Comments about Microsoft Press Microsoft® Access® 2010 VBA Programming Inside Out:

I approached this mighty tome on two levels: that of someone new to VBA programming (I can still remember the steep learning curve I went through...) and my own, as someone with a number of years experience in development. I have to say, it works very well at both levels.

Having written software guides myself, I know how important both content and presentation are - they're the Lennon and McCartney of technical writing. Without content, of course, you have nothing, but if the presentation is insufficiently consistent and attractive, your readers might give up on you. This book pays close attention to these aspects of presentation - the style is consistent throughout, and well explained at the outset. At the risk of over-emphasising this point, I do believe this kind of approach is reassuring for readers, especially those who are taking their first steps into an unfamiliar technology. The language too, is friendly and not at all forbidding - I particularly like the warnings that a section might be a little daunting, and suggestions on where to skip to if you that's the case.

The book is divided into seven sections, covering everything from VBA basics to integration with other office programs and SQL Server. I spent some time on Part 1: VBA Environment and Language (three chapters), as this is the part which a newcomer to VBA would, I think, find most useful. It provides an excellent, thorough introduction but is by no means superficial; in conjunction with the online sample databases, anyone competent with the Access interface would be well-equipped to start making real use of VBA. Part 2: Access Object Model and Data Access objects (DAO) goes deeper and, as the text says, can be skipped if it's too technical for the moment - it's quite possible to work with forms and reports (part 3) without a detailed knowledge of DAO; a bit like being able to drive competently without knowing precisely how a clutch and gears work. Part 3: Working with Forms and Reports gets to the heart of the matter - making forms and reports work harder and perform more efficiently and creatively. This is particularly important if, as is so often the case, the systems you develop will be used by administrators and others who cannot be expected to have detailed knowledge of ICT. Again, the explanations and examples are clear and precise. Incidentally, the "Inside Out" panels, providing tips and extra information throughout the book, are a very helpful device, often explaining why something is not the case, or clearing up some confusion, something technical manuals often leave out.

Part 4: Advanced Programming with VBA Classes makes a very welcome appearance for someone like me, who has never used classes, but always wanted to. It's also a discrete section which can be skipped without affecting your acquisition of the skills you need. Even after a cursory reading, I feel I understand the concept and I look forward to absorbing this aspect of VBA and using it in development.

For someone who has not explored the use of Office programs in conjunction, Part 5: External Data and Office Integration provides a practical introduction to firing up Word (to put the results of a query into a mail merge, for example) and Excel (perhaps to produce charts and graphs based on Access data). I found the section on late vs. early binding and CreateObject vs. New especially useful. I well remember the horizons opening up before me the first time I realised I could `drive' other Office programs from within VBA, and this section illuminates this very well. Including Internet Explorer, which also has an object model, in this section, might have been a useful addition.

Like part 4, Part 6: SQL Server and SQL Azure deals with aspects of development I haven't been involved with. However, I've always know that I'll have to bite the bullet one day, and I can see that this section will stand me in good stead when I do. It starts by clearly explaining what SQL Server is and how its organisation differs from that of a straightforward Access database, with the caveat that it may take some time and effort to grasp fully, and progresses through the different versions available, the tools to help in setting up and manipulating SQL databases and the process of `upsizing' from Access.

Finally, Part 7: Application Design takes the reader through all aspects of the design and development process, including the all-important business of protecting your application from accidental (or even mischievous) access to its design. There are useful sections on providing progress bars to reassure users during lengthy processes, creating custom ribbons and deploying secure versions of your applications.

Andrew Couch has done a lovely job of organising this book into logical sections, enabling the reader either to work their way through it from beginning to end, or to select sections particularly appropriate to them.

Comments about Microsoft Press Microsoft® Access® 2010 VBA Programming Inside Out:

Microsoft Access 2010 VBA Programming Inside Out is a timely released publication. The book helps a developer maintain their grasp of a constantly developing product. For the experienced developer, many time-saving programming pitfalls are highlighted. For those with less MS Access experience, there is a useful review of Error Debugging and VBA programming. This leads to a clear pathway to the integration of MS Access with other Microsoft Office applications. The procedures are well documented with easy to follow concise worked examples.
The book proved helpful for this reviewer, an intermediate developer wishing to explore the capabilities and limitations of some of the new developments in MS Access 2010 when connected to SQL Server hosted data. The author brings us right up to date with a wealth of experience and knowledge. The book showcases the upsizing of MS Access databases to SQL Server, the integration of MS Access 2010 with SQL Azure as well as more recent Cloud developments. I would recommend this book to any developer wishing to stay abreast of MS Access programming development.

Comments about Microsoft Press Microsoft® Access® 2010 VBA Programming Inside Out:

This book provides exactly what the Product Description sets out. It covers a huge amount of ground in a very concise way. You will need some experience of using Access before tackling this book and you will need to work through the sample code in a methodical way - but put in the effort and the book will deliver knowledge that would take several weeks of training courses to deliver - at a fraction of the price! Even people who have been programming in VBA for many years are likely to learn something new (I certainly did), especially as the book provides an introduction to Azure.