- Copyright
- About the Author
- Acknowledgments
- Tell Us What You Think!
- Introduction
- I. The Basics of Access Development
- 1. Access as a Development Tool
- Why This Chapter Is Important
- What Types of Applications Can You Develop in Access?
- Access as a Development Platform for Personal Applications
- Access as a Development Platform for Small-Business Applications
- Access as a Development Platform for Departmental Applications
- Access as a Development Platform for Corporation-Wide Applications
- Access as a Development Platform for Enterprise-Wide Client/Server Applications
- Access as a Development Platform for Intranet/Internet Applications
- Access as a Scalable Product
- What Exactly Is a Database?
- Getting to Know the Database Objects
- Tables: A Repository for Your Data
- Queries: Stored Questions or Actions to Be Applied to Your Data
- Forms: A Means of Displaying, Modifying, and Adding Data
- Reports: Turning Data into Information
- Data Access Pages: Forms Viewed in a Browser
- Macros: A Means of Automating Your System
- Modules: The Foundation to the Application Development Process
- Object Naming Conventions
- Hardware Requirements
- How Do I Get Started Developing an Access Application?
- What’s New in Access 2002
- Summary
- 2. What Every Developer Needs to Know About Tables
- Why This Chapter Is Important
- Building a New Table
- Selecting the Appropriate Field Type for Your Data
- Text Fields: The Most Common Field Type
- Memo Fields: For Those Long Notes and Comments
- Number Fields: For When You Need to Calculate
- Date/Time Fields: Tracking When Things Happened
- Currency Fields: Storing Money
- AutoNumber Fields: For Unique Record Identifiers
- Yes/No Fields: When One of Two Answers Is Correct
- OLE Object Fields: The Place to Store Just About Anything
- Hyperlink Fields: Your Link to the Internet
- Working with Field Properties
- Field Size: Limiting What’s Entered into a Field
- Format: Determining How Data Is Displayed
- Input Mask: Determining What Data Goes into a Field
- Caption: A Great Timesaver
- Default Value: Saving Data-Entry Time
- Validation Rule: Controlling What’s Entered in a Field
- Validation Text: Providing Error Messages to the User
- Required: Making the User Enter a Value
- Allow Zero Length: Accommodating Situations with Nonexistent Data
- Indexes: Speeding Up Searches
- Unicode Compression
- The All-Important Primary Key
- Working with the Lookup Feature
- Working with Table Properties
- Using Indexes to Improve Performance
- Access Tables and the Internet
- Working with PivotTable and PivotChart Views
- Summary
- 3. Relationships: Your Key to Data Integrity
- Why This Chapter Is Important
- Introduction to Relational Database Design
- Establishing Relationships in Access
- Establishing Referential Integrity
- Looking at the Benefits of Relationships
- Examining Indexes and Relationships
- Summary
- 4. What Every Developer Needs to Know About Query Basics
- Why This Chapter Is Important?
- What Is a Query, and When Should You Use One?
- Everything You Need to Know About Query Basics
- Ordering Your Query Result
- Refining Your Query with Criteria
- Working with Dates in Criteria
- Understanding How Query Results Can Be Updated
- Building Queries Based on Multiple Tables
- Creating Calculated Fields
- Getting Help from the Expression Builder
- Summarizing Data with Totals Queries
- Excluding Fields from the Output
- Nulls and Query Results
- Refining Your Queries with Field, Field List, and Query Properties
- Building Parameter Queries When You Don’t Know the Criteria at Design Time
- Summary
- 5. What Every Developer Needs to Know About Forms
- Why This Chapter Is Important
- Uses of Forms
- Anatomy of a Form
- Creating a New Form
- Working with the Form Design Window
- Selecting the Correct Control for the Job
- Control Morphing
- Conditional Formatting
- What Form Properties Are Available, and Why Should You Use Them?
- What Control Properties Are Available, and Why Use Them?
