Real world fonts

"I honestly believe typeface selection is one of the most transparent ways of detecting good - and bad - design. You can tell plenty about a designer merely by the typefaces he/she chooses. So you'd be wise to start with trusted faces, and you'd be even wiser to know something about the history of each typeface."

Labels: Fonts

Security levels

High:

A computer user can open without a prompt a digitally signed project from a trusted publisher. Otherwise, the application blocks opening signed projects from untrusted publishers as well as unsigned projects.

Medium:

A computer user can open without a prompt a digitally signed project from a trusted publisher. In addition, you can also designate the publisher of a signed project as trusted so their projects will open without a prompt in the future. Unsigned projects are always prompted with a reminder that the file may contain potentially harmful code, but users can elect to open them anyway.

Low:

A computer user can open an unsigned project without a prompt. When users make a Low security setting, they're reminded that they aren't protected from potentially unsafe macros.

"If you've used Access 2003, you've probably seen several security warning messages - Access 2003 cares about your security. An important part of Access 2003 security is digitally signing your code. As Rick Dobson shows, you can do it, but preparing for digital signing is critical.

A digital signature acts like shrink-wrap on your project: Clients know that they're getting a copy directly from you that no one else modified. Clients will also know that they're working with "your" code and not any version of it modified by a third party. As computing moves forward into a "security conscious" era, learning how to acquire and use a digital certificate is also important for interfacing with organizations that adopt policies of only running digitally signed Access 2003 projects: Your users may refuse to accept software from you that isn't shrink-wrapped."

Also:
Signing Access 2003 Projects

Other links:

How to make sure that your Office document has a valid digital signature in 2007 Office products and in Office 2003

Also:
HAL-PC MS Office & Excel SIG in Houston, Texas:
Digital Certificates and Trusted Sources for running Excel Macros under High Macro Security



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access

Labels: Macros, VBA

Just the check

1. Use the Report Wizard to create a report that is based on the Northwind Products table. Use the ProductName field and the Discontinued field.
   
   
2. In Design view, add a TextBox control to the Detail section.
   
   
3. Right-click TextBox, and then click Properties.
   
   
4. In the TextBox properties dialog box, click the Format tab. For Border Style, click Transparent. For Font Name, click Wingdings.
   Note You can adjust the size of the check mark by changing Font Size.
   
   
5. Click the Data tab.
   
   
6. For Control Source, type =IIF([Discontinued]=-1,"Alt+0252")
   Note "ALT+0252" is the check mark character. To enter this character, hold down ALT, and then type 0252 by using the keypad. The check mark character appears as "ü" in the IIF statement.
   
   
   Note If you want to display an "X" instead of a check mark,
   
   
   1. In the TextBox properties dialog box, click the Format tab. For Border Style, click Transparent. For Font Name, click Arial.
      
      
   2. Click the Data tab.
      
      
   3. For Control Source, type =IIF([Discontinued]=-1,"X")
      
   
   
7. Close Design view.
   
   
8. Click Preview.

Labels: Fonts, Tips, Tutorials

Don't peek

If we agree among ourselves not to tell the uninitiated, no one need be the wiser.

Microsoft Office Online:
How to Hide Objects in the Database Window

Here's how it works in 2007:
Hide tables as system tables in Access 2007



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access

Labels: Queries, Tables, Tips

When you type an entry in a ComboBox control Access will attempt to complete the entry based on the control's lookup list. This is controlled by the AutoExpand property, which is set to "Yes" by default.

If your value list contains several items that are close in spelling, it is easy for users to let Access choose the wrong item by accident.

You can avoid errors by setting the control's AutoExpand property to "No" in Design view.

Once the change has been made, users will be forced to type the entire entry or select an item using the ComboBox control's dropdown list.



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access

Labels: Entries, Tips

As Tables

1. Select File>Get External Data Import from the menu bar.
   (External Data tab, Import in 2007)
   
2. Select the appropriate database and click Import.
   
3. Select the queries you want to import on the Import Objects dialog box's Queries sheet.
   
4. Next, click the Options >> button and select the As Tables option button on the Import Queries panel.
   
5. Finally, click OK

Labels: Queries, Tables

Beyond AutoNumber

"In relational database theory, the records in a table cannot have any physical order, so record numbers represent faulty thinking. In place of record numbers, Access uses the Primary Key of the table, or the Bookmark of a recordset. If you are accustomed from another database and find it difficult to conceive of life without record numbers, check out What, no record numbers?"

Labels: Tables

Outlook Contacts in Access

1. Choose File >Open from the menu bar.
   (Office button>Open in 2007)
   
2. Under Files Of Type choose Outlook().
   
3. Locate your Outlook PST files.
   
4. Choose Contacts, or if you have set up separate files for different groups choose an appropriate one.
   
5. The wizard walks you through the process of creating an Access database with a linked Contact table.

Labels: Relationships, Tables, Tutorials

More data

An introduction to the benefits of online analytical processing (OLAP)

"Every day we create reams of data in customer relationship management applications, order entry applications, and warehouse management systems. We're drowning in a sea of data. However, even with all that data we don't have a large amount of information. We have the ones and zeros of the transactions, but we don't have the answers we need to simple questions like:

• "Why was March better than February?"
  
