Mike Wolfe

Code Library

IsLastBusinessDayOfMonth() Function

I bet you can't guess what this function does.

Code Library

VBA IsBusinessDay() Function

A simple function that returns True except for weekends and US federal holidays.

Code Library

Federal Holidays in VBA

How do you calculate US federal holiday observances in VBA? One option is to use brute force and skip the calculation altogether.

Tools

Bad Words in Access

Note, Caption, Format, Pages, Sequence. All reasonable-sounding field names, but all should be avoided.

SQL Server

Role-based SQL Server Security

There are many reasons to implement SQL Server roles even if you use Windows Authentication with Active Directory security groups.

Professional Development

One Step at a Time

To reach great heights, take small steps.

Version Control

Tracking Schema Changes

If it can cause a bug in your software, you should be tracking it in version control. Database schema changes absolutely fall into that category.

SQL Server

Playing Telephone with SQL Server

You won't believe how Access and SQL Server actually talk to each other. You're going to need to see this for yourself.

SQL Server

ODBC Driver 17 Prevents SSMS Install

3 steps to fix SSMS installation error 0x80070643: (1) Uninstall ODBC Driver 17; (2) Restart the machine; (3) Rerun the installer

Basic

The Global Form

Storing global variables on a hidden form has some distinct advantages over storing them in VBA.

Basic

Proper Use of Global State

With great power comes great responsibility. Use global variables wisely.

Basic

Pseudocode Programming Practice

Is it bad practice to write comments first and then code? Not at all. In fact, it's one of the most powerful techniques in building good code.

Technical Debt

Overly Clever Code

Keep It Simple, Stupid

Technical Debt

Overuse of Global State

You wouldn't control the water temperature in your entire house from a single location. Why would you write your code that way?

Technical Debt

Coding Before Designing

Weeks of coding can save hours of planning.

Technical Debt

Denormalized Database Tables

Normalize your database tables to avoid technical debt.

Technical Debt

Old Fields Left in Place

Leaving old fields in place is even worse than leaving old code. Instead of runtime errors, you'll end up with harder-to-detect data errors.

Technical Debt

Old Code Left in Place

What's the harm in leaving old code in place? It's not like it costs us anything. ... Or does it?

Intermediate

Sources of Technical Debt

Dealing with technical debt is no fun. It's better to avoid it in the first place. To help with that, here's a list of common sources of technical debt.

Commentary

Declaration of Database Design

Altering the schema of a production database is not a step to be taken lightly. But when requirements dictate, it must be done.

Code Library

Setting MultiSelect At Runtime

You can't actually set a list box's MultiSelect property at runtime. But there are a few ways to work around the limitation. Let's explore them.

Intermediate

Decompile Before Deployment

Before deploying my Access applications, I like to strip them down to their bare bones.

Intermediate

To Compile or Not to Compile

With the proper deployment infrastructure in place, distributing uncompiled Access apps can simplify your life versus compiled Access apps.

Business

Google Analytics Alternatives

Avoid GDPR cookie-consent forms and respect your website users' privacy with one of these privacy-friendly Google Analytics alternatives.

Fluent API

Fluent Interfaces

It's probably irresponsible of me to share the following technique with you because you'll be so tempted to abuse it. But let's do it anyway.