Video

VIDEO: Sorting Continuous Forms

A 12-minute video that shows you how to implement my NewSort and UseHand functions for sorting continuous forms in MS Access.

Code Library

NewSort(): Sort a Continuous Form by Clicking on the Column Label

Sort a continuous form in MS Access by simply pointing at a column label. These functions make it easy.

Code Library

UseHand(): Changing the Mouse Cursor in Microsoft Access

A classic Microsoft Access mouse cursor trick gets simplified and updated for 64-bit VBA compatibility.

Video

Access Job Interview Questions: Follow-up Q&A

Topics covered include Access security best practices, "deploying" trusted locations to users, and avoiding reserved words when naming database objects.

Tools

ActiveX Controls: Love 'Em or Hate 'Em?

I always avoid ActiveX controls in my Access applications. Except when I can't. Or don't want to. It's complicated...

twinBASIC Weekly Update

twinBASIC Update: August 28, 2022

Highlights include improvements to code selector boxes in the IDE, IntelliSense improvements, and better support for "kernel mode" (i.e., device drivers).

Week in Review

Week in Review: August 27, 2022

Highlights include a dedicated web page for the Access Europe User Group, a Nav Pane Helper Add-in, and a deep dive into database theory.

Video

Access Job Interview Questions

Richard Rost--today's most prolific creator of Microsoft Access video tutorials--has put together a great baseline of questions and answers that test your Access knowledge.

Quick Tip

Adding References from VBA

Did you ever wish you could bypass the Tools > References dialog entirely when adding references in Access? Automate the process with some simple VBA.

Tools

AccessImagine: ActiveX Picture Control for Access

If you are building an image-rich data application with Microsoft Access, you can save yourself a lot of development time with a third-party tool like AccessImagine.

twinBASIC

HOW TO: Handle Excel Events in a twinBASIC COM Addin

You can now use twinBASIC to create a COM add-in for Excel that handles Excel Application events like NewWorkbook and WorkbookOpen.

Bug Alert

Bug Alert: Wizards Don't Work with MVFs and Attachment Fields

Beginning with version 2006, Access hangs when running the Report or Labels Wizard on a table with a multi-valued field (MVF) or attachment field.

twinBASIC Weekly Update

twinBASIC Update: August 21, 2022

Highlights include IDE improvements, support for Excel events in COM addins, and a kernel-mode driver written in twinBASIC (yes, really).

Week in Review

Week in Review: August 20, 2022

Highlights include Colin Riddington's Nav Pane Helper, Richard Rost's Access Developer Interview Questions, and Rick Hanson's Used Book Business Access App.

Form Design

Triple-State Modern On/Off Switch in Access

Yes, No, or I Don't Know (or Don't Care). With this updated design, you can offer your users a third option with your modern on/off switches.

Tools

Connecting to GitHub from TortoiseHg Using SSH Keys

Step-by-step instructions to set up a completely seamless integration between TortoiseHg and GitHub. No passwords. No Pageant. No friction of any kind.

Tools

Automatically Link to Your Bug Database from TortoiseHg

Everyone's favorite Windows Mercurial software includes a killer feature that is criminally underused.

Code Library

3 Ways to Create Missing Subfolders in VBA

If you need to generate multiple levels of subfolders using VBA, these three functions will each get the job done.

Code Library

EnsurePathExists: A Unicode-Safe Way to Create Missing Subfolders in VBA

The EnsurePathExists function--based on the API function SHCreateDirectoryExW--is the ultimate tool for verifying and creating folder structures.

twinBASIC Weekly Update

twinBASIC Update: August 14, 2022

Highlights include IDE memory optimizations, build size reductions, and a discussion about a potential extensibility library for the IDE.

Week in Review

Week in Review: August 13, 2022

Highlights include Peter Cole's 32 to 64-bit conversion presentation, a deep dive into how Access stores queries, and a sad announcement from MVP Daniel Pineault.

Code Library

MakeSurePathExists: Using the Windows API to Create Missing Subfolders in VBA

A Windows API function makes verifying (and creating, if necessary) a full folder hierarchy dead simple.

twinBASIC

HOW TO: Install twinBASIC

The latest step-by-step instructions for installing twinBASIC (aka, Visual Basic 8).

Code Library

LimitTextLength: Enforce Max Text Length for Unbound Text Boxes and Combo Boxes

A handy function to enforce maximum string lengths for unbound text boxes and combo boxes in Microsoft Access.

Conventions

My File System Variable Naming Convention for VBA

"SourcePath" may be one of the worst variable names ever written. Is it the full path to a source file? Is it the folder where my source files are located?