Microsoft Access 2000 Development Unleashed

Stephen Forte owns the Aurora Development Group, a NYC consulting firm specializing in Access and ActiveX technologies. Stephen also serves as the President of the NYC Access/Visual Basic User Group. Stephen is a speaker at Microsoft Tech Ed and conferences such as Advisor DevCon Professional Developer¿s Conference and MS Office/VB Solutions. Tom Howe is the President of Control Center Computing Inc., a software company and Microsoft Solution Provider that develops applications for government, law firms, and other organizations. Tom is also past president of the Portland, Oregon Access User Group. He is also a speaker at conferences such as Advisor DevCon Professional Developer¿s Conference and MS Office/VB Solutions.

I. DATABASE DESIGN UNLEASHED.

1. What's New For Developers In Access 2000.


New User Interface. Changes to the VBE. Data Access Pages. Subdatasheets. Name AutoCorrect. ADO Is the Default Data Access Method. Online Collaboration. Access as a Front-End to SQL Server. Summary.

2. Planning The Development Process.


Gathering Requirements. Architecture. Development Planning. Construction. Summary.

3. Database Design And Normalization.


Relational Database Management Systems (RDBMS). The Relational Design Theory. Summary.

4. Advanced Queries.


Understanding Queries in Access 2000. Creating Advanced Queries. Using the Query Object. Understanding Query Properties. Understanding the QBE Grid. Understanding the Table Pane. Understanding the Query Grid. Mastering Totals Queries. Using Crosstab Queries. Using Parameter Queries. Understanding Pass-Through Queries. Understanding Data Definition Queries. Optimizing Queries. Summary.

5. The Microsoft Jet Database Engine 4.0.


The History of Microsoft Jet. Using the New Jet 4.0 Features in Your Applications. Summary.

II. DATA ACCESS.

6. Introduction To ActiveX Data Objects.


History of Data Access. Microsoft's Universal Data Access Initiative. ActiveX Data Objects (ADO). The ADO Object Model. ADO Recordset Object. The Error Object. Moving from DAO to ADO. The ADO Object Model Compared to DAO. Summary.

7. Advanced ADO.


Using the OLE DB Provider for Jet in Access 2000. Accessing Nonrelational Data with ADO. Advanced Data Manipulation with ADO. Data Definition with ADOx. Summary.

III. USER INTERFACES UNLEASHED.

8. Advanced Form Design.


Form Properties. Access Form Controls. Summary.

9. Enhancing Forms With ActiveX Controls.


How to Use ActiveX Controls. Using ActiveX Controls.

21. ActiveX Controls.


Distributing ActiveX Controls. Summary.

10. Reporting Unleashed.


Approaching Reports. Understanding the Architecture of Access Reports. Building a Single Table Report Using the Report Wizard. Customizing Reports. Working with Subreports. Creating Simple Mailing Labels. Publishing a Report. Modifying a Report at Runtime. Building Reports Programmatically. Tips and Tricks. Summary.

IV. VBA UNLEASHED.

11. Creating Objects With Class Modules.


Exploring the Benefits of Using Objects. Reviewing Objects, Properties, and Methods. Creating Classes. Creating Properties. Creating Methods. Creating Events. Using Objects. Creating Multiple Instances of an Object. Examining More Object Examples. Implementing an Error Handler Object. Using Objects with VBA Collections. Summary.

12. Debugging Access Applications.


Eliminating Logic Errors. Working with the Visual Basic Development Environment (IDE). Working with the Debug Object. Using the Immediate Window. Using the Debugger. Using Conditional Compilation. Application Testing. Practice Debugging Techniques. Summary.

13. Professional Error Handling.


Eliminating Syntax Errors. Eliminating Logic Errors. Eliminating Runtime Errors. Errors in Various Applications. Error Handling With Nested Procedures. Advanced Error Topics. Summary.

14. Application Optimization.


Strengthening the Foundation: Hardware and Windows /tOptimization. Installing the Application for Optimal Performance. Optimizing the Configuration of the Jet Database Engine. Tools to Measure Performance. Looking Behind the Scenes. Optimizing the Database from the Start. Boosting Query Performance. Increasing the Speed of Queries. Getting Your Forms to Run Faster. Writing Fast Code. Summary.