- Bound, Unbound, and Calculated Controls
- Using Expressions to Enhance Your Forms
- The Command Button Wizards: Programming Without Typing
- Building Forms Based on More Than One Table
- Basing Forms on Queries: The Why and How
- Access Forms and the Internet
- Summary
- 6. What Every Developer Needs to Know About Reports
- Why This Chapter Is Important
- Types of Reports Available
- Anatomy of a Report
- Creating a New Report
- Working with the Report Design Window
- Selecting the Correct Control for the Job
- What Report Properties Are Available and Why Use Them
- What Control Properties Are Available and Why Use Them
- Inserting Page Breaks
- Unbound, Bound, and Calculated Controls
- Using Expressions to Enhance Your Reports
- Building Reports Based on More Than One Table
- Working with Sorting and Grouping
- Improving Performance and Reusability by Basing Reports on Stored Queries or Embedded SQL Statements
- Access Reports and the Internet
- Summary
- 7. VBA: An Introduction
- Why This Chapter Is Important
- VBA Explained
- What Are Access Class Modules, Standard Modules, Form Modules, and Report Modules?
- Working with Variables
- Adding Comments to Your Code
- Using the Line Continuation Character
- Using the VBA Control Structures
- Passing Parameters and Returning Values
- Executing Procedures from the Module Window
- The DoCmd Object: Performing Macro Actions
- Working with Built-In Functions
- Working with Constants
- Tools for Working in the Visual Basic Editor
- Customizing the VBE
- Summary
- 8. Objects, Properties, Methods, and Events Explained
- Why This Chapter Is Important
- Understanding Objects, Properties, Events, and Methods
- Using the Object Browser to Learn About Access’s Objects
- Referring to Objects
- Properties and Methods Made Easy
- Declaring and Assigning Object Variables
- Understanding the Differences Between Objects and Collections
- Passing Objects to Subroutines and Functions
- Determining the Type of a Control
- Special Properties That Refer to Objects
- Understanding Access’s Object Model
- New Access 2002 Properties
- Summary
- 9. Advanced Form Techniques
- Why This Chapter Is Important
- What Are the Form Events, and When Do You Use Them?
- Current
- BeforeInsert
- AfterInsert
- BeforeUpdate
- AfterUpdate
- Dirty
- Undo
- Delete
- BeforeDelConfirm
- AfterDelConfirm
- Open
- Load
- Resize
- Unload
- Close
- Activate
- Deactivate
- GotFocus
- LostFocus
- Click
- DblClick
- MouseDown
- MouseMove
- MouseUp
- KeyDown
- KeyUp
- KeyPress
- Error
- Filter
- ApplyFilter
- Timer
- Understanding the Sequence of Form Events
- What Are the Section and Control Events, and When Do You Use Them?
- Referring to Me
- What Types of Forms Can I Create, and When Are They Appropriate?
- Single Forms: Viewing One Record at a Time
- Continuous Forms: View Multiple Records at a Time
- Multipage Forms: When Everything Doesn’t Fit on One Screen
- Tabbed Forms: Conserving Screen Real Estate
- Switchboard Forms: Controlling Your Application
- Splash Screen Forms: A Professional Opening to Your Application
- Dialog Forms: Gathering Information
- Using Built-In Dialog Boxes
- Adding Custom Menus, Toolbars, and Shortcut Menus to Your Forms
- Taking Advantage of Built-In, Form-Filtering Features
- Including Objects from Other Applications: Linking Versus Embedding
- OpenArgs
- Switching a Form’s RecordSource
- Power Combo Box and List Box Techniques
- Power Subform Techniques
- Synchronizing a Form with Its Underlying Recordset
- Creating Custom Properties and Methods
- Summary
- 10. Advanced Report Techniques
- Why This Chapter Is Important
- Events Available for Reports, and When to Use Them
- Order of Events for Reports
- Events Available for Report Sections, and When to Use Them
- Programmatically Manipulating Report Sections
- Special Report Properties
- Controlling the Printer
- Practical Applications of Report Events and Properties
- Changing a Report’s RecordSource
- Working with Report Filters
- Working with the Report Sort Order
- Using the Same Report to Display Summary, Detail, or Both
- Numbering Report Items
- Printing Multiple Labels
- Determining Where a Label Prints
- Building a Report from a Crosstab Query
- Printing the First and Last Page Entries in the Page Header
- Creating a Multifact Crosstab Report
- Summary
- 11. Advanced Query Techniques
- Why This Chapter Is Important
- Action Queries
- Special Query Properties
- Optimizing Queries
- Crosstab Queries
- Outer Joins
- Self Joins
- Understanding SQL
- Union Queries
- Pass-Through Queries
- The Propagation of Nulls and Query Results
- Subqueries
- Using SQL to Update Data
- Using SQL for Data Definition
- Using the Result of a Function as the Criteria for a Query
- Passing Parameter Query Values from a Form
- Jet 4.0 ANSI-92 Extensions
- Summary
- 12. Advanced VBA Techniques
- Why This Chapter Is Important
- What Are User-Defined Types, and Why Would You Use Them?
