Access Solutions: Tips, Tricks, and Secrets from Microsoft Access MVPs

Introduction xxi

Part I Tables 1

Tip 1 Creating Tables for Web Applications 3

Tip 2 Alternative to the Hyperlink Data Type 9

Tip 3 Fill a Table with Numbers 17

Part II Queries 23

Tip 4 A Single Query to Do Both Updates and Insertions 25

Tip 5 Using a Cartesian Product to Generate a Calendar 31

Tip 6 Using a Multiselect List Box as a Query Parameter 39

Part III Forms 55

Tip 7 Cascading Combo Boxes 57

Tip 8 Cascading Combo Boxes on Continuous Forms 65

Tip 9 Paired List Boxes 75

Tip 10 Marquees, Scrolling Messages, and Flashing Labels 89

Tip 11 Custom Tab Controls 99

Tip 12 Simulating Web-Style “Hover” Buttons 109

Tip 13 Custom Form Navigation Controls 115

Tip 14 Calendar Form 121

Tip 15 Simulating Drag-and-Drop in Access Forms 129

Tip 16 Providing Visual Feedback for Drag-and-Drop 139

Tip 17 Control List Boxes with Drag-and-Drop 149

Part IV Taking Advantage of Report Capabilities 165

Tip 18 Page 1 of N for Groups 167

Tip 19 Always Starting a Group on an Odd Page for Duplex Printing 175

Tip 20 Dynamically Changing the Sort Order of a Report 183

Tip 21 Week-at-a-Glance–Type Report 197

Tip 22 Day-at-a-Glance–Type Report 209

Part V Using VBA 221

Tip 23 Useful String Functions 223

Tip 24 Useful Functions 245

Tip 25 Relinking Front-End Databases to Back-End Databases in the Same Folder 271

Tip 26 SaveAsText and LoadFromText: Undocumented Backup and Anti-Corruption Tricks 277

Tip 27 Reminders—Building Tickler Forms and Utilities 287

Tip 28 Using Disconnected Recordsets 297

Tip 29 Implementing Soundex 311

Part VI Automating Applications and ActiveX Controls 329

Tip 30 Charting Using Excel 331

Tip 31 Using the TreeView Control 343

Tip 32 Using the ListView Control 359

Tip 33 Adding Images to the TreeView Control 383

Tip 34 Using the TreeView and ListView Controls Together 399

Part VII Access and the Web 417

Tip 35 Building an Access Web Application 419

Tip 36 Embedding a Web Control in a Form 449

Tip 37 Building a Time Picker in a Web Form: An Introduction to Web Macros 459

Tip 38 RSS Feeds 471

Tip 39 Detecting Whether You’ve Got Internet Connectivity 487

Part VIII Utilities 493

Tip 40 Drilling Down to Data 495

Tip 41 Utility for Renaming a Form’s Controls 501

Tip 42 Document Management Using Access 507

Tip 43 Ultra-Fast Searching 529

Index 539