V. ACCESS CLIENT/SERVER.

15. Introducing Access Data Projects And The Visual Tools.


Introducing Access Data Projects. Using ADPs. Working with ADPs and Existing SQL Server Databases. Creating a Project Based on a New Database. Summary.

16. Developing Access Front-Ends To Microsoft SQL Server.


Client/Server Architecture: OLE DB Versus ODBC. Setting Up Your SQL Server Front-End Connection. Stored Procedures and SQL Pass-Through Queries. Reporting Against SQL Server in Access 2000. Using Forms in Your Application. Advanced Features of the SQL Server OLE DB Provider. Executing Commands with Parameters. Using a Connection Class. Summary.

17. Access 2000 Front-Ends to Oracle.


Accessing Oracle Data with Access. Functions in Oracle Versus Access. Understanding Views and Stored Procedures. Creating an Unbound Interface to Oracle. Summary.

VI. INTEROPERABILITY.

18. Using ActiveX Automation.


What Is ActiveX Automation? Why Use Automation? Distinguishing Automation Server Versus Automation Client. Determining Automation Resource Requirements. Understanding the Big Picture. Creating and Setting a Reference to Another Application. Assigning an Object Variable to an Application. Creating an Instance of the Application. Using the Automation Object's Properties and Methods. Releasing the Automation Object. Putting It All Together. Closing the Automation Server Application. Using the UserControl Property to Determine How an /tApplication Was Opened. Using WithEvents to Expose Events of the Automation Server. Using the Automation Tips and Techniques. Summary.

19. Integration With Office 2000.


Why Integrate with Office 2000? Using the Right Tool. VBA Everywhere. Using the Macro Recorder to Write Code. Using Auto Macros. Microsoft Forms. Object Browser. Class Arguments for Office Applications. Automation Example. Automating Word. Automating Excel. Automating PowerPoint. Automating Outlook. Automating Graph. Automating MapPoint. Automating FrontPage. Automating Binder. Securing Documents, Templates, and Code. Summary.

20. Using Visual Basic With Access.


Creating ActiveX Code Components. Creating ActiveX Controls. Summary.

VII. MULTIUSER ISSUES.

21. Multiuser Issues/File Server/Locking.


Contention. Configuration. Access and Jet Locking. Oracle/SQL Server Locking. Summary.

22. Replication and JRO.


When to Use Replication. When Not to Use Replication. Making a Database Replicable. Replication Using the Briefcase. Using the Access User Interface. Jet and Replication Objects Model. JRO Properties and Methods Explained. Replica Objects. Filters Collection. Summary.

23. Security.


Elements of Security. Workgroup Creation. Users and Groups. Security Implementation Using Startup Options. Security Concerns with Replication. Security for Split Databases. Security for Client/Server. Securing a Database Step by Step. Common Security Errors.

VIII. WEB PUBLISHING WITH ACCESS 2000.

24. Configuring A Web Site For Web Publishing.


Development Versus Production Environment. Choosing Your Platform. What Is the Option Pack? Setting Up Your Web Server. Managing and Configuring Your Web Server. Securing Your Web Applications. What Is the Difference Between a Site and a Virtual Directory? Summary.

25. Web Enabling Access 2000 With Office Web Components.


What Are the Office 2000 Web Components? Using the Office Spreadsheet Control. Using the Office Chart Control. Using the Office PivotTable Control. Summary.

26. Using Data Access Pages.


Creating Your First Data Access Page. Implementing Interactive Drill-Downs. Incorporating the Office Web Components with DAPs. Scripting Data Access Pages. Summary.

27. Web Publishing With Access 2000 and Active Server Pages.


Using Active Server Pages. Understanding Active Server Pages. Getting Started with Active Server Pages. Active Server Pages 101. Real-Life Example: Establishing a Self Maintaining /tMembership-Based Web Page. Access 2000 Web Publishing with XML. Creating Charts with the Chart Control. Summary.

Appendix A. References For Further Reading.


Recommended Books. Online Resources.

Index.