• "Where is the sales force having the most success?"
  
• "In what conditions does the sales team struggle with making sales?"

• Oracle 9i makes data warehousing easy to implement
  
• Seven highly effective steps to a smooth data warehouse implementation
  
• Business intelligence is just a few steps away for SAP R/3 users
  
• Resources for designing, planning, and implementing a data warehouse strategy
  
• Making the operational case for data warehousing
  
• TechRepublic Tutorial: Data warehousing defined

Also see:
OLAP Cube

Data Warehousing and OLAP
A Research-Oriented Bibliography

FAQ Excel 2007 – OLAP

Microsoft:

OLAP



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access

Labels: List, Tables, Tips

PowerPoint in Access

"Create a PowerPoint slide presentation from scratch using Access data. In addition, display and control a slide show from within an Access form. Walk through the solution and explore ways to extend the sample for your own applications.

This article looks at two ways of interaction between Access and PowerPoint.

The first sample illustrates how to create a PowerPoint presentation from the data in an Access table using Automation.

The second sample shows how to display and manipulate an existing PowerPoint presentation inside of an Access form, also using Automation."

Here is an MSDN article:
Working with PowerPoint Presentations from Access Using Automation

If you have some knowledge of VBA, you can probably figure it out from the code on the Access Form.



Office 2003 Sample:
Working with PowerPoint 2003 Presentations from Access 2003 Using Automation



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access

Labels: Forms, General, Tutorials

Examples to part out

Database of Access 2000 sample forms

The sample forms in this database demonstrate a variety of form types and techniques, including how to manipulate data, use controls, and create undo and redo operations.

• Bring a subtotal from a subform to a main form
  
• Create a running sum
  
• Create a stopwatch form
  
• Display line numbers on subform records
  
• Fill current record with data from previous record automatically
  
• Hide the combo box drop-down arrow
  
• Simulate drag-and-drop capabilities

Database of Access 2000 sample reports

The sample reports in this database demonstrate a number of techniques, including how to shade every other row or every nth row in a report, how to create a table of contents or an index for a report, and how to create a top 10 report.

Labels: Forms, Queries, Reports

Everything's connected

"Cascading combo boxes are used to help aid the user in determining a choice when entering data into a form.

They help to breakdown the options available into selectable sub-groups such a State & City, Product Type & Product, Department & Employees.

The user can select, for example, Customer Services in a combo box and the second combo box's list will reflect this selection and only list those employees within Customer Services.

Switch to Finance and all the Finance employees become selectable, etc."

Labels: Combo, Tips

Multiple selections

"How to open a report based on a multiple selection in a list box. For example, you may have a list of makes of car and a report that shows various details for each make of car. You want to allow the users to select a range of cars and pull up the report according to that selection."

Microsoft KB:
How to Use a Multi-Select List Box to Filter a Form

Customize a list box, combo box, or drop-down list box



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access

Labels: Forms, General, List, Tips

Automatic Input masks

Private Sub Country_AfterUpdate()
Dim strCountry As String
strCountry = Me.Country

    Select Case strCountry
        Case "Canada"
            Me.[PostalCode].InputMask = ">L0L\ 0L0;;_"
        Case "USA"
            Me.[PostalCode].InputMask = "00000-9999;;_"
        Case Else
        'If the country is not Canada or USA no input mask will be used
            Me.[PostalCode].InputMask = ""
    End Select
End Sub

comp.databases.ms-access forum

Working with postal codes in Access

As a rule, if you won't be performing numeric calculations on the data, entries should be stored as text. Social Security numbers, Phone numbers and postal codes should be stored as text.


You can use alphabetic characters in an input mask. For example, one of the sample input masks is >L0L\ 0L0 used to represent a Canadian postal code.

The ">" character in the input mask converts all the characters that follow to uppercase.

The "L" character requires an alpha entry; the "0" (zero) requires a numeric entry.

A "\"character causes the following character to be displayed as a literal character rather than a mask character.

A space appears between the three character pairs.
For example, V5P 2G1 is one valid postal code that the user could enter. The mask would prevent the user from entering two sequential alphabetic characters or numbers.

See:

Trinity University - San Antonio, Texas:
Input mask

Definition characters used to create an input mask
Some validation rules

You can manipulate postal codes in Access by changing the data type, input mask, or format of a postal code field.

Microsoft KB 207829:
ACC2000: How to Manipulate ZIP Codes in Microsoft Access.

Also see:
Postal Codes



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access

Labels: Entries, Forms, Macros, VBA

Drag drop trick

There is another way to do this.

Drag the table or query object's icon from the Database window/Navigation pane directly to the top half of the query design grid.

You can also use this technique in Access's Relationships window




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access

Labels: Queries, Tables, Tips

Who's counting?

