Conventions

Naming Conventions Matter: Making Wrong Code Look Wrong

Joel Spolsky and Antonin Scalia join forces to help illustrate the importance of sensible code naming conventions.

Basic

Beware the BETWEEN

Using the BETWEEN clause with date-time fields may lead to unexpected results. There's a safer alternative.

Business

Configuring a Send-Only Email Address in Outlook 2019

How to add an account in Outlook 2019 where the user name is NOT the same as the email address.

Business

Manage Email Addresses for Multiple Domains with One Gmail Account Using Opalstack

Some practical advice on how to configure email addresses for multiple domains so that you can still send and receive from a single Gmail account.

twinBASIC

twinBASIC Update: October 10, 2021

Highlights include an extended preview of the yet-to-be-released form designer and a spirited discussion about whether to fork VS Code to create a dedicated tB IDE.

Advanced

Double-declaring APIs

Is it finally time to stop adding the `#If VBA7 Then` guard clause to PtrSafe API declarations? Let's explore.

Basic

The Difference Between Good and Bad Code Comments

The difference between good and bad comments explained in under 25 words.

Humorous

Reproducing Errors

A physicist, a mechanic, and a programmer were in a car driving over a steep alpine pass when the brakes failed...

Intermediate

CurrentDB and the "Object invalid or no longer set" error

Misuse of the CurrentDb function is a common cause of the "Object invalid or no longer set" error. Are you using it safely?

Code Library

Converting the DataTypeEnum Values to Equivalent VBA Types

Two simple functions to convert DataTypeEnum values to descriptive strings and their VBA data type counterparts.

Forms

2 Ways to Escape Leading Quotes when Adding Items to a List Box

Leading quotation marks can cause problems when adding items to a list box or combo box. Here are 2 easy ways to deal with the issue.

twinBASIC

twinBASIC Update: October 3, 2021

Highlights include a glimpse into the possible GUI release timeline and a discussion about data binding with twinBASIC forms.

Forms

Escaping Semicolons in a Multi-Column Access ListBox

When adding items to a multi-column list box, the semicolon character is used to separate columns. What if the items themselves contain semicolons?

Defensive Programming

5 Ways to Reduce Logic Errors Using Automated Double-Checks

Identify the critical functions in your application. Then, apply one or more of these techniques to ensure that if they break, someone will notice.

Defensive Programming

Reduce Logic Errors in Critical Code

Software Developers Can Almost Eliminate Logic Errors With This Powerful Technique

Under 100

What is Referential Integrity?

The concept of referential integrity explained in under 100 words.

SQL Server

Unit Testing Tool for SQL Server

This open-source database unit testing tool should help make test-driven database development easier to manage.

Simple vs. Easy

Making the Complex Simple: Aquaponics Edition

The most impressive software project any of my job applicants had written produced only a single, numeric output.

twinBASIC

twinBASIC Update: September 26, 2021

Highlights include a sneak peek at building custom form controls, the related dynamic property sheet, and a bunch of screenshots teasing the upcoming features.

Bug Alert

Bug Alert: Malwarebytes

New behavior-matching algorithms in Malwarebytes block execution of Access applications that call out to the Shell function.

UX

Simple vs. Easy

It's not easy to build simple software. These 4 simple tips will make the process easier.

SQL Server

Floating Point Arithmetic in VBA vs. SQL Server

VBA and SQL Server do not perform floating-point operations the same way. Being aware of this difference could save you hours of frustration someday.

Commentary

The Software Reliability Paradox

The most reliable software holds the potential to cause the greatest harm. Examples abound, from my own $86K mistake to a devastating Russian hack.

Conventions

Database Date Field Naming Convention

Naming is hard. When it comes to naming conventions, the key is to keep things simple. Here's how I like to name the date and time fields in my databases.

Professional Development

"This feels weird."

My nine-year-old son got hit in the head at soccer practice the other day. His reaction reminds me of my own professional software development journey.