Comments on: The New MacroMan http://www.dailydoseofexcel.com/archives/2007/02/10/the-new-macroman/ Daily posts of Excel tips…and other stuff Thu, 09 Feb 2012 19:28:40 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Tim Critchley http://www.dailydoseofexcel.com/archives/2007/02/10/the-new-macroman/#comment-22528 Tim Critchley Mon, 19 Feb 2007 11:28:00 +0000 http://www.dailydoseofexcel.com/?p=1600#comment-22528 <p>Dick: I can't be sure of your exact circumstances yet, but as you have discovered, temp tables are a mixed blessing and I tend to view them as a very last resort. Depending on your project configuration, you may find "disconnected recordsets" useful to your needs<br> <a href="http://www.4guysfromrolla.com/webtech/080101-1.shtml" rel="nofollow">http://www.4guysfromrolla.com/webtech/080101-1.shtml</a><br> This technique allows users to carry on editing as normal, while still retaining system control over how/when the persistent data is updated.</p> <p>As you may know, Access forms have a 'Recordset' property which can be manipulated at run-time. This together with the 'Continuous Forms' setting, make programming data-intensive GUI's much easier in Access forms IMO :-)</p> Dick: I can’t be sure of your exact circumstances yet, but as you have discovered, temp tables are a mixed blessing and I tend to view them as a very last resort. Depending on your project configuration, you may find “disconnected recordsets” useful to your needs
http://www.4guysfromrolla.com/webtech/080101-1.shtml
This technique allows users to carry on editing as normal, while still retaining system control over how/when the persistent data is updated.

As you may know, Access forms have a ‘Recordset’ property which can be manipulated at run-time. This together with the ‘Continuous Forms’ setting, make programming data-intensive GUI’s much easier in Access forms IMO :-)

]]> By: Jan http://www.dailydoseofexcel.com/archives/2007/02/10/the-new-macroman/#comment-22475 Jan Thu, 15 Feb 2007 18:58:00 +0000 http://www.dailydoseofexcel.com/?p=1600#comment-22475 <p>You quite right Dick. Make it work intuitively for the user, don't make the system drive the users habits.</p> <p>You could try writing a full VB app. It is quite easy to get into and you can store your data wherever you like.</p> <p>I am keen to see it, so that at least I can try to force it into a nice subform and keep the interface identical to the user. Generally speaking there have been very few cases where I had to resort to loading data by hand.</p> <p>One thing I had added to lots of Access apps that the users really enjoy are Rightclick menus<br> Access does them very well and I have setup things like a MRU list on ids and search boxes.</p> You quite right Dick. Make it work intuitively for the user, don’t make the system drive the users habits.

You could try writing a full VB app. It is quite easy to get into and you can store your data wherever you like.

I am keen to see it, so that at least I can try to force it into a nice subform and keep the interface identical to the user. Generally speaking there have been very few cases where I had to resort to loading data by hand.

One thing I had added to lots of Access apps that the users really enjoy are Rightclick menus
Access does them very well and I have setup things like a MRU list on ids and search boxes.

]]> By: Dick Kusleika http://www.dailydoseofexcel.com/archives/2007/02/10/the-new-macroman/#comment-22474 Dick Kusleika Thu, 15 Feb 2007 17:53:00 +0000 http://www.dailydoseofexcel.com/?p=1600#comment-22474 <p>Jan, I appreciated your previous comment - no lecture inferred. In fact, I tried to apply it to an Access project I'm working on now. I'm using a temporary table to hold some values while a form is being completed, which eventually is written to a permanent table. It's a lot of work and is prone to errors. "How can I make this a subform directly from the permanent table?", I asked. I wasn't able to do it. I'm thinking about putting an mdb together that demonstrates my situation and seeing who can come up with something. There's probably a better way than I'm doing, but I don't have an Access expert looking over my shoulder, so I end up doing what works.</p> <p>One problem I foresee is usability limitations. I won't sacrifice my ideal of usability for anything. If I have to change the way the user interacts to suit the tool, then I deem the tool to be broken and I need to find a better one. So someone could come up with a solution that "works", but it would be unacceptable to me because it would be asking the user to adapt to the program.</p> Jan, I appreciated your previous comment – no lecture inferred. In fact, I tried to apply it to an Access project I’m working on now. I’m using a temporary table to hold some values while a form is being completed, which eventually is written to a permanent table. It’s a lot of work and is prone to errors. “How can I make this a subform directly from the permanent table?”, I asked. I wasn’t able to do it. I’m thinking about putting an mdb together that demonstrates my situation and seeing who can come up with something. There’s probably a better way than I’m doing, but I don’t have an Access expert looking over my shoulder, so I end up doing what works.

