Week in Review

Week in Review: August 8, 2026

Highlights include a DAAUG talk on modernizing Access, how to send SMS text messages from Access, and my return to regular writing.

Mike Wolfe

• 4 min read
Week in Review: August 8, 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-opus-4.8.

  • Official Access Blog
  • Access Forever
  • Mathieu Guindon (Rubberduck VBA)
    • Simple Things Pt.1: Values: An exploration of how RDCore's semantic type system models VBA literal values using binding handles that separate types from values to support references, arrays, and reflection-like capabilities.
  • Daniel Pineault (DEVelopers HUT)
  • Colin Riddington (Isladogs on Access)
    • Fix Filtered Scrollbar Issue: Colin Riddington demonstrates how to eliminate the leftover grey scrollbar artifact on filtered continuous forms using Form_Current event code that toggles the ScrollBars property based on record count.
  • Mike Wolfe (NoLongerSet)
    • The Trouble With Side Effects: A cautionary narrative illustrating how accumulating side effects in a function like CreateInvoice() leads to compounding complexity and technical debt.
    • Throwback Thursday: August 6, 2026: A curated roundup revisiting Microsoft Access's folder locking behavior and tools for handling locked files and folders, alongside articles and developer humor.
    • Probabilistic vs. Deterministic: An explanation of the distinction between probabilistic LLM outputs and deterministic code, with rules of thumb for choosing the right approach when developing software with AI.
    • twinBASIC Update: August 4, 2026: This update covers LLVM compilation progress including a successful PhotoDemon build, error-handling optimization tradeoffs, and a slight delay to the planned release date.
    • I'm Back: Mike Wolfe announces his return to regular writing, focused on AI, explaining why he stepped back and how he plans to address cover art, content scrapers, and AI-generated slop.

Videos

  • Denver Area Access Users Group (YouTube channel)
  • Richard Rost (YouTube channel)
    • Design View (28:12): Whats Design View? Understanding the Different Views in Microsoft Access. QQ 103
    • Video Quiz B1.3 (03:16): When Should You Enable Active Content in a Microsoft Access Database?
    • Overlapping Days (23:33): How to Calculate Overlapping Days in Two Date Ranges in Microsoft Access
    • Video Quiz D1.2 (02:45): What Is VBA Primarily Used For in Microsoft Access Database Development?
    • Video Quiz A1.2 (02:43): What Is a Microsoft Access Macro Used For in Database Automation Tasks?
    • How to Get Help (31:47): Microsoft Access Help: Where to Get Answers, Community Support, and Expert Assistance - QQ 102

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.

  • [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 (2026-08-01) and this week (2026-08-08).

The roadmap was last updated June 23, 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.
  • MAY 2026: Enable zoom magnification to Microsoft Access for Forms, Tables, Queries: Access will add [a] magnification slider (10% to 500%) in [the] lower right of the application, similar to the feature in Word, PowerPoint, and Excel. It will also be keyboard accessible and available on the ribbon in Access forms, tables, and queries.

Rolling Out

  • JUN 2026: 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