- Working with Constants
- Working with Arrays
- Advanced Function Techniques
- Working with Empty and Null
- Creating and Working with Custom Collections
- Low-Level File Handling
- Understanding and Effectively Using Compilation Options
- Importing and Exporting Code Modules
- Working with Project Properties
- Summary
- 13. Exploiting the Power of Class Modules
- Exploring the Benefits of Class Modules
- Object Orientation—An Introduction
- Creating and Using a Class Module
- Creating Multiple Class Instances
- The Initialize and Terminate Events
- Working with Enumerated Types
- Building Hierarchies of Classes
- Adding a Parent Property to Classes
- The Implements Keyword
- Working with Custom Collections
- Adding Your Own Events
- Summary
- 14. What Are ActiveX Data Objects and Data Access Objects, and Why Are They Important?
- Why This Chapter Is Important
- Using ActiveX Data Objects Versus Data Access Objects
- Examining the ActiveX Data Object Model
- Understanding ADO Recordset Types
- Working with ADO Recordset Properties and Methods
- Examining Record-Movement Methods
- Detecting the Limits of a Recordset
- Counting the Number of Records in a Recordset
- Sorting, Filtering, and Finding Records
- Using the AbsolutePosition Property
- Using the Bookmark Property
- Running Parameter Queries
- Refreshing Recordset Data
- Working with Persisting Recordsets
- Modifying Table Data Using ADO Code
- Creating and Modifying Database Objects Using ADO Code
- Examining the Data Access Object Model
- Getting to Know DBEngine
- Using CurrentDB()
- Understanding DAO Recordset Types
- Selecting Among the Types of DAO Recordset Objects Available
- Working with DAO Recordset Properties and Methods
- Creating a Recordset Variable
- Using Arguments to Open a Recordset
- Examining Record-Movement Methods
- Detecting the Limits of a Recordset
- Counting the Number of Records in a Recordset
- Sorting, Filtering, and Finding Records
- Using the AbsolutePosition Property
- Using the Bookmark Property
- Using the RecordsetClone Property
- Running Parameter Queries
- Modifying Table Data Using DAO Code
- Creating and Modifying Database Objects Using DAO Code
- Using the DAO Containers Collection
- Summary
- 1. Access as a Development Tool
- II. What to Do When Things Don’t Go As Planned
- 15. Debugging: Your Key to Successful Development
- Why This Chapter Is Important
- Avoiding Bugs
- Harnessing the Power of the Immediate Window
- Invoking the Debugger
- Using Breakpoints to Troubleshoot
- Stepping Through Code
- Setting the Next Statement to Execute
- Using the Calls Window
- Working with the Locals Window
- Working with Watch Expressions
- Continuing Execution After a Runtime Error
- Looking At Gotchas with the Immediate Window
- Using Assertions
- Debugging Tips
- Summary
- 16. Error Handling: Preparing for the Inevitable
- Why This Chapter Is Important
- Implementing Error Handling
- Using On Error Statements
- Using Resume Statements
- Clearing an Error
- Examining the Cascading Error Effect
- Using the Err Object
- Raising an Error
- Using the Errors Collection
- Creating a Generic Error Handler
- Preventing Your Own Error Handling from Being Invoked
- Creating a Call Stack
- Building a Custom Error Handler Class
- Working with Error Events
- Creating a List of Error Codes and Descriptions
- Summary
- 17. Optimizing Your Application
- Why This Chapter Is Important
- Introducing Optimization
- Modifying Hardware and Software Configurations
- What Jet 3.5 Did to Improve Performance
- Understanding What Jet 4.0 Does to Improve Performance
- Letting the Performance Analyzer Determine Problem Areas
- Designing Tables to Optimize Performance
- Designing Queries to Optimize Performance
- Making Coding Changes to Improve Performance
- Eliminate Variants and Use the Smallest Data Type Possible
- Use Specific Object Types
- Use Inline Code
- Toggle Booleans Using Not
- Use the Built-In Collections
- Use the Len Function
- Use True and False Instead of 0
- Use Transactions...Sometimes?