One problem I foresee is usability limitations. I won’t sacrifice my ideal of usability for anything. If I have to change the way the user interacts to suit the tool, then I deem the tool to be broken and I need to find a better one. So someone could come up with a solution that “works”, but it would be unacceptable to me because it would be asking the user to adapt to the program.

]]> By: Jan http://www.dailydoseofexcel.com/archives/2007/02/10/the-new-macroman/#comment-22467 Jan Thu, 15 Feb 2007 14:17:00 +0000 http://www.dailydoseofexcel.com/?p=1600#comment-22467 <p>Quick Comment I re-read my last post and it sounded far too much like a lecture at Dick.<br> Appologies as clearly Dick already has a sound grasp of Access.</p> Quick Comment I re-read my last post and it sounded far too much like a lecture at Dick.
Appologies as clearly Dick already has a sound grasp of Access.

]]> By: jkpieterse http://www.dailydoseofexcel.com/archives/2007/02/10/the-new-macroman/#comment-22457 jkpieterse Thu, 15 Feb 2007 06:24:00 +0000 http://www.dailydoseofexcel.com/?p=1600#comment-22457 <p>Hi Tushar,</p> <p>What I meant is that PODA is a community of professional developers committed to helping each other, with a focus on principles of teamwork.</p> <p>As such, PODA aims to nurture collaboration between members to further enhance their knowledge, and to encourage high standards.</p> <p>All MS Office professionals are invited to participate, joining over 150 other members world-wide.</p> Hi Tushar,

What I meant is that PODA is a community of professional developers committed to helping each other, with a focus on principles of teamwork.

As such, PODA aims to nurture collaboration between members to further enhance their knowledge, and to encourage high standards.

All MS Office professionals are invited to participate, joining over 150 other members world-wide.

]]> By: Jan http://www.dailydoseofexcel.com/archives/2007/02/10/the-new-macroman/#comment-22445 Jan Wed, 14 Feb 2007 18:15:00 +0000 http://www.dailydoseofexcel.com/?p=1600#comment-22445 <p>Dick,<br> Personally I always bound controls for almost everything in Access. I normally always use a Subform for every screen even if it is just a form with a simple block of data on it. I use lots of subforms within subforms and subreports on reports, they can really add functionality and make it much easier to navigate. The best thing is the Child and Master links. They can make your life a breeze. Bear in mind that the more code YOU write the more errors your users get. It is possible to make a fairly ok (if some what bland) interface using no code what so ever. This sort of form could be a combo box with some sub form that would allow you to select something that shows a sorted and filtered list. I like to build the interface with menus rather than using some funny main screen with huge buttons, and the more tabs the better.</p> <p>Top tips are </p> <p>Design the tables first.<br> Don't ever use the multi valued cell in 2007 it is the work of the devil.<br> Add descriptions and captions to everything during design of the table.<br> Add all the relationships and indexes at the start.<br> Go back and add in all the combo box lookups for all the fields that are related in the Relationships.<br> Now build.....<br> (don't start the VBA until you have sorted ALL your fields and tables etc.)<br> It gets out of date so quickly.</p> Dick,
Personally I always bound controls for almost everything in Access. I normally always use a Subform for every screen even if it is just a form with a simple block of data on it. I use lots of subforms within subforms and subreports on reports, they can really add functionality and make it much easier to navigate. The best thing is the Child and Master links. They can make your life a breeze. Bear in mind that the more code YOU write the more errors your users get. It is possible to make a fairly ok (if some what bland) interface using no code what so ever. This sort of form could be a combo box with some sub form that would allow you to select something that shows a sorted and filtered list. I like to build the interface with menus rather than using some funny main screen with huge buttons, and the more tabs the better.

Top tips are

Design the tables first.
Don’t ever use the multi valued cell in 2007 it is the work of the devil.
Add descriptions and captions to everything during design of the table.
Add all the relationships and indexes at the start.
Go back and add in all the combo box lookups for all the fields that are related in the Relationships.
Now build…..
(don’t start the VBA until you have sorted ALL your fields and tables etc.)
It gets out of date so quickly.

