Week in Review

Week in Review: August 1, 2026

Highlights include two new Microsoft Access MVPs, a video primer on class modules in VBA, and a function to sort by up to three fields in an Access form.

Mike Wolfe

• 6 min read
Week in Review: August 1, 2026

Just Published

This section includes videos, articles, and (occasionally) open-source project updates from the past 7 days.

Articles

Article descriptions generated by Claude-Sonnet-4.5.

  • Access Forever
    • Microsoft Access MVPs 2026-2027, by Karl Donaubauer: Microsoft announces 22 Access MVPs for 2026-2027, including two new members: Christopher Fennell from the USA and Gamal Malak, the first African Access MVP from Egypt.
  • Colin Riddington (Isladogs on Access)
    • Access Bug Summary - July 2026: Colin Riddington catalogs July 2026 Access bugs affecting insider channels, including MSXML2 performance degradation, Erl function inconsistencies in 64-bit, splitter bar visual artifacts, and cascading listbox issues, most of which were fixed within days.
    • A Trip Down Memory Lane (UPDATED): Colin Riddington traces Access evolution from version 1.0 (1992) through current releases, documenting major feature additions, security improvements, and interface changes across 30+ years of development.
    • Summary of New And Upcoming Features: A comprehensive table tracks Access feature rollouts from 2019 through 2026, documenting availability by channel (Beta, Current Channel Preview, Current Channel, Monthly Enterprise) and linking to detailed implementation articles.
    • Dock Forms to the Access Window with Zoom - Part 2: This update extends the original form-docking code to handle dynamic zoom level changes by adding a Form_Timer event that recalculates and repositions forms whenever the zoom percentage changes.
    • NEW - Big Forms and Reports for Modern Monitors: Access version 2606 removes the 22.75-inch width and height limits for forms and reports, introducing new long integer Width/Height/Left/Top properties that support dimensions up to approximately 236,715 cm.
    • NEW - Cascading Combo boxes and listboxes: Access version 2608 adds LinkMasterFields and LinkChildFields properties to combo boxes and list boxes, enabling code-free cascading filters in single, continuous, datasheet, and split forms.
    • NEW - Change the Font Size in the Property Sheet: Access version 2608 introduces a Property Sheet Font Size setting (range 8pt to 72pt) in Access Options | Object Designers, allowing developers to increase readability of the property sheet interface.
    • Dock Forms to the Access Window - Part 1: Colin Riddington demonstrates how to programmatically position Access forms at nine predefined locations within the Access window using a class module that retrieves window dimensions and handles both standard and popup forms.
  • Crystal Long (Ms Access Gurus | Access Access Newsletter)
    • Sort123, Elements: Crystal (strive4peace) provides a reusable VBA function that sorts Access continuous forms by up to three fields with toggle between ascending/descending order and optional rules for field-specific sort behavior, demonstrated using a periodic table of elements database.
    • LinkedIn: Sort 123 and Elements: Crystal explains the Sort123 VBA procedure's parameters (form reference, field names, flip rules, and default sort direction) and provides background on atomic structure and element properties in the accompanying sample database.
  • Mike Wolfe (NoLongerSet)
    • Throwback Thursday: July 30, 2026: Mike Wolfe curates past NoLongerSet articles covering key concepts for safe AI-assisted development, including risk reduction strategies and effective database migration techniques.
    • twinBASIC Update: July 29, 2026: Wayne Phillips confirms the LLVM-enabled twinBASIC release remains on track for August 7, with Lems64 fully compiling under LLVM (32/64-bit) and PhotoDemon 95% functional, while the community troubleshoots VB6 RightToLeft locale issues and discusses source control tooling.

Videos

  • Richard Rost (YouTube channel)
    • Class Modules (31:43): Microsoft Access VBA Class Modules Explained for Beginners
    • Video Quiz X1.2 (02:53): Do You Know the Main Purpose of a Primary Key Field in Microsoft Access?
    • Can't Edit! (25:56): Why Can't I Edit Data in My Microsoft Access Form or Query?
    • Video Quiz B1.2 (02:41): Can You Answer How Customer Orders Should Be Stored in Microsoft Access?
    • Pull Data (30:28): How Do I Pull Data in Microsoft Access? QQ 101

GitHub Projects

Changelog summary generated by Claude Opus 5.

