Microsoft Access Developer and VBA Programming Help Center

Resources for Becoming a Better Microsoft Access Developer and Programmer

Here are some of our resources to help you better understand and use Microsoft Access during design, development, deployment, and maintenance.

Strategically Using Microsoft Access

Not sure when to use Microsoft Access? Wonder how Microsoft Access should fit in your organization? Here are a few resources to help you understand, justify, and position Microsoft Access to maximize its value:

• Database Evolution: Microsoft Access within an Organization's Database Strategy
• Microsoft Access versus Microsoft Excel for Data Analysis and Reporting (Spreadsheets vs. Databases)
• Microsoft Access Is Underrated: Your Hatred Of Microsoft Access Is Largely Unjustified (published on Enterprise Features)
• How many Microsoft Access users can it support?
• History: Our Front-Row Experience Watching Microsoft Access Dominate the Windows Desktop Database Market

Best Practices

• 100+ Microsoft Access Performance Tips to Speed Up Access Databases
• Microsoft Access Best Practices revealed by Total Access Analyzer

Table Design

• Microsoft Access Tables, Primary Key Tips and Techniques
• Verifying Consistent Definitions of Identically Named Fields Across Microsoft Access Tables
• Microsoft Access and SQL Server Database Normalization Tips
• Microsoft Access Database Architecture: Taking Time into Account and Shadow Tables
• Microsoft Access Database Architecture: Temporary Data and User Settings
• Transposing Data in Microsoft Access Tables
• Microsoft Access Split Database Design to Improve Performance and Maintainability (front end and back end databases)
• Creating an AutoNumber Field Starting with a Number Greater than 1 in Microsoft Access
• Avoid Unnecessary or Duplicate Indexes with the AutoIndex Setting for Microsoft Access Tables

Query Design

• Visit our Microsoft Access Query Help Center

Form Design

• Microsoft Access Form Tips and Avoiding Common Mistakes
• Using Form Navigation Caption in Microsoft Access 2010 and 2007
• Creating Cascading Combo Boxes and List Boxes on Microsoft Access Forms
• Using a RecordsetClone with Microsoft Access Subforms
• Synchronize Two Related Subforms on a Microsoft Access Form
• Late Bind Subforms on Tab Controls in Microsoft Access Forms
• Microsoft Access Subforms Should Reference the Control Rather than Field for Master Link Fields
• Reference Tab Pages by its PageIndex Rather than Tab Value on Microsoft Access Forms

Combo Boxes and List Boxes

• Top 5 Combo Box Tips and Techniques
• Tips and Techniques for Setting and Validating Microsoft Access Combo Box Properties
• Selecting the First Item in the ComboBox or ListBox on Your Microsoft Access Form
• Creating Cascading Combo Boxes and List Boxes on Microsoft Access Forms
• Zip Code Entry and Auto-Fill City and State Names on Microsoft Access Forms

Report Design

• Easily Suppress Page Headers and Footers on the First Page of Your Microsoft Access Report
• Add the NoData Event to Microsoft Access Reports
• Creating an Annual 12 Month Summary Report without VBA Code by Creatively Using a Microsoft Access Crosstab Query

Setting Up Your Microsoft Access Development Environment

• Adding Commonly-used Command Buttons to the Microsoft Office Quick Access Toolbar
• Collapsing the Microsoft Office Ribbon to get more space in your program

VBA Programming Tips

• Using NullToZero Nz() VBA Function in expressions to generate correct results with Nulls
• Avoid Exits in the Body of a Procedure in VB6/VBA
• Debugging Keys for VBA, Access & Visual Basic Developers
• Four Tips for Setting VBA/VB6 Module Options Properly
• When Microsoft Access Math Doesn't Add Up

VBA Error Handling for Microsoft Access

• Error Handling and Debugging Techniques for Microsoft Access, VBA, and Visual Basic 6 (VB6)
• Complete Microsoft Access Error Number and Description Reference
• Debugging Tips and Techniques: Basic Error Handling in VBA/VB6
• Pinpointing the Exact Line Where A Crash Occurs in VB6 or VBA

