controls. This navigation paradigm also enforces a strict SDI modal interface, hides the Access application window, and optionally hides the Access RibbonBar. The download includes a sample database.

How it works:

1. Import your all your databases objects into the Access2007 Menubar Switchboard ACCDB template  file and rename it to match the old database name.
2. Place the separate library database (ACCDE) file that ships with the template file in the same folder as the renamed ACCDB.This ACCDE must be deployed with your ACCDB file
   
3. Use the native Access Switchboard Manager to build/manage your Menu Switchboard.
4. Set the Modal property for all forms and reports in your ACCDB to True, and decide which forms will have the Popup property set to True.  
5. Set the form, frmMenu, as your StartUp form.
6. Place your custom splash image to replace the Access splash screen and your custom application icon in the same folder as your ACCDB.
   

Access 2010 Disappointment #1: Limited Ribbon Customisation

The much-hyped customisation feature for RibbonBars in Access/Office 2010 is very limited. It allows the user to only add custom tabs to native Ribbons.  You cannot create custom Ribbons in the GUI.

What's Interesting in Access 2010 BETA

These recent posts from Microsoft tech blogs offer some fascinating insights into new features in Access 2010:

• The New Access 2010 Create Ribbon
• Build Navigation UIs with Access 2010
• Access 2010 Services Overview and Install Information
• Access 2010: Publish to SharePoint - Part 1
• Access 2010: Improved Layouts 
• Access 2010: Trusted Databases
• Access 2010 Themes
• Access 2010 Custom Themes
• Access 2010 Data Macros
• Access 2010 Custom Ribbons Made Easy

Office 2010 Public BETA Released

Go to http://www.microsoft.com/2010/en/

Info: http://blogs.technet.com/office2010/archive/2009/11/16/announcing-office-2010-beta-availability.aspx

Access 2010 Applications in the Browser

Office Blogger Dick Moffat who has attended several of Office 2010 developer kitchens recently wrote an interesting post on Access 2010 integration on Sharepoint Server 2010.

His conclusion:

"In the end Access 2010 provides the existing Access developer with a path upwards to the wonderful Browser-based world without giving up any of the capabilities of the Client version of Access.  In effect what we are looking at here is what I would have to call a true “Client-Server” scenario – one that truly puts the processing and the objects always in their proper place to produce the best results – how often have we really seen that?"

Office 2010 Developer Reference Available for Download

For those like me who don't want the hassles associated with installing BETAs but want a heads up on the new features, Microsoft has made available for separate download each of  the Developer Reference files for all Office 2010 client applications.

Use the excellent free H2View to view the extracted HXS files.

Office 2010 Implements User-Interface Ribbon Customization

Office 2010 will support what should have been in Office 2007: user-customization of RibbonBars across all Office client applications, using a paradigm similar to the right-click Customize... command available on CommandBars in pre-Office 2007 versions.  More at the Microsoft Office 2010 Engineering blog.

Latest Access KB Articles

Courtesy of KBAlertz.com:

Access 2003

• 972557 Description of the Access 2003 hotfix package (Msaccess.msp): June 30, 2009
• 957638 MS09-043: Vulnerabilities in Microsoft Office Web Components could allow remote code execution
• 947319 MS09-043: Description of the security update for Office 2003 Web Components and Office XP Web Components in Office 2003: August 11, 2009

Access 2007

• 972558 Performance is slow when you click fields, tab between fields, or scroll down through fields in Datasheet view in Access 2007
• 971859 Description of the Access 2007 hotfix package (Ace.msp): June 30, 2009
• 972347 Description of the Access 2007 hotfix package (Access.msp): June 30, 2009
• 972570 Description of the Access 2007 hotfix package (Access.msp, Mso.msp): June 30, 2009
• 973405 Description of the Access 2007 hotfix package (Access-x-none.msp, Ace-x-none.msp): August 25, 2009
• 973934 Description of the Access 2007 hotfix package (Stslist-x-none.msp): August 25, 2009
• 974995 Description of the Office Access 2007 hotfix package (Ace-x-none.msp, Access-x-none.msp): October 27, 2009