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  Welcome To The Access Unlimited Newsletter - Edition 30
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Access Unlimited is an email newsletter that provides free tips, help and information for skilled Microsoft Access users and related software disciplines.

Produced by Garry Robinson (known below as "Ed") from Sydney, Australia.

In this edition,

GET THE DESIGN RIGHT AND YOU ARE ALMOST HOME
READ THE BOOKS THAT WE READ
EXPLICITLY CLOSE RECORDSETS
WINDOWS XP UPGRADE
BUILDING HYPERLINKS TO JUMP INTO A WEB SITE
GOOD READING

---- GET THE DESIGN RIGHT AND YOU ARE ALMOST HOME

The most important part of any Access project is the database design. Whenever I am working on a new project, I take the approach that every form, report and line visual basic is a throwaway until the user is happy with the data model. This means that relational model will manage entry of all the known input and queries can demonstrate all of the required output. My favorite project was one with 20 tables which we opened for data entry and about 8 queries that were used for output. There were only two forms in the system and they opened the tables and queries directly. The cost of this system was minimized and the client was able to manage and report their data all through the strength of a good data model. Ed

---- READ THE BOOKS THAT WE READ

Yes we do receive commissions if you purchase these books from Amazon, but what the heck, we like them, maybe you might too !!! ---> http://www.vb123.com/books/

---- CLOSE THE DOOR - EXPLICITLY CLOSE YOUR RECORDSETS

You have been told. Always close recordsets or you will loose memory to leakage. These articles explain what to do

Access 2002
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;Q289562
Access 2000
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;Q209847

 ---- WINDOWS XP UPGRADE

Ed upgraded his Sony Viao micro laptop from ME to Windows XP Home. Upgrading laptops to Windows XP is not for the faint hearted. After reading heaps at the Sony site and uninstalling about 15 programs, downloading 15 new XP versions of the same software and then installing them after the shutdown and then fixing printers and Adobe Acrobat and a few other things and watching the sun go down at least once, I hate to say it but there was no spare change from 10 hours work. No doubt your upgrade will be quicker.

NetBEUI is not supported under Windows XP. Will need some planning/testing if you still use the protocol in your networks.

Thinking about upgrading to Windows XP Pro. Click Here

The good news is that Windows XP is very stable compared to flaky old Windows ME. More recommendations and blagging as time goes by. See editorial below for the real story behind the upgrade.

---- PROBLEMS WITH SOME OF LAST MONTHS LINKS

Some of the many links in last month's email were chopped because they were too long. They are fixed at
issue29.htm

Occasionally this will happen and you will need to manually concatenate the web addresses together from 2 consecutive lines. Sorry but they are not our web sites.

---- BUILDING HYPERLINKS TO JUMP INTO A WEB SITE

From Stephen "I've taken a lot from your newsletter (Access Unlimited) so maybe this will help someone else...

Background: I have to keep track of undelivered UPS packages. I know the UPS tracking no, and have it entered into a database. I have a form that displays Ship Tracking No (text box), Date Delivered (text box) and a Command Button (UPS Tracking).

The following code is behind the On_Click event...

Private Sub cmdUpsTracking_Click()
Dim strAdr As String

strAdr = "http://wwwapps.ups.com/etracking/tracking.cgi?" _ & "&TypeOfInquiryNumber=T&InquiryNumber1= " & ShipTrackNo

cmdUpsTracking.HyperlinkAddress = strAdr

End Sub

The string (strAdr) that is created is the complete URL that is needed to allow the UPS tracking website to track and display the status of that package. One click is easier than ten.

Stephen Brenton Ladson SC USA ("completely self taught" or "I make my own mistakes")

----- GOOD READING

An almost white paper on database corruption in Access 97 http://support.microsoft.com/directory/article.asp?ID=KB;EN-US;Q303519

And in Jet 4.0 (Access 2000 & 2002)
http://support.microsoft.com/directory/article.asp?ID=KB;EN-US;Q300216

And opportunistic locking on Windows NT that it is recommended is disabled http://support.microsoft.com/directory/article.asp?ID=kb;en-us;Q129202
 

Better coding rules from Adam Cogan at SSW. Pick the best bits to help with http://www.ssw.com.au/ssw/Methodology/SSWRulestoBetterCode.asp#rule1

Access VBA and VB addin http://www.mztools.com/

Convert Access forms to Data Access Pages.
http://www.trigeminal.com/frmrpt2dap.asp

Ever wondered about the exclusive lock bug in Access 2000/XP http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;Q200290

Use Connection Control to Prevent User Log On at Run Time Access 2000 http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;Q198756

Access 2002
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;Q287655

You will get better results at Microsoft searching for DAP rather than "Data Access Pages"

Needed a viewer for ABC flowchart file sent by a prospective client. Download it from this page http://www.micrografx.com/support/patches.asp

Import all objects from another database in Access 2000 http://support.microsoft.com/directory/article.asp?ID=KB;EN-US;q298174

An interesting tip on missing import filters for Access plus the old splash screen tip.
http://www.grinder.free-online.co.uk/pages/tricks%20and%20tips/Tricks%20and%20Tips.htm

-----

WRAPPING THIS EDITION UP - MICROSOFT HARDWARE CHECKING

Here is an interesting problem that occurs after the upgrade to Windows XP from Windows ME. When I take my laptop home now and fire up Office XP, I get a message saying that my computer hardware has significantly changed and that I need to activate the product. This is not correct because it is the same computer, the same hardware and all I have done is upgrade the operating system. Interestingly I do not have this warning when I am at my office.

Now I have worked out that this activation warning has occurred because Windows XP has given new identifications to my hardware and when my portable CD player is not plugged in, it decides that the computer has changed enough that I need to re-activate the software. Unfortunately my CD and CD driver are back at my business address so I cannot insert the Office XP CD in the non-existent CD player to reinstall the software. Now my version of Office has all sorts of important features turned off such as Access is read-only and I cannot write emails. Not so good if I had discovered this on an overseas trip. Clearly the windows XP upgrade should have allowed for a hardware identification change so the Office XP did not require the product to be activated again. Imagine if all the 60+ programs on my computer behaved in this manner after an upgrade. Clearly I would not upgrade very often.

-- OUR SOFTWARE AND RESOURCES -----------------------

Reuse our software in your programs --->
http://www.vb123.com/toolbox/

Read the books that we read --->
http://www.vb123.com/books/

Explore your data visually using our popular Access data mining shareware --->
http://www.vb123.com/explore

View our web site as a searchable eBook and have access to all the downloads discussed in the articles and information pages at the popular vb123.com web site. --->
http://www.vb123.com/Toolbox/
 

So thanks for reading our popular newsletter. Feel free to make comments, copy the email to a friend or maybe even contribute to the next edition.

Garry Robinson - Software Consultant
GR-FX Pty Limited
 

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Published  2002-02