MCP-Access Where v0.7.52 was about MCP-Access checking its own work, v0.7.53 (July 30) is about two users checking it against real databases. The bigger catch: access_compile_vba could report "VBA project is NOT compiled… missing reference, undeclared variable, or type mismatch" on code that compiled fine by hand — it triggers compilation via the VBE's Debug > Compile menu item, which acts on the active project and is only reliably enabled when one of its code panes has focus, so with no pane active the trigger could throw, silently no-op, or compile the acwzmain wizard library instead while your project's deliberately-dirtied IsCompiled=False stood as the verdict. Relatedly, access_delete_object could wedge behind an invisible modal: RunCommand(acCmdSaveAllModules) doesn't always fail as a trappable error 2046 — when Access isn't the foreground app (typically right after a compile handed focus to the VBE) it surfaces as a dialog that blocks the COM call until a human clicks OK, so it now runs under a watchdog and falls back to per-module DoCmd.Save rather than trusting a save that never happened. New MCP_ACCESS_SHIFT_BYPASS addresses a subtler irritation: the SHIFT hold that skips a target database's AutoExec is a global OS-level key-down, so every keystroke you typed anywhere on the machine during the hold arrived shifted — ~0.3s per database switch, ~3s per decompile — and you can now switch it off, though it stays on unless you explicitly say otherwise.

The theme is that neither bug was ever in anyone's VBA — both were MCP-Access mis-driving Access's own UI, and both surfaced only because the reporters reproduced them on real databases before filing.

New to Me

This section includes content I discovered this week that has been around for a while.

  • Nothing new this week.

Upcoming Access User Group Events

NOTE: Only English-language user group meetings with scheduled guest speakers or topics are listed. For a complete list of upcoming events, visit the Access User Group event calendar.

  • [August 5, 2026] Marcus Dieterle: Use the Edge browser control to extend Access
  • [August 6, 2026] Tom van Stiphout: Anonymizer for Access Data
  • [September 2, 2026] John Mallinson: Working with the Windows API
  • [October 7, 2026] Peter Bryant / Andrew Richards: GraphAuthenticator – the ‘New’ Outlook problem solved and a world of possibilities to explore
  • [November 4, 2026] UKAUG Autumn 2026 Conference: In person at The Phoenix in London; speakers:
    • Alessandro Grimaldi: Advanced UI Design in Microsoft Access
    • Mike Wolfe: Source Control with Microsoft Access

Access Roadmap

There were no changes made to the roadmap between the Week in Review last week (2026-07-25) and this week (2026-08-01).

The roadmap was last updated May 11, 2026.

Listed below is a snapshot of the official Access Roadmap.

"In Development", "Rolling Out", and "Launched" are Microsoft terms that I pulled straight from the public roadmap. Dates listed are "rollout start" dates.

In Development

  • AUG 2026: Cascading combo and list boxes with LinkMasterFields/LinkChildFields: Combo boxes and list boxes now support LinkMasterFields/LinkChildFields properties, enabling cascading dropdowns (e.g., Country filters City) without writing VBA code.
  • JUL 2026: Rounded corners on Access form controls: We’re making it easier to give your Access apps a polished, up-to-date feel. With the new CornerRadius property, you can add rounded corners to form controls—bringing a softer, more modern look to your designs.
  • JUN 2026: Zooming for Continuous Forms and Multiple-Items Forms: Access extends zoom capabilities to continuous forms and pop-up forms, building on zoom support already available in tables and queries. Adjust magnification from 10 percent to 500 percent using the slider in the lower-right corner or controls on the ribbon. Keyboard shortcuts are also available, making it easy to quickly change your view and focus on the details that matter most.

Rolling Out

  • Design Access forms and reports without 22-inch size constraints: With the removal of the 22-inch limit, your apps can now take full advantage of today’s larger monitors. You can display more data, create flexible layouts, and deliver a better experience on wide and high-resolution screens.

Launched

None listed.

Upcoming End-of-Life Dates

Here are the key end-of-life dates Access developers should track:

2024

2025

2026

2027

2029

  • [JAN 09] Windows Server 2019
  • [OCT 09] Access 2024 | Outlook 2024
  • [OCT 09 (or later)] Classic Outlook
    • See "Edit 8/12/2024" at top of this article for official clarification that "both perpetual and subscription [i.e., MS 365] versions of Outlook will be supported until 2029"
    • Support for Classic Outlook is guaranteed at least through 9 Oct 2029; it may be extended beyond this date

2030

2031

2033

2034

Ongoing

Date TBD

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All original code samples by Mike Wolfe are licensed under CC BY 4.0