April
2012
For Microsoft Access, SQL Server,
Visual Studio .NET, and VB6 Professionals
Greetings!
We have to look out our window more often. After last
month's spectacular
rainbow, we were treated to a fly-by of the Space Shuttle
Discovery. Actually, three fly-bys right in front of us. This
was a bittersweet observation
of its final flight on its way to the Smithsonian Air and Space museum.
In this issue, we're announcing the release of an update to
Total Access Analyzer 2010, a new paper discussing the
advantages and disadvantages of Microsoft Access vs. Excel, an
alert to make sure you claim your 25GB SkyDrive partition
before Microsoft reduces it to 7 GB, and our top 5 tips for
using combo boxes. We've also included some Microsoft related
news on their Open Source initiatives, Cascading Style Sheet
tips, and their recent report of strong Windows, Office, and
Server sales.
Next week, I'll be at the sold out
Portland Access User Group conference at the
rustic Silver Falls State Park conference center where there
are still pay phones because cell coverage doesn't exist. Hope
to see you there.
Luke Chung
President
P.S. Please
our
Facebook page to receive the latest information about our product
releases, tips, and other news related to helping you be more
productive.
Contents
Total Access Analyzer for Access 2010 Updated
We've released an update to
Total Access Analyzer 2010 to existing customers that
includes several enhancements:
- Documentation and detection of unused temporary variables (TempVars)
was enhanced and fixed
- Handle macros and embedded macros with no lines
- Embedded macros with no lines are now flagged as suggestions for
removal.
- Cross-reference analysis of objects and code in IF
statements of macros
- Improved display of the Explorer form when database is using
overlapped window mode, and 32 vs. 64 bit versions
- Updated report thumbnails to show latest versions
- Fixed cosmetic user interface issues and other minor bugs
Here are the details of the
Total
Access Analyzer 2010 update. Existing customers should
have received an email with download instructions. If you
didn't receive an email, please contact
support so we can ensure your email address and
registration are accurate.
If you weren't aware, we've shipped Total Access Analyzer
for Microsoft Access 2010 to support both the 32 and 64 bit versions of Microsoft Access 2010. Here is a description of the
new Access 2010 features and the new
PDF flier.
Space
Shuttle Discovery Flies by Our Offices Three Times
We were treated with a very memorable experience last week
as the Space Shuttle Discovery flew by our offices three times
on its final flight. Atop a 747 with fighter jet escort, it
came toward us from Washington DC, banked right in front of
our windows, then headed back to DC.
They eventually flew over us toward the Smithsonian's Udvar-Hazy
National Air and Space Museum at Dulles Airport, where the
shuttle is
now on permanent display. We've posted some pictures in our
Facebook
album.
Microsoft Access versus Microsoft Excel for Data Analysis
and Reporting
We are often asked by Microsoft Office power users whether,
why, and when they should use Microsoft Access versus
Microsoft Excel. Especially when they are very comfortable
using MS Excel and don't understand the reasons why anyone
would use MS Access or databases.
We've written a new paper that describes the issues in
detail:
- How Microsoft Access and Excel Empower Information
Workers
- Advantages of Microsoft Excel Spreadsheets
- Disadvantages of Microsoft Excel Spreadsheets
- Advantages of Microsoft Access and Databases
- Disadvantages of Microsoft Access
- How Using Both Gives You and Your Organization a
Competitive Edge
Read more in
Microsoft Access vs. Microsoft Excel for Data Analysis and
Reporting (Spreadsheets versus Databases)
Preserve Your Free 25GB
Microsoft SkyDrive Account
Microsoft's SkyDrive service has offered everyone a free
25GB hard disk in the cloud. This lets you store your files,
backups, and even share files with others. It's an amazing
free offer that we've mentioned in the past.
Unfortunately, Microsoft has just reduced the free amount
to 7 GB. That's still generous, is more than Apple's iCloud,
and is what's offered to new customers.
For a limited time, if you already have a SkyDrive account,
you can keep your 25GB disk but you need to claim
it.
Read
our blog for upgrade details:
Preserve Your Free 25GB Microsoft SkyDrive Account
Top
Five Tips for Using Combo Boxes on Microsoft Access Forms
Microsoft Access combo boxes let you display data for users
to select values from predefined lists. Using them effectively
simplifies data entry and accuracy.
Most commonly, the list of values is from a table or query,
and can be bound to one field (like an ID field) while
displaying a field the user sees and understands. Combo boxes
in Access also support the display of multiple columns so you
can show more data to make it easier to select the right item.
Check out our
Top Five Tips for Using Combo Boxes on Microsoft Access Forms
Example of Address Validation with Zip Code Lookup of City/State
Names and Multiple City ComboBox
Luke Chung Speaking at Portland Access User Group Conference
FMS President Luke Chung
is attending and speaking
at the sold-out Microsoft Access conference sponsored by the
Portland Oregon Access User Group.
Join him and other guest speakers May 5-7 at the beautiful Silver
Falls State Park Conference Center.
Microsoft speakers include Ryan McMinn, Microsoft Access Senior
Program Manager Lead, and Kevin Bell, test engineer on the Access
team. Other speakers include industry authors and notables F.
Scott Barker, Alison Balter, Juan Soto, and Armen Stein.
Luke will be giving a new presentation on Tips and
Techniques for Taking Over an Existing Access Application.
For complete details and registration, visit the
PAUG
Conference site. See photos from last year's conference on
our
Facebook page.
Thank you for your continued support!
Watch our
Blog,
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page, and
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feed for our latest announcements
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