DAO Object Model: The Definitive Reference

By Helen Feddema
First Edition January 2000
Pages: 401
ISBN 10: 1-56592-435-5 | ISBN 13: 9781565924352
(Average of 0 Customer Reviews)

This book is OUT OF PRINT.

Book description

This book, for advanced Access users or keen intermediate users, details the primary object model used for manipulating Access data, with code samples to use in VBA and/or VBScript. It will be the reference guide VB developers reach for when working with data in Access tables or when manipulating data from other Office applications.
Full Description

Each iteration of Windows has meant a corresponding improvement in the techniques used for transferring data among its applications. Today's leading technique is called Automation. It allows you to work directly with objects in an application's interface using their object models. But if you want to write code in a programming language, such as Visual Basic, in order to work with the apps that support Automation, you must understand the inner workings of an application's object model--or in the case of Microsoft's Access, its *two* object models. Microsoft Access is the bestselling stand-alone relational database program for Windows offering both power and ease of use. And in many respects, Microsoft has made Automation the centerpiece of its vision for application development. DAO Object Model: The Definitive Reference will guide you through the Access object models, allowing you, with the support of Automation, to reference the application components you want to manipulate. An understanding of the object models is essential for developers who work with data in Access tables, or who want to manipulate components of the Access interface from other Office apps. The Data Access Objects (DAO) model is used to write and read data in Access tables. The Access object model is used to manipulate forms, reports, queries, macros, and other components of the Access interface, including most of the commands by means of the DoCmd object. This book will include an introduction and a brief description of the differences between VBA (used in most Office applications) and VBScript (used in Outlook). This chapter will also cover Office utilities and add-ons helpful in writing and debugging code, such as the Object Browser, the Integrated Development Environment (IDE) for VBA and the Interactive Debugger for VBScript. The book will then be divided into two parts; one covering the Access Object Model and the other, the Data Access Objects. Each section will have a description of what the object represents; listings of properties, events, and methods; and one or more code samples illustrating its use in VBA and/or VBScript code. Each property, event, or method section will have an explanation of the language element, and many will have code samples (either VBA or VBScript) as well. This book will detail, to an advanced user or keen intermediate user, the Access object models and how they are used. It will be *the* reference guide VB developers reach for when working with data in Access tables, or for manipulating components of the Access interface from other Office applications.

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Featured customer reviews

DAO Object Model: The Definitive Reference Review, March 22 2000
Submitted by Jett Anderson   [Respond | View]

A good, solid book. It has the right balance between explanation and reference. There are also liberal doses of VBA and some VBS code. It was valuable to me immediately. I recommend it for anyone working with DAO.

I am, however, now curious about what the original version of the second sentence in the third paragraph on the back cover was.

DAO Object Model: The Definitive Reference Review, March 08 2000
Submitted by Robin Trew   [Respond | View]

Technical material is ephemeral at best, but this book will stay on my shelves for years. The second sentence of the third paragraph on the back cover is well worth the cover price. No department of semantics or philosophy should be without a copy. A collector's item.

Robin.

DAO Object Model: The Definitive Reference Review, March 02 2000
Submitted by Keith   [Respond | View]

O'Reilly needs to have a color of book for those books which fit between Nutshell books, and what I like to call the "learning books" (ie. "Access Database programming and design"). This book would be one of those books.

I don't think I could learn DAO from this book. I first realized DAO's potential from reading Steven Roman's Access Database Design & Programming. However, if you realize the capabilities of DAO and are ready to move on to the next level, then this is the book that you need. While the nutshell books are good "ticklers" (you just need to know the syntax), they don't go into a whole lot of depth. This is the book you need when you are thinking "there IS a way to program this, but what is it?". After you have mastered DAO, and just need a "tickler", then you can graduate to DAO in a Nutshell... whenever that comes out.

I have used this book many times when I knew that DAO could do the job, but, I needed a little bit more background info than just the syntax.

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DAO Object Model: The Definitive Reference Review, February 24 2000
Submitted by Donald Culp   [Respond | View]

This book does not cover the indepth nature of more obscure DAO commands, and instead makes incorrect assumptions about their usefulness or necessity. For example, with regard to the Refresh parameter (TableDefs). It may not be needed in a single-user database, and in any case using the Refresh method often appears to have no effect. Creating a table, or field, using DAO and then immediately referencing it thru DAO will cause errors because DAO does not see the Table/Field until the Refresh method is used on the collection. For amusement, check out the editor's note on the back cover. This is not a Steve Roman book by a long shot!

DAO Object Model: The Definitive Reference Review, November 30 1999
Submitted by Jett Anderson   [Respond | View]

I know I shouldn't be posting to the review section as I haven't yet received the book, but with regard to Brent's point, I still do tons of work in DAO and I've been anxiously waiting for this reference work for months. There are other reference books for ADO, but I don't know of any for DAO.

Thanks in advance.

DAO Object Model: The Definitive Reference Review, November 26 1999
Submitted by Brent Kirkley   [Respond | View]

This seems to be a really nice addition to the O'Reilly Library.., however one thing does poke its ugly head up. The DAO Object Model has been replaced by the ADO Object Model. I realize that this book is very recent, but is there an amendem standing in the wings???

Sorry Helen, didn't mean to blast you, this is a great reference. Keep up the good work and I look forward to seeing the ADO additions!!

Take care,
Brent

Media reviews "Another high quality book from O'Reilly that lives up to its nameethis book is excellent."--John Newbury HP/Works PING, Sept 2000

"An excellent resource and reference booklnow that we have Helen Feddema's book, working with DAO can be practically painless. DAO Object Model: The Definitive Reference is just one on a long list of competent technical books to Feddema's credit-that's the first reason you should buy this book. The second reason is that it's an O'Reilly book-of which I've yet to find a bad one. The third reason requires that you actually open the book and read it. You'll find an accurate reference tool for working with the DAO object model and Access data, both from within Access and from other Office applications." --Susan Sales Harkins, DevX.com, July 2000

"The writing style is crisp and economical yet complete and readily understandable. In tricky places, text is well supplemented with practical examples. Though a fair working knowledge of VBA is required to get the most out of this volume, it can be picked up and used by programmers at any level of experience, and should serve as a useful long-term distillation of what you need to know to personalize Microsoft applications effectively. --Wilf Hey, amazon.co.uk, March 2000

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