Winter holidays in Suzdal'

Suzdal2004

Forgot how to write connection string?

Here a site http://www.connectionstrings.com/ which reminds you. Plenty of databases there, some of them I never heard! For well-known databases I use the following trick:

• create new file test.udl
• open it, define connection settings
• close it
• open in notepad and copy connection string from there

New browser - Firefox

Firefox is a light and fast browser with nice features that Internet Explorer do not have, free and downloadable from http://www.mozilla.org/products/firefox

AccessD list search

At the site of AccessD list you can also search though it:
http://www.databaseadvisors.com/

Checklist for Testing SharePoint Web Parts

Also useful SharePoint staff:
http://go.microsoft.com/?linkid=1609665

OneNote 2003 Software Development Kit

Time to look at it?
http://go.microsoft.com/?linkid=1609662

People discussing Translator

A site with forum for Translators (people): http://www.proz.com/
Would be good to add a link to MS Access Translator there...

ExamDiff Pro

Usefull utility to check for exact textual matches. This is as good a comparisontool as I've ever seen:
http://www.prestosoft.com/ps.asp?page=edp_examdiffpro

And one more site about SharePoint

Customization kit for SharePoint Products
http://www.sharepointcustomization.com/default.aspx

Blog on SharePoint services

Using Microsoft FrontPage to do amazing things with SharePoint Products and Technologies
http://blogs.msdn.com/frontpoint/

IDE for MSDE

SQLBuddy open source IDE for MSDE/SQL.
http://sqlbuddy.sourceforge.net

AttachDB available for download

Finally it is here: http://www.pointltd.com/Products/Details.asp?dlID=46
AttachDB helps to perform simple administration tasks on SQL Server databases without SQL Server enterprise manager. It also checks that SQL Server has latest service pack installed. Utility can be used with command line arguments in bat files and setup scripts. Supports browsing for file on remote server. What it can do:

• Attach/Detach DB
• Backup/Restore DB and Log
• Run Script
• Shrink DB
  

How to map SQL Server login to DB login

Every time I forget the name of this useful procedure sp_change_users_login. If you moved DB from one server to other, created logins and now have to tell server that new created logins "attached" to corresponding logins in database - then this SP is what you need!

New edition of VBA language reference

Available online and for download:
http://msdn.microsoft.com/office/downloads/vba/default.aspx

Web Services in Office

Here a toolkit which helps to use Web services in Office applications, IMHO - quite useful staff

Produced a first video :-)

Ok, it was a real experience! But I made it finally - a video which shows how to use Translator. The problem was that while recording Access 2003 with Camtasia the last one made something terrible with command button on Translator form, so any reference to it caused Access crash! The only workaround I found - is to record video on old good Access 97, which always works fine.

[Access] How to deploy Outlook security settings using Group Policy

Looks like this article #885682 helps to avoid security prompts in Outlook

[Access] Access on Citrix problem

Recently I got a chance to look at a known problem which occur when people run Access application on Citrix server. Here a problem description:
Access 2003 application, backend on separate server on the same network, people run application locally and with Citrix server. There is a complex form with about 10 subforms on it. When users try to add or edit record in subform sometimes occur a following error #3197:
"The Microsoft Jet database engine stopped the process because you and another user are attempting to change the same data at the same time". Also could occur other error "Not a valid bookmark"
Mostly error occur when Citrix server is heavy loaded. So I got a "feeling" that Citrix somehow reduce or cut Access cache or buffer it users to read records, and Access produce such error. After playing with different Jet setting I found that setting DBEngine MaxBufferSize option to 10000 eliminate mentioned error. Actually 10000 is empirical value, if we find some more precise value - I will publish it here.
And few more settings which could help Access to work smoother on Citrix:

• open frontend in exclusive mode
• turn off record-level locking
• move workgroup file to local disk
• use less subfoms, load subforms on demand

If you have any comments on this - please let me know

[Alex] How to stop evil

"The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing".
Edmun Burke

[Access] Clientcopia

A nice site with collection of stories about stupid customers: http://www.clientcopia.com/
Have fun!

[Alex] Found Valka!

Recently I got in touch with old colleague, Valka Kulikov
He still in London, have a daughter and driving motorcycle!

[Access] Report Grouping sample

Several times I saw this question - how to change grouping at runtime. Here I made a same to show the technique: http://www.pointltd.com/Downloads/Details.asp?dlID=45
HTH!

SMS Messaging provider

I found that Clickatell SMS services could be useful in case we need to send SMS from some application. You can send SMS using a wide range of interfaces provided, also using standalone applications. Unfortunately - prices are not so cheap as we want...