]]> By: Rembo http://www.dailydoseofexcel.com/archives/2007/02/10/the-new-macroman/#comment-22443 Rembo Wed, 14 Feb 2007 11:07:00 +0000 http://www.dailydoseofexcel.com/?p=1600#comment-22443 <p>> Why the hell does an Excel textbox control not come with a Format property? </p> <p>That sure would be a nice feature and I think it's a great idea. But as to 'why'.. it is just a TEXTbox I suppose...</p> <p>Cheers,</p> <p>Remco</p> > Why the hell does an Excel textbox control not come with a Format property?

That sure would be a nice feature and I think it’s a great idea. But as to ‘why’.. it is just a TEXTbox I suppose…

Cheers,

Remco

]]> By: Mike Alexander http://www.dailydoseofexcel.com/archives/2007/02/10/the-new-macroman/#comment-22423 Mike Alexander Mon, 12 Feb 2007 22:51:00 +0000 http://www.dailydoseofexcel.com/?p=1600#comment-22423 <p>I find that building a department-level application is often easier and safer in Access. Because, the underlying schemas are restricted and "structured", you have a better chance of avoiding errors. That is to say, you spend less time writing error handling for the 100 different ways something can go wrong on a spreadsheet (moved data, wrong data types, multiple open workbooks, etc....)</p> <p>By the way, I have a rant.</p> <p>Why the hell does an Excel textbox control not come with a Format property? You know...Currency, Number, Date, etc. Textbox controls are, by default, set to general number, leaving you with no easy way to add formatting. </p> <p>Apparently, you've got to come up with some convoluted work around that adds formatting at run-time (using a form event). Does anyone have a clever way to do this? I can never get it to work.</p> I find that building a department-level application is often easier and safer in Access. Because, the underlying schemas are restricted and “structured”, you have a better chance of avoiding errors. That is to say, you spend less time writing error handling for the 100 different ways something can go wrong on a spreadsheet (moved data, wrong data types, multiple open workbooks, etc….)

By the way, I have a rant.

Why the hell does an Excel textbox control not come with a Format property? You know…Currency, Number, Date, etc. Textbox controls are, by default, set to general number, leaving you with no easy way to add formatting.

Apparently, you’ve got to come up with some convoluted work around that adds formatting at run-time (using a form event). Does anyone have a clever way to do this? I can never get it to work.

]]> By: Tushar Mehta http://www.dailydoseofexcel.com/archives/2007/02/10/the-new-macroman/#comment-22419 Tushar Mehta Mon, 12 Feb 2007 19:20:00 +0000 http://www.dailydoseofexcel.com/?p=1600#comment-22419 <p>A different opinion from JKP about joining an organization that's aimed at "advocating our kind," I'd be interested in knowing what that means.</p> <p>Or, for that matter, how many people actually belong to that organization.</p> <p>I know a little about some of those who made the initial push to get it going. Given how they treated me in a public forum (one of the moderators wrote me a note telling me how they were out of line and then locked the discussion), there is no way I would ever consider becoming a member.</p> A different opinion from JKP about joining an organization that’s aimed at “advocating our kind,” I’d be interested in knowing what that means.

Or, for that matter, how many people actually belong to that organization.

I know a little about some of those who made the initial push to get it going. Given how they treated me in a public forum (one of the moderators wrote me a note telling me how they were out of line and then locked the discussion), there is no way I would ever consider becoming a member.

]]> By: Gary Brown http://www.dailydoseofexcel.com/archives/2007/02/10/the-new-macroman/#comment-22418 Gary Brown Mon, 12 Feb 2007 18:40:00 +0000 http://www.dailydoseofexcel.com/?p=1600#comment-22418 <p>MacroMan,<br> IMHO, John Walkenbach's 'Excel xxxx Power Programming with VBA' has an equivalent in Access. For me THAT is high praise!<br> I use 'Mastering Microsoft Access 2000 Development - The Authoritative Solution' by Alison Balter, SAMS Publishing. I just checked on BarnesAndNoble.com. The book goes for $49.99. The 2003 version (which I have not seen) is $59.99 (Alison Balter's Mastering Microsoft Access 2003).<br> Good Luck.<br> Gary Brown</p> MacroMan,
IMHO, John Walkenbach’s ‘Excel xxxx Power Programming with VBA’ has an equivalent in Access. For me THAT is high praise!
I use ‘Mastering Microsoft Access 2000 Development – The Authoritative Solution’ by Alison Balter, SAMS Publishing. I just checked on BarnesAndNoble.com. The book goes for $49.99. The 2003 version (which I have not seen) is $59.99 (Alison Balter’s Mastering Microsoft Access 2003).
Good Luck.
Gary Brown

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