Mike Wolfe

Migration

Scripted SQL Server Migrations

Use this batch file to automatically backup a database on one instance of SQL Server and restore it on a different instance of SQL Server.

Deployment

Mark of the Web (MOTW) Support Among Zip Utilities

What happens to the Mark of the Web when you extract files from a downloaded .zip file? It depends on what you use to do the extraction.

Migration

SQL Server Migration Steps

My SQL Server migration philosophy consists of two priorities: (1) Avoid disasters and (2) Minimize production downtime.

Whiteboard Sessions

Microsoft Access: A Victim of Its Own Success

Looking for bold new features in Microsoft Access? Don't hold your breath.

twinBASIC Weekly Update

twinBASIC Update: June 5, 2022

Includes a sneak peek of the upcoming ActiveX Control Extender support in twinBASIC.

Week in Review

Week in Review: June 4, 2022

Highlights include major changes to the Access roadmap, Richard Rost's Beginner Access video course is now free, and research on developer interviews.

Defensive Programming

In Defense of Security Through Obscurity

There are two key elements to defending a military position: cover AND concealment. It's not an either-or proposition.

SQL

SQL Gotcha: When an OUTER JOIN Accidentally Becomes an INNER JOIN

If you apply a WHERE filter directly to the OUTER JOIN side of a query you will effectively turn it into an INNER JOIN.

Form Design

Choosing the Right Font

Fonts fall into six main categories. There is no one "best" type of font. Rather, each type serves different purposes.

Announcement

What Happened to the Access Roadmap?

[Access Developers]: Stop putting out bad information on the public roadmap.[Microsoft]: OK, we'll stop putting out information on the public roadmap.

Bug Alert

Office FeatureGates: How Microsoft Can Break and Fix Their Applications in Under 24 Hours

Microsoft Access regularly breaks following Office updates. But, sometimes, it *starts* working again just as suddenly. Here's how that works.

twinBASIC Weekly Update

twinBASIC Update: May 29, 2022

Highlights include new build features, a good Exit Code discussion, and a multi-threaded twinBASIC proof of concept from Ben Clothier.

Week in Review

Week in Review: May 28, 2022

Highlights include two new Access bugs, a modern On/Off toggle control, setting list box font colors by column, and resurrected videos from the Access forums vault.

Database Design

The 13 Kinds of Business Application Tables

Database tables in a line-of-business application generally fall into one of these thirteen categories.

Announcement

Building Ribbon Interfaces in Code

Join me online on Wednesday, July 6, for my presentation "Building Ribbon Interfaces in Code" to the Access Europe user group.

SQL Server

HOW TO: Automate Batch Deletion of SQL Server Records

Using a single DELETE statement to remove 20 million+ records from SQL Server is a bad idea. Here's a better approach.

SQL Server

Deleting a Large Number of Records in SQL Server

Let's explore four options--two bad and two good--for deleting one million or more records from a single SQL Server table.

Debugging

Breaking Down Windows Error Codes

Did you know there is a method to the madness behind those crazy-looking VBA error numbers like 0x80070005 or its decimal equivalent -2,147,024,891?

twinBASIC Weekly Update

twinBASIC Update: May 22, 2022

Highlights include the beginnings of a Screen object, an updated Attribute syntax, and a reimagined ending to a Disney classic (yes, it's a bit off-topic).

Week in Review

Week in Review: May 21, 2022

Highlights include a Microsoft Access Roadmap update, sample code for trig functions, and a discussion about preserving Access tips of yore.

Code Library

SQL Server "Codify" Function

This function will jump-start the process of converting long descriptions into meaningful abbreviations. It's great for creating "Code" columns in lookup tables.

Form Design

Abbreviations in Lookup Tables

One way to boost the signal-to-noise ratio on your continuous forms is to use abbreviations rather than full descriptions for lookup tables.

SQL Server

How to Install SQL Server on a Read-Only Domain Controller (RODC)

The official Microsoft documentation says it's not possible, but with a little ingenuity and poor judgment, we can get SQL Server to run on an RODC.

Tools

3 Free Options for Managing Linked Tables in Access

The original linked table manager was a terrible tool. Let's look at three better options for today's Microsoft Access developers.

SQL Server

Advanced Server-Side SQL Server Query Troubleshooting

The XEvent Profiler in SSMS is a powerful troubleshooting tool, but what happens when the standard sessions are not enough? We need to customize...