VBA zine

[matrixindicator]

Almost everyone doing something with VBA Access or Access has at least one or more access books.

Is there known a good magazine which subject is about VBA (in general or specific for Access), that eventually can be ordered online ?

 

[gwinn7]

I don't agree with your assertion.

However, to answer your question, there are magazines that cover VBA/Access programming. I would do a Google search for those and subscribe to techie web sites that cover VBA/Access.

Back to your assertion...

There are a lot of database and programmer people that do not use VBA or Access. There are a number of alternatives for databases and programming languages for automation etc.

My advice, if you are in a position to do so, is to avoid Access and VBA altogether. Instead, embrace languages that are far more beneficial like C#, Ruby, PHP, or VB.NET. As for databases, you should look at SQL Server, PostgreSQL, Oracle, etc.

I have been a programming VBA and Access for about 8 years and I have moved on to other languages like PL, PHP, Javascript, VBScript (for automating servers only), and C#.

Gary
gwinn7

 

[PWise]

Gary:
I think you missed A couple of words in Mart;s Post

Almost everyone doing something with VBA Access or Access has at least one or more access books.

I for one have been doing Access and VBA for about 10 years I dont have any books just the F1 for what it is worth and of course tek-tips

 

[JoeAtWork]

gwinn7 - you are putting words into the OP's mouth.

However, I do agree with you that if at all possible there are more rugged database/interface solutions to chose from.

Regarding the original question, VBA's days are numbered, so I don't think there's much reason to "keep current" with new developments - there aren't any. Everything useful to know about VBA is already out there, somewhere. You are probably better off just searching on the topics that will solve your particular challenges.

For a reference book, the "Access Developer's Handbook" is still the definitive reference, in my opinion.

 

[boblarson]

I totally disagree with the statement "avoid Access and VBA altogether." I have 11 years of experience with Accessand am currently working with a company that would knock your socks off with what we do with Access. Even Microsoft has stated directly to our President of our company that there is NOBODY out there doing what we're doing with it.

As for VBA's days being numbered - don't count on it yet. It isn't dead in Office 12 and it isn't dead in Office 14 (the next version out). It is still going to be around for quite a while so for Office integration it will be important to know and use.

As for moving on to "other programs" Access and VBA has always suffered from people thinking it a second class tool when in reality it is a very powerful and simple tool to use. In fact, so simple that its simplicity could actually be a detriment. The fact that the simple user can use it, and also powerful programmers, makes it easy to create chaos and a nightmare for support. But, if left in the hands of competent programmers, it can be a very good rapid application development tool, and can pretty much beat (in time to pull together a database tool with reporting) other programming tools. And, it makes a good frontend for upsized databases, without having to code for many of the things that the so-called "big tools" have to code for.

So, I can see by the posts here that there is still the anti-Access bias that exists and that will probably always exist.

Bob Larson
Access World Forums Super Moderator
Utter Access VIP
Access Developer


Bob Larson
A2K,A2K3,A2K7,SQL Server 2000/2005,Crystal Reports 10/XI,VB6, WinXP, and Vista
Free Quick Tutorials and Samples:

http://www.btabdevelopment.com

 

[matrixindicator]

Disagree or agree, opinions are never de same.

Access has his place between other programming languages or databases. For some applications we don't need an oracle tool or sql server. You don't hire a truck to deliver a small parcel.

Second, enormeously many things can be done with access, but unexperienced users (far the most) with little knowledge are using the program far beneat his possibilities and they are doing a lot of manual tasks which could be perfectly automated within access.

Ones I created a programme in access for a small company. It reduced tree days of manual labor to one hour for a monthly recurrent tasks. Isn't that an example of the value of Access ?

 

[matrixindicator]

Bob,

I read ones again your post. I couldn't say it better.

For those whou believe that Access and VBA should die, thats possible but certainly not tomorrow. The programme is even of an increasing value. I bought the access 2007 book and vba. eg. Access is recommanded as the instrument to put your letters in and eventually export them later with vba to word.

There is one things in access that I consider as a pain in the ass. His limited size (2 GB). I know you can solve with a back end of Sql Server. But thats a little bit more complicated to work with.

 

[boblarson]

Isn't that an example of the value of Access ?"

Yes, it is!


Bob Larson
A2K,A2K3,A2K7,SQL Server 2000/2005,Crystal Reports 10/XI,VB6, WinXP, and Vista
Free Quick Tutorials and Samples:

http://www.btabdevelopment.com

 

[gwinn7]

Great responses!

We agree to disagree. I don't think Access should die. There are certainly pros to it, but in my opinion, there are far better solutions.

May be I read the originating post wrong and I am sorry if I did.

Thanks again,
Gary
gwinn7

 

[JoeAtWork]

Access shouldn't die as it fills a gap between the database-a-la-Excel users and the professional programmers. However, I maintain my position that if there is a possibility of using a more robust platform then that's what you should use.

Bob, what's your reasons for choosing Access? Your post would imply it's because you can build your applications faster. Fair enough, I conceed if your single most important requirement is how fast you can get a working prototype up and running, Access is still the fastest tool that I know of (although that may mostly be due to the fact that I have yet to learn the full capabilities of the Visual Studio environment).

Personally, I have other requirements that come before how fast my prototype is running:

1. Robustness
-------------
Do I even have to debate the fact that a compiled EXE will never throw up the spontaneous bugs that occur from time to time in an Access front-end (the type that are "fixed" by a Compact & Repair or a Recompile).
I won't even go into the perils of using a backend MDB database - suffice it to say I have never seen an SQL Server database drop entire tables under normal operation.

2. Scaleability
----------------
Those "many things that the so-called "big tools" have to code for" that you refer to is likely the extra code needed to make a scaleable architecture. Dividing an application into UI, Business Logic, and Data layers does take more time. Of course, once you are done you have a very flexible, easy to maintain code base.

What happens when your clients want to take your Access application and apply it to the Web? How much of your code will you be able to reuse? Considering how tightly coupled the UI of most Access applications are to the business logic, I would answer very little if any.

However, if I made a proper n-tier architecture with one of the "big-tools", the only new code I have to write is for the UI. That means I can reuse roughly 70% - 80% of my code as is.

Those are my basic arguments against using Access for serious business applications. I don't think that makes me "anti-Access", any more than if I say don't use Excel spreadsheets as a database makes me "anti-Excel".