VBA Date Related Functions

• Avoid Using DoEvents to Wait in Microsoft Access, VBA, and VB6
• Age Calculation in Microsoft Access, VBA, and VB6
• Adding (and Subtracting) Weekdays in Microsoft Access, VBA, and VB6

Performance Optimization

• Increase the Performance of Microsoft Access Databases with Linked Tables
• Performance Tip with a Microsoft Access Table's Subdatasheet Name Property
• Speed Up Microsoft Access and Visual SourceSafe

Microsoft Access Deployment and Runtime Version

• Disable the Microsoft Access Close Button to Prevent Users from Accidentally Closing Your Application
• Disable Design Changes for Tables Before Deploying Microsoft Access 2010 or 2007 Databases
• Don't Deliver a Microsoft Access Database With Broken References
• Simulating the Microsoft Access Runtime during Development
• Package and Deploy Wizard (or other add-ins) is not available after I install the Microsoft Access Developer Extensions
• Using Terminal Services and RemoteApp to Extend Your Microsoft Access and other Windows Applications Over the Internet
• Deploying Front-End Databases to Each User and Controlling the Microsoft Access Version Used to Launch the Application

System Administration

• Creating a Backup and Disaster Recovery Plan for Microsoft Access Database Applications
• Database Compact and Repair to Minimize Corruption and Avoid Bloat (by Microsoft Access Version)
• Automatically Compact and Repair Microsoft Access Databases with Compact On Close

Dealing with Database Corruption

• Decompile Your Microsoft Access Database to Improve Performance, Fix Corruption, and Avoid Strange VBA Errors
• Decompile Your Microsoft Access Database to Fix the Bad DLL Calling Convention Error
• Error in Microsoft Access 2007 When Saving an ACCDB Database to MDB Format

Cloud Computing, Microsoft Azure, and SQL Azure

• Microsoft Azure and Cloud Computing...What it Means to Me and Information Workers
• Microsoft Access and Cloud Computing with SQL Azure Databases (Linking to SQL Server Tables in the Cloud)
• Deploying Microsoft Databases Linked to a SQL Azure Database to Users without SQL Server Installed on their Machine

Additional Resource Centers

• Microsoft Access Query Center
• Microsoft Access to SQL Server Upsizing Center
• Microsoft Access Developer Services

Discuss this topic on our blog

FMS Products for Microsoft Access Developers

FMS offers 12 products specifically designed for Microsoft Access.

These products are particularly important for Microsoft Access developers and sure to increase the quality of your development:

Automated Database Analysis for Best Practices For automated analysis of your databases, check out our Total Access Analyzer program which is designed to examine every object in your database in detail, provide documentation to help you understand what's in it, how the objects interact, and offer suggestions for applying Microsoft Access Best Practices. It finds hundreds of types of errors, suggestions, and performance tips specific to your database objects.

Microsoft Access Database and Object Comparison Add-in During development if you have multiple copies, multiple developers, or other users making changes, differences occur and need to be tracked down. Total Access Detective compares any two MS Access databases or two objects for differences. Find exactly what changed with properties, fields, controls, lines of macro and module code, and even data between tables or queries.

Microsoft Access Source Code Library Why write all the code yourself? Get our Total Visual SourceBook code library with 100,000+ royalty-free lines of code you can insert into your Access, Office and VB6 projects. Written exclusively for this professional code library, there's code you won't find anywhere else. More info on Microsoft Access code.

Simplify Writing, Taking Over, and Delivering VBA Module Code If you want to write better VBA code and do it in less time, learn about our Total Visual CodeTools program which works with Access, Office, and VB6. Total Visual CodeTools includes code builders, tools to standardize existing code (indentations, variable names, adds error handling, etc.), and tools for you to deliver more robust solutions. Learn more about our Microsoft Access coding tools.

These products are also part of our suites:

• Total Access Developer Suite: 5 products for Microsoft Access developers
• Total Access Ultimate Suite: 12 products for Microsoft Access users, developers, and system administrators