- Eliminate Unused Dim and Declare Statements
- Eliminate Unused Code
- Use Variables to Refer to Properties, Controls, and Data Access Objects
- Use With...End With
- Resolve Variable Outside a Loop
- Use the Me Keyword
- Use String Functions When VBA Provides a Variant and String Alternative
- Use Dynamic Arrays
- Use Constants When They Are Available
- Use Bookmarks
- Set Object Variables Equal to Nothing
- Use Action Queries Instead of Looping Through Recordsets
- Deliver Your Application with the Modules Compiled
- Retaining the Compiled State
- Distribute Your Application as an MDE
- Organize Your Modules
- Designing Forms and Reports to Improve Performance
- Summary
- 15. Debugging: Your Key to Successful Development
- III. Developing Multiuser and Enterprise Applications
- 18. A Strategy to Developing Access Applications
- Why This Chapter Is Important
- Splitting Databases into Tables and Other Objects
- Basing Forms and Reports on Queries or Embedded SQL Statements
- Understanding the Access Runtime Engine
- Using an EXE Versus Access Database: What It Means to You
- Understanding the Importance of Securing Your Database
- Using Access as a Front End
- Summary
- 19. Using External Data
- Why This Chapter Is Important
- Importing, Linking, and Opening Files: When and Why
- Importing External Data
- Creating a Link to External Data
- Opening an External Table
- Understanding Windows Registry Settings
- Using the Jet OLEDB:Link Provider String
- Working with Passwords
- Refreshing and Removing Links
- Looking at Special Considerations
- Troubleshooting
- Looking at Performance Considerations and Links
- Working with HTML Documents
- Summary
- 20. Developing Multiuser and Enterprise Applications
- Why This Chapter Is Important
- Designing Your Application with Multiuser Issues in Mind
- Understanding Access’s Locking Mechanisms
- Understanding the Client/Server Model
- Deciding Whether to Use the Client/Server Model
- The Roles Access Plays in the Application Design Model
- The Front End and Back End as Access MDB Files
- The Front End as an MDB File Using Links to Communicate to a Back End
- The Front End Using SQL Pass-Through to Communicate to a Back End
- The Front End Executing Procedures Stored on a Back End
- The Front End as a Microsoft Access Data Project Communicating Directly to a Back End
- Learning the Client/Server Buzzwords
- Upsizing: What to Worry About
- Proactively Preparing for Upsizing
- Introduction to Transaction Processing
- Understanding the Benefits of Transaction Processing
- Modifying the Default Behavior of Transaction Processing
- Implementing Explicit Transaction Processing
- Introduction to Replication
- Uses of Replication
- Understanding When Replication Isn’t Appropriate
- Understanding the Implementation of Replication
- Summary
- 18. A Strategy to Developing Access Applications
- IV. Black-Belt Programming
- 21. Using ActiveX Controls
- Why This Chapter Is Important
- Incorporating ActiveX Controls in Access 2002
- Setting Properties of an ActiveX Control at Design Time
- Coding Events of an ActiveX Control
- Using the Calendar Control
- Using the UpDown Control
- Using the StatusBar Control
- Using the Common Dialog Control
- Using the Rich Textbox Control
- Using the TabStrip Control
- Using the ImageList Control
- Licensing and Distribution Issues
- Summary
- 22. Automation: Communicating with Other Applications
- Why This Chapter Is Important
- Defining Some Automation Terms
- Declaring an Object Variable to Reference Your Application
- Creating an Automation Object
- Manipulating an Automation Object
- Early Binding Versus Late Binding
- Controlling Excel from Access
- Closing an Excel Automation Object
- Creating a Graph from Access
- Controlling Word from Access
- Controlling PowerPoint from Access
- Automating Outlook from Access
- Controlling Access from Other Applications
- Summary
- 23. Exploiting the Power of the Windows API