2004 has 53 weeks. January 1 is the only day in the first week of 2005. Week 2 starts on Sunday 1/2/2005.

Chip Pearson is the Date and Time guy:
Week Numbers In Excel

"Under the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) standard 8601, a week always begins on a Monday, and ends on a Sunday. The first week of a year is that week which contains the first Thursday of the year, or, equivalently, contains Jan-4.

While this provides some standardization, it can lead to unexpected results - namely that the first few days of a year may not be in week 1 at all. Instead, they will be in week 52 of the preceding year! For example, the year 2000 began on Saturday. Under the ISO standard, weeks always begin on a Monday. In 2000, the first Thursday was Jan-6, so week 1 begins the preceding Monday, or Jan-3. Therefore, the first two days of 2000, Jan-1 and Jan-2, fall into week 52 of 1999.

An ISO week number may be between 1 and 53. Under the ISO standard, week 1 will always have at least 4 days. If 1-Jan falls on a Friday, Saturday, or Sunday, the first few days of the year are defined as being in the last (52nd or 53rd) week of the previous year.

Unlike absolute week numbers, not every year will have a week 53. For example, the year 2000 does not have a week 53. Week 52 begins on Monday, 25-Dec, and ends on Sunday, 31-Dec. But the year 2004 does have a week 53, from Monday, 27-Dec , through Friday, 31-Dec."

The first week of 2005 should start on January 3. The first and second would be part of week 53 of 2004.

Wikipedia:
Week Dates

If your week starts on a different day, you can use the Analysis ToolPac function:
=WEEKNUM(A1, 2) for a week that starts on Monday, =WEEKNUM(A1) if it starts on Sunday.

Also this from ExcelTip.com:
Weeknumbers using VBA in Microsoft Excel

"The function WEEKNUM() in the Analysis Toolpack addin calculates the correct week number for a given date, if you are in the U.S. The user defined function shown here will calculate the correct week number depending on the national language settings on your computer."

In Access:
DatePart Function

If your work week is always Saturday through Friday then

datepart("ww",[DateField],7,1)

will return 1 for 1/1/2005 through 1/7/2005, 2 for January 8-14/2005, etc.
Otherwise use 1 for Sunday through 7 for Saturday.

The last number sets these parameters:

1, Start with week in which January 1 occurs (default).
2, Start with the first week that has at least four days in the new year.
3, Start with first full week of the year.



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access

Labels: Functions, Tips

A second chance

"In Microsoft Office Access 2007, by default, users are not prompted to confirm changes after modifying and saving records on a form. But often you might want to prompt users to confirm their changes before the record is saved.

You can use a BeforeUpdate event procedure to display a confirmation prompt and handle a user's response to either cancel or continue with the save.

This visual how-to topic illustrates how to display a custom dialog box to prompt users to cancel or continue with saving changes to a record.

Labels: Macros, Properties, Tutorials

Sent from Access

A recent issue has information about sending reminders to Outlook from Access.

"If you have a table that contains a date field, and you want to make sure that something happens on that date, one way is to create an Outlook task with a reminder that will pop up on the specified date; you can even use the Outlook reminder to create an email message that will be sent on the specified date.

This article will show how to create an Outlook task from Access VBA code, and send an email message when the task's reminder fires."

The file is located on Helen Feddema's site.
Access Archon
Scroll down to #126

The zip file contains the WAW article, in Word format, plus the supporting file.

Helen Feddema has been working with Word since v. 1.1, Access since the beta of v. 1.0, and Outlook since the beta of v. 8.0 (that's where Outlook started its version numbering).

Labels: E-mail, VBA

Choose your own location

Word

you can change the default location by going to Tools>Options. On the "File Locations" tab you can modify the storage location.

Excel

Tools>Options. On the "General" tab change the default location.

PowerPoint

uses Tools>Options and the "Save" tab.

Access

Tools>Options and the "General" tab for Databases and Projects

Publisher

Tools>Options "General".

Outlook

will make you take an underground tour into the Registry to change the location to save e-mail attachments.

FrontPage/Expression Web

appears to require the same sort of spelunking.

Labels: Customize, General

Good combo

"While working with forms, a split form can be a very useful view because you simultaneously get two views of the form that are connected to the same data source.
This demo shows you how to create a split form view where you can use the datasheet part of the form to quickly locate a record and the form portion to view or modify the record.

You will also learn how to enhance and customize a split form view to suit your needs."

Labels: Forms, Tutorials

Access tidbits

Labels: Tips

More dimensions than Star trek

When a company accumulates a great deal of information, it becomes un-wieldy to work with just basic Excel or Access databases.

There is a database concept called on OLAP cube (On-Line Analytical Processing).

This multidimensional collection of data can be thought of as a 3-D pivot table viewed from flat land.

MSDN:
Just What Are Cubes Anyway?
(A Painless Introduction to OLAP Technology)

OLAPReort.com:
What is OLAP


Wikipedia:
OLAP

Wang.se (Wang Sweden) a Swedish software company:

Create an OLAP Cube



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access

Labels: General, Relationships, Tutorials