Commentary Microsoft MVP Summit 2024 Engaging with the Access team, exploring the future of VBA, and advocating for the Access community.
Debugging Rubberducking This one-step process is a surprisingly effective way to troubleshoot the most complex programming problems.
Commentary Microsoft Access: The Only Low-Code/No-Code/High-Code Data Application on the Market Microsoft Access was the original low-code tool before low-code tools were all the rage. There's an important reason why Access remains the king.
Commentary "AI Will Take My Job": A Self-Fulfilling Prophecy Whether you think AI is coming to *take* your job... Or you think AI will help you *be more productive* at your job... You're probably right.
Commentary Microsoft Access has an Anemic Third-Party Ecosystem...But There is a Silver Lining Sometimes, less is more.
Commentary Bananas Bring Bad Luck on Boats An important lesson in the hidden danger of unknown unknowns, and a good reminder of why non-developers create some of the most useful Access apps.
Commentary 7 Things Most People Don't Know About Microsoft Access Number four is the most frustrating for professional Access developers.
Commentary What Dwight Eisenhower Can Teach Us About Microsoft Access IT departments love to hate Access. With an open mind, though, Access can play an important role in a holistic approach to in-house software development.
Commentary "How Hard Can It Be?" Five of the Most Dangerous Words for Access Developers Software projects often turn out to be much more complex than initially anticipated. Here's how to avoid getting in over your head.
Commentary Career Advice from Patrick McKenzie Patrick McKenzie is the best writer on the topics of software and business that you've never heard of.
Commentary Everything in Life is a Tradeoff There will never be a shortage of people willing to spend other people's money.
Commentary Documenting Recurring Processes The two-pronged approach we use to document recurring processes internally.
Basic How Many Forms and Reports Should Go in the Back-End Database File? Spoiler alert! The correct answer is zero.
Commentary Working on Someone Else's Code Base: Why Applications are Easier to Write Than Maintain Writing greenfield code is easier (and more fun!) than maintaining an existing application. But that doesn't mean it's a good idea.
Commentary The Complicator's Gloves: A Cautionary Tale for Software Developers This classic tale reminds us as software developers to resist the urge to go down the rabbit hole of an over-engineered solution.
Business The Secret to a Profitable Career as an Access Consultant It may not be flashy, but it is effective.
Commentary Wrapper vs. Port vs. Rewrite Wrappers, ports, and rewrites are three techniques for incorporating non-native code into our applications. Let's explore the pros and cons of each approach.
Commentary "Old" is the New "New" Do you have a software project littered with now-old items named "XxxxNew"? If you're determined to avoid doing it the right way, here's a less terrible approach.
Commentary Microsoft Access vs. SQLite: Security Comparison Microsoft Access or SQLite: Which one is more secure? The answer may surprise you.
Commentary Three Factors that Lead to Complex Code "Three properties determine the complexity of an environment. ... The greater the multiplicity, interdependence, and diversity, the greater the complexity."
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.
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.
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.
Commentary The Rule of Thrice: Know When to Build Generic Solutions in Code Once is a fluke. Twice is a coincidence. Thrice is a pattern.