- Why This Chapter Is Important
- Declaring an External Function to the Compiler
- Working with Constants and Types
- Calling DLL Functions: Important Issues
- Examining the Differences Between 16-Bit and 32-Bit APIs
- Using API Functions
- Manipulating the Windows Registry
- Getting Information About the Operating Environment
- Determining Drive Types and Available Drive Space
- Summary
- 24. Creating Your Own Libraries
- 25. Using Builders, Wizards, and Menu Add-Ins
- 26. An Introduction to Access and the Internet/Intranet
- Why This Chapter Is Important
- Saving Database Objects as HTML
- Linking to HTML Files
- Importing HTML Files
- Understanding Data Access Pages
- Creating Data Access Pages
- Modifying Important Properties of a Data Access Page
- Modifying the Record Navigation Control Properties
- Creating Grouped Data Access Pages
- Augmenting Data Access Pages with VBScript
- Summary
- 21. Using ActiveX Controls
- V. Adding Polish to Your Application
- 27. Database Security Made Easy
- Why This Chapter Is Important
- Implementing Share-Level Security: Establishing a Database Password
- Encrypting a Database
- Establishing User-Level Security
- Step 1: Creating a Workgroup
- Step 2: Changing the Password for the Admin User
- Step 3: Creating an Administrative User
- Step 4: Making the Administrative User a Member of the Admins Group
- Step 5: Exiting Access and Logging On as the System Administrator
- Step 6: Removing the Admin User from the Admins Group
- Step 7: Assigning a Password to the System Administrator
- Step 8: Opening the Database You Want to Secure
- Step 9: Running the Security Wizard
- Step 10: Creating Users and Groups
- Step 11: Assigning Rights to Users and Groups
- Securing VBA Code with a Password
- Providing an Additional Level of Security: Creating an MDE
- Securing a Database Without Requiring Users to Log On
- Looking at Special Issues
- Summary
- 28. Advanced Security Techniques
- Why This Chapter Is Important
- Maintaining Groups Using Code
- Using Code to Maintain Users
- Listing All Groups and Users
- Working with Passwords
- Assigning and Revoking Permissions to Objects Using Code
- Encrypting a Database Using Code
- Accomplishing Field-Level Security Using Queries
- Prohibiting Users and Groups from Creating Objects
- Accomplishing Prohibited Tasks by Logging On as a Different User
- Securing Client/Server Applications
- Security and Replication
- Implementing Security with SQL
- DAO and Security
- Choosing Between ADOX, SQL, and DAO
- Summary
- 29. Documenting Your Application
- 30. Maintaining Your Application
- 31. Third-Party Tools That Can Help You to Get Your Job Done Effectively
- Why This Chapter Is Important
- Total Access CodeTools
- Total Access Analyzer
- Total Visual Agent
- Total Access Components
- Total Access Statistics
- Total Access Detective
- Total Visual SourceBook
- Total Access Memo
- Solutions::Explorer
- Component Toolbox OCX
- Solutions::Schedule
- Solutions::PIM Professional
- Summary
- 32. Distributing Your Application
- Why This Chapter Is Important
- Introducing the Packaging Wizard
- Loading the Packaging Wizard Add-In
- Distributing Your Application to Run with a Full Copy of Access
- Using Full Versions Versus Runtime Versions of Access
- Preparing Your Database for Use with the Access Runtime Version
- Creating the Application
- Adding Custom Help to the Application
- Testing and Debugging the Application
- Running and Testing the Application with the /Runtime Command-Line Switch
- Running the Packaging Wizard
- Identifying Application and Package Information
- Supplying Application Information
- List of Files to Search for Dependency Information
- Inclusion of the Runtime
- Modifying Installation Locations
- Inclusion of Database Components
- Selecting Start Menu Items to be Created
- Choosing a File to Run When the Installation Is Complete
- The Final Step
- Deploying the Application
- Distributing the Application
- Looking at Other Issues
