SQL Server/MSDE 2000 will not run on Vista

Microsoft Windows Server "Longhorn" and Microsoft Windows Vista will only support the follow on release to SQL Server 2005 Service Pack 1 (SP1) or later. That means you can not run Access 2003 ADP applications on Vista, as Access 2003 ADP works only with SQL server 2000. On other hand Access 2003 MDB with linked tables works with SQL Server 2005. So, one more reason to stop using ADP?

via Access Extra

Find as you type

Find as you type - utility (actually a module, which you copy to your MDB and “attach” to your forms) finds matching records with each keystroke you type by Allen Browne, Access MVP. I am also using similar approach in my applications, but with 2 differences:

• I look through all fields, so whatever user types - phone, city, email - he finds something
• I use timer event to start search, and search runs after user finished typing a string. on form open timer interval is set to 0, in change event I set it to 500, so once user did not press a key within .5 sec - form get filtered.

I mostly use it for applications with SQL Server linked tables, and perhaps Allen approach is best for Jet databases, will certainly try it in some application. Well done, Allen!

How to hide Access Main window

Sometimes people ask – how to hide Access main window, the one with Access key icon and “Microsoft Access” title? I never made such design, but here a code to do so: Hide The Access Window. The trick is to make all forms popup and send

ShowWindow(Application.hWndAccessApp, SW_HIDE)

each time you open the form or report.

News on Access MDE to MDB conversion

Sometimes I get emails as response to my blog post Access MDE to MDB Conversion Service. Generally people ask – does encryption and User Level Security (ULS) help to better protect from MDE recovery? Encryption, most of all, protects database file from viewing data in text editor, and it is not very strong. ULS is very weak in Jet databases, I remember in Access 2.0 times it was enough to run a small Access Basic function to get rid of ULS. And now you can download several (one I know for sure, because I used it once) utilities to unlock ULS.

But I just wondered – how this works with MDE recovery? I have asked iTech Masters and got following answers:

• Encryption is fully reversible
• ULS is a flimsy security 'layer' of JET. If you don't use JET to access the database then it is irrelevant and easily bypassed

That means that they don’t care about both. And both do not help to better protect your MDE.

Still want a better protection? The only way I see – is to use MDE Source Code Protector or Total Visual CodeTools.

BTW, iTech Masters has recently released MDE Unlocker v2.00 for Microsoft® Access, which helps you to make changes to your MDE file without having to rewrite your VBA code. Access 2003 SP2 now supported. But not Access 97! So if you still working in Access97 – you have a better chance to protect your MDB! :-)

Roger’s Access Library

Roger Carlson, Access MVP, collected compendium of Access routines - Roger’s Access Library - great resource, lot of useful staff for beginners and advanced developers. Furthermore you can find other developers libraries (and submit your own), tutorials and link to other Access sites.

New Access Junkie site

Jeff Conrad, Access MVP, just launched a brand new site AccessJunkie.com! Site mainly focused on Access 2007 and list links to MSDN articles, blogs, forums, etc on Access 2007.

Well done, Jeff!

One more Access downloads page

One more great resource for Access developers from new Access MVP Armen Stein: J Street Developer Downloads.

Some interesting staff to outline:

The Best of Both Worlds - Access MDBs and SQL Server – an excellent PowerPoint presentation, covering all aspects Access-SQL Server applications (mdb with linked tables)

Converting Flat Files into a Relational Access Database - PowerPoint presentation shows how to tackle the problem of converting old "flat" data (from Excel, text or wherever) to your relational Access tables. Includes a sample database showing the techniques mentioned in the slides

User Interface Guidelines – Microsoft Word document discusses approach to designing consistent, professional-looking forms.

Access 97 Tame Patch

As all we know – Access 97 appears in windows Task Manager as a process, which consumes 100% CPU, Knowledge Base article gives us some light why this happens. This is not a problem in most cases, as it easy gives away CPU power to any other process when necessary. Then only issue with CPU Fan – it also works at 100% speed.

Mario Hobert has built a patch for Access 97 which addresses this issue. More details on German download page. But not sure it is necessary to install this patch, unless you have problems with CPU fan, and have trouble hearing it noise. Who know – how it could affect Access?

Correct syntax to import DBF file

It is not so easy to find correct syntax to import DBF files. According to Access help one can write:
DoCmd.TransferDatabase acImport, "dBase 5.0", "C:\MyDir\MyFile.dbf"
But it will file with error 3044 “'C:\MyDir\MyFile.dbf' is not a valid path.  Make sure that the path name is spelled correctly and that you are connected to the server on which the file resides.”
Correct syntax is:
DoCmd.TransferDatabase acImport, "dBase 5.0", "C:\MyDir", acTable, "MyFile", "MyFile"
Please note that there is no need to add .dbf extension in source argument!

Customizing Office 2007 Ribbon

One more MSDN blog for Office 2007 developers - frice's WebLog on Customizing the Office 2007 Ribbon UI. Command bars in Office 2007 were replaced with Ribbon – menu-and-toolbars-all-in-one, and Frank Rice showing different ways to customize Ribbon – XML, VB6, Visual Studio .NET 2005.