No Longer Set (Page 19)

Week in Review: July 22, 2023

Highlights include the seventh installment of a.p.r. pillai's class-based form code series, building Gantt charts in Access, and a deep dive into SQL subqueries.

Announcement

Coming Soon: Access Developer Survey

MAJOR ANNOUNCEMENT: NoLongerSet will be launching its inaugural Access Developer Survey soon. I need your help!

VBA

How to Efficiently Check for Empty Strings in VBA

Yes, there is a right way and a wrong way to check for empty strings in VBA. Actually, there are *two* right ways and *two* wrong ways. Let's explore all four.

Debugging

TCP Port Test Fails When SQL Server Service Is Stopped

There are three likely causes for a failed TCP Port test: 1) firewall on the SQL Server host; 2) SQL Server uses dynamic ports; or 3) SQL Server service is stopped.

ShowForm

Why Creating Multiple Copies of a Form Is Bad Practice

Creating multiple *instances* of a single form may seem like more work than just making multiple *copies* of a form, but it's an investment worth making.

Code Library

CascadeForm(): Prevent Multi-Instance Forms From Hiding Behind Each Other

The CascadeForm() function introduces the cascading-window effect from the Windows operating system to Microsoft Access.

twinBASIC Weekly Update

twinBASIC Update: July 16, 2023

Highlights include twinPACK publisher support in the new IDE, indenting of pasted code, inline code hints, and the release of a 64-bit tB version of Kr00l's FlexGrid control.

Week in Review

Week in Review: July 15, 2023

Highlights include the return of DevHut.net, generating hashes in VBA, bypassing the trusted domains "feature," and an eye-opening video on great interface design.

AI

ChatGPT: Genius or Fraud?

There's an ongoing debate over whether developers can trust the current crop of LLMs. The problem is people are asking the wrong question.

ShowForm

Evolution of a Function: ShowForm() Part 2

As our ShowForm function evolves, we introduce a very basic capability to create and manage multiple form instances.

ShowForm

Evolution of a Function: ShowForm() Part 1

Part 1 of the ShowForm function is an MVP (minimum viable product) which is little more than a convenience function wrapper around DoCmd.OpenForm.

ShowForm

Evolution of a Function: ShowForm()

Code is a living thing. Letting it grow organically over time helps ensure that you get exactly the features you need. My ShowForm() function is a prime example.

UX

Countering Automation Bias

Those handy default values you provide your users could be doing more harm than good.

twinBASIC Weekly Update

twinBASIC Update: July 9, 2023

Highlights include a supercharged Collection class (that also replaces Scripting.Dictionary for most use cases) and several exciting community projects.

Week in Review

Week in Review: July 8, 2023

Highlights include the next installment of a.p.r. pillai's class-based form code series, AI regulations, and understanding project requirements.

Code Library

4 Keys to Building Generic Solutions in Code

Building and maintaining a library of custom code procedures is an investment that provides compounding benefits over time.

Debugging

Written Rubberducking: A Practical Example

A practical example of the written rubberducking technique taken straight from our FogBugz issue tracking software.

Debugging

Written Rubberducking: My Debugging Superpower

While rubber ducks make good code buddies, they make even better pen pals.

Commentary

Priorities and Time Management for Microsoft Access Consultants

Whether you realize it or not, every decision you make about how to manage your time is a result of what you prioritize.

Form Design

Avoid Double Negatives for a Better User Experience

Double negatives are highly effective--if your goal is to introduce confusion--as my Beast Barracks story shows. They have no place in a user interface, though.

twinBASIC Weekly Update

twinBASIC Update: July 2, 2023

Highlights include support for vbaObjAddRef, improvements to the Problems pane, and twinBASIC moving up the BASIC-like language rankings.

Week in Review

Week in Review: July 1, 2023

Highlights include an AI-focused episode of the quarterly Access News webcast, the release of Rubberduck 2.5.9, and tips on importing web data into Access.

Conventions

PascalCase All the Things

There is only one correct capitalization convention in VBA: PascalCase.

Under 100

What is cyclomatic complexity?

The concept of cyclomatic complexity explained in under 100 words. #Under100

Debugging

SSE Setup: Fix for Error -2147024671

This is a great example of how we can break down seemingly random Windows error codes to guide our debugging efforts.