> ## Content Index
> Fetch the complete content index at: https://nolongerset.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further.

# Throwback Thursday: March 20, 2025
- URL: https://nolongerset.com/throwback-thursday-2025-03-20/
- Published: 2025-03-21T00:31:18.000Z
- Updated: 2026-05-08T12:44:32.000Z
- Description: In today's edition of Throwback Thursday, we explore the role of "feature gates" (aka, "feature flags") in Microsoft Access (and Microsoft Office more broadly).
- Author: Mike Wolfe
- Tags: Throwback Thursday, #Import 2026-05-20 02:59

*With over a million words scattered across more than 1,500 articles on this blog, you've probably missed a few things here.*

*That’s why each week in "Throwback Thursday," we’ll revisit some standout posts. Expect a blend of my personal favorites, insightful articles from other great minds, and a touch of coding humor to keep things light.*

---

## Highlights from NoLongerSet.com

[BUG ALERT: No Current RecordAn Access bug introduced in the latest Patch Tuesday update caused major headaches for developers around the world today.![](https://nolongerset.com/content/images/size/w256h256/2020/09/NLS_Icon_square.png)No Longer SetMike Wolfe![](https://nolongerset.com/content/images/2022/05/No-Current-Record-Bug-Alert.jpg)](https://nolongerset.com/bug-alert-no-current-record/)

[Office FeatureGates: How Microsoft Can Break and Fix Their Applications in Under 24 HoursMicrosoft Access regularly breaks following Office updates. But, sometimes, it \*starts\* working again just as suddenly. Here’s how that works.![](https://nolongerset.com/content/images/size/w256h256/2020/09/NLS_Icon_square.png)No Longer SetMike Wolfe![](https://nolongerset.com/content/images/2022/05/magic-2034146_1920.jpg)](https://nolongerset.com/office-featuregates/)

[Feature Gates: How Microsoft Switched to a Single Code Base for Multiple Versions of OfficeDid you ever wonder why SysCmd(acSysCmdAccessVer) returns 16.0 for every version of Access starting with Office 2016? I have a theory…![](https://nolongerset.com/content/images/size/w256h256/2020/09/NLS_Icon_square.png)No Longer SetMike Wolfe![](https://nolongerset.com/content/images/2023/04/Office-Feature-Gates-1-.jpg)](https://nolongerset.com/office-feature-gates/)

## Wisdom from Around the Web

[bliki: Feature FlagFeature flags (toggles) switch features on/off at runtime. They can hide partly built features and for A/B testing.![](https://martinfowler.com/favicon.ico)martinfowler.comMartin Fowler![](https://martinfowler.com/bliki/images/featureToggle/featureToggle.png)](https://martinfowler.com/bliki/FeatureFlag.html)

[Knightmare: A DevOps Cautionary TaleIn the first 45-minutes the market was open the faulty software deployment sent millions of child orders into the market resulting in 4 million transactions against 154 stocks for more than 397 mil…![](https://s2.wp.com/i/webclip.png)Doug SevenD7![](https://dougseven.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/120806_knight_capital_2.jpg)](https://dougseven.com/2014/04/17/knightmare-a-devops-cautionary-tale/)

## Developer Humor

> [newFeatureLoading](https://www.reddit.com/r/ProgrammerHumor/comments/1jfmw5v/newfeatureloading/)  
> by [u/Current-Guide5944](https://www.reddit.com/user/Current-Guide5944/) in [ProgrammerHumor](https://www.reddit.com/r/ProgrammerHumor/) 

*Cover image generated by Ideogram*