- Summary
- 27. Database Security Made Easy
- VI. Appendixes
- A. Table Structures
- The tblClients Table
- The tblClientAddresses Table
- The tblAddressTypes Table
- The tblClientPhones Table
- The tblPhoneTypes Table
- The tblCorrespondence Table
- The tblCorrespondenceTypes Table
- The tblTerms Table
- The tblContactTypes Table
- The tblCompanyInfo Table
- The tblEmployees Table
- The tblErrorLog Table
- The tblErrors Table
- The tblExpenseCodes Tables
- The tblPaymentMethods Table
- The tblPayments Table
- The tblProjects Table
- The tblTimCardExpenses Table
- The tblTimeCardHours Table
- The tblTimeCards Table
- The tblWorkCodes Table
- B. Naming Conventions
- A. Table Structures
Alison Balter’s Mastering Microsoft® Access 2002 Desktop Development
Copyright © 2002 by Sams Publishing
All rights reserved. No part of this book shall be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without written permission from the publisher. No patent liability is assumed with respect to the use of the information contained herein. Although every precaution has been taken in the preparation of this book, the publisher and author assume no responsibility for errors or omissions. Neither is any liability assumed for damages resulting from the use of the information contained herein.
Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 00-109716
Printed in the United States of America
First Printing: August 2001
03 02 01 4 3 2 1
EXECUTIVE EDITORRosemarie GrahamMANAGING EDITORCharlotte ClappPROJECT EDITORCarol BowersCOPY EDITORMary Ellen StephensonINDEXERTom DinsePROOFREADERLinda SeifertTECHNICAL EDITORSJon PriceChris ThibodeauxTEAM COORDINATORLynne WilliamsMEDIA DEVELOPERDan ScherfINTERIOR DESIGNAnne JonesCOVER DESIGNAren Howell
Trademarks
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Microsoft® is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation.
Warning and Disclaimer
Every effort has been made to make this book as complete and as accurate as possible, but no warranty or fitness is implied. The information provided is on an “as is” basis. The author and the publisher shall have neither liability or responsibility to any person or entity with respect to any loss or damages arising from the information contained in this book or from the use of the CD or programs accompanying it.
I dedicate this book to my husband Dan, my daughter Alexis, my son Brendan, my parents Charlotte and Bob, and to my real father, Herman. Dan, you are my partner in life and the wind beneath my wings. You are a true partner in every sense of the word. I am so lucky to be traveling the path of life with such a spectacular person. Alexis, you are the sweet little girl that I always dreamed of. You are everything that I could have ever wanted and so very much more. You make every one of my days a happy one! Brendan, you are the one that keeps me on my toes. There is never a dull moment with you around. I wish I had just a small portion of your energy. I thank you for the endless laughter that you bring to our family, and for reminding me about all of the important things in life. Mom and Dad, without all that you do to help out with life’s chores, the completion of this book could never have been possible. Words cannot express my gratitude!
To my real father, Herman, I credit my ability to soar in such a technical field to you. I hope that I inherited just a small part of your intelligence, wit, and fortitude. I am sorry that you did not live to see this accomplishment. I hope that you can see my work and that you are proud of it. I also hope that in some way you share in the joy that Dan, Alexis, and Brendan bring to me. More than anyone else, I dedicate this book to you.
Finally, I want to thank God for giving me the gift of gab, a wonderful career, an incredible husband, two beautiful children, and an awesome life. Through your grace, I am truly blessed.
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