Access 2002 Programming by Example

Manipulating Recordsets Using Collections Versus Manipulating Recordsets Using Queries

The normal methods for retrieving and manipulating recordsets using Access VBA are queries and recordset loops. Yet, while there is plenty of documentation for both methods, a beginning developer may be hard-pressed to find instructions that detail when or why to use one method as opposed to another. Although some sources might explain that recordset loops should be used to modify recordset properties while queries should be used to modify recordset data, this raises more questions than it answers. For example, you can modify recordset properties using DDL (data definition language) queries and you can modify data using loops.

In a nutshell, there is an overlap ...