Access Cookbook

Chapter 4.  Developing and Distributing Applications

This chapter is a compendium of tips and suggestions for making your application development go more smoothly and your applications look more professional. You’ll learn how to convert queries into embedded SQL strings providing data for forms or reports. You’ll learn how to build an object inventory so you can document your applications better, how to ensure that properties for objects that should match up actually do, and how to disable screen output more effectively than the methods Access provides internally can. You’ll find tips on discerning the current language version of Access and modifying text in error messages and on forms and reports to accommodate the current language. You’ll see how to set and restore the Access caption and how to set startup options for your application. You’ll also see how to use the Windows File Open/Save dialogs and how to clear out test data before shipping your application. The final topic explains how to implement user-level Access security.

Convert Queries into Embedded SQL Statements

Problem

Access’s Query Builder makes it easy to create SQL statements as row sources for combo boxes or as record sources for forms and reports. You’d prefer to use SQL statements for row and record sources because they reduce the number of unnecessary objects in your databases. Is there an easy way to make these conversions? What’s the trade-off of using embedded SQL statements instead of query objects ...