Week in Review: September 19, 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.}

• Alessandro Grimaldi
  • New VBA Tool! clsConnection: Announces clsConnection, a VBA library providing a single interface over DAO and ADO so data access code works across current, external, and server databases by changing only the connection string.
• Mathieu Guindon (Rubberduck VBA)
  • RDCore @ 20260915: Reports on RDCore development milestones, describing its multi-process architecture with working JSON-RPC/LSP communications and a bidirectional, source-preserving AST.
• Daniel Pineault (DEVelopers HUT)
  • Finding Duplicate Files Between 2 Folders with PowerShell: Presents a read-only PowerShell script that compares two folders to find identical files using size grouping and SHA-256 hashing, then reports potential storage savings in an Excel workbook.
• Colin Riddington (Isladogs on Access)
  • Get Office/Windows Language Info Using Code: Explains how to retrieve the installed Office language in VBA using the Application.LanguageSettings.LanguageID property and a lookup table to convert the returned locale IDs into descriptive names.
• George Hepworth (Grover Park Consulting)
  • One Scan Behind: Explains why calling DSum inside a DAO transaction returns stale totals, because domain aggregate functions run on Access's own connection rather than the transaction's, and warns that VBA can hold multiple distinct views of the same database within one procedure.
  • The other half of the story: an AI assistant finds its own bugs: Describes how template-defined validation checks surfaced defects in AI-generated VBA builds that the AI assistant then diagnosed and corrected on its own, arguing that documented revisions demonstrate the checks' effectiveness.
• Mike Wolfe (NoLongerSet)
  • Throwback Thursday: September 17, 2026: Revisits earlier blog articles exploring the reasons behind using version control, accompanied by a piece of developer humor.
  • twinBASIC Update: September 15, 2026: Details how Wayne Phillips uses a private, local AI model on a 256GB unified-VRAM system as a continuous autonomous auditor of the twinBASIC compiler codebase, keeping cloud-based AI out of the process for privacy.
  • First Principles: How NVIDIA's Pursuit of the Speed of Light Can Inspire Access Developers: Draws on Jensen Huang's first-principles thinking and NVIDIA's extreme co-design approach to argue that Access developers should measure their work against fundamental limits and focus on value creation for clients.

Videos

• Access User Group Recordings (YouTube channel)
  • Run FREE AI on Your PC for Microsoft Access (57:41): Complete Ollama Setup Guide
• Karl Donaubauer (YouTube channel)
  • Access News 11 (16:39): Sep 2026
• Alessandro Grimaldi (YouTube channel)
  • clsConnection (01:28): a single interface over DAO and ADO
• Richard Rost (YouTube channel)
  • Video Quiz X2.4 (03:33): Can You Open Related Contacts From a Customer Form in Microsoft Access?
  • Field Selector (27:40): Microsoft Access Let Users Choose Which Fields Appear on a Continuous Form
  • No Current Record (14:13): Microsoft Access Error 3021 No Current Record Causes and Fixes
  • Video Quiz B1.8 (03:50): Why Do Date Time Fields Sort From Oldest To Newest In Microsoft Access?
  • Subscript Out of Range (11:22): Microsoft Access Error 9 Subscript Out of Range Causes and Fixes

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 29, 2026] Maria Barnes: Access Lunchtime – using AI for Microsoft Access development
• [October 1, 2026] George Hepworth: Open Template Scaffolds for AI Assisted Development (JUST ADDED)
• [October 7, 2026] George Hepworth: Using AI to create Open Template Scaffolds
• [November 4, 2026] UKAUG Autumn 2026 Conference: In person at The Phoenix in London; speakers:
  • Colin Riddington: Sprinkle a little UI Magic on your Apps (in-person version)
  • Mike Wolfe: Version Control for Access Developers
  • Alessandro Grimaldi: MS Access: More than you think!
  • Tim Finch: 3D Rendering in VBA. Helped by new “mate”, Claude
  • The Microsoft Access Team
• [November 11, 2026] Colin Riddington: Sprinkle a little UI Magic on your Access Apps
• [December 2, 2026] Mike Wolfe: Using AI for Test Driven Development in Access

Access Roadmap

The following changes were made to the roadmap between the Week in Review last week (2026-09-12) and this week (2026-09-19):

• Zooming for Continuous Forms and Multiple-Items Forms: Moved from In Development to Launched; rollout start updated from JUN 2026 to AUG 2026
• Enable zoom magnification to Microsoft Access for Forms, Tables, Queries: Moved from In Development to Launched
• Rounded corners on Access form controls: Rollout start date updated from JUL 2026 to OCT 2026
• Cascading combo and list boxes with LinkMasterFields/LinkChildFields: No change (SEP 2026, still In Development)

The roadmap was last updated September 14, 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

• OCT 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.
• SEP 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.

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

• AUG 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 magnification slider (10% to 500%) in 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.

Upcoming End-of-Life Dates

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

2024

• [JUL 09] SQL Server 2014

2025

• [OCT 14] Access 2016 | Access 2019 | Office 2016 | Office 2019
• [OCT 14] Windows 10
• [OCT 28] Salesforce ODBC Driver
• [NOV 11] Windows 11 version 23H2

2026

• [JUL 14] SQL Server 2016
• [OCT 13] Access 2021 | Office 2021
• [OCT 13] Windows 11 version 24H2

2027

• [JAN 12] Windows Server 2016
• [MAR 01] Auto-migration of Classic Outlook begins for Enterprise users (originally scheduled for April 2026, but postponed to March 2027)
• [OCT 12] SQL Server 2017

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

• [JAN 08] SQL Server 2019

2031

• [OCT 14] Windows Server 2022

2033

• [JAN 11] SQL Server 2022

2034

• [OCT 10] Windows Server 2025

Ongoing

• Microsoft 365 (with subscription)

Date TBD

• Complete removal of VBScript from Windows OS (Microsoft Announces the Death of VBScript)