VBA Access

[mp3909]

I know Excel VBA inside out.
Have a job interview which requires Access VBA too.
Hardly have any experience of Access VBA.
Can anyone please suggest what are the main points one should know about Access VBA?



i.e. what are the concepts and things that are important in access VBA that I might likely get asked in an interview to judge my knowledge?

feel free to post anything

[isladogs]

I suggest you watch a few Access videos e.g. those by Steve Bishop or Richard Rost.
However, I think you will soon get 'found out' if you try & pretend your knowledge level is greater than it actually is

[ranman256]

you would need to learn the new objects.
so if you know all the objects in a car (Excel): engine,steering wheel,etc
now you need to learn airplane parts, (access) they're kinda the same, but have different properties.

combo boxs are kinda the same. excel's are loaded via vb ,(or a range), but access version is connected to a query.

[orange]

mp3909,

Further to what others have advised, here is a link to some Database Planning and Design info. Although you mention vba, I think the differences between spreadsheets and databases and their underlying object models will be a major factor in adjusting from Excel to Access.

Good luck with the interview. I'd like to hear the results which may be useful to others also.

[mp3909]

cool, cheers guys!
@orange - sure I will be happy to provide insights after the completion of interview. thanks!

[June7]

I think it's critical to understand relational database model. Accept that what you know about Excel model does not carry over to Access. They are very different.

Yes, form and combobox objects can be built in Excel but how you manipulate them is different.

VBA language and syntax is mostly the same. The same libraries are available. I know of one difference - Access has Nz() function which Excel does not recognize, at least that has been my experience.

If not already, get familiar with SQL and recordsets as used in VBA.

Oh, and what is called a 'macro' in Excel is really VBA. Macros in Access are very different.

[ssanfu]

Here is some light reading (not!) that you will need to know:

"Old Programmer's Rule" is this: If you can't do it on paper then you can't do it in Access. Until you can draw out your tables AND rules for how they change for each function you want to perform, you are going nowhere fast.



Autonumbers--What they are NOT and What They Are http://www.utteraccess.com/wiki/Autonumbers
Microsoft Access Tables: Primary Key Tips and Techniques http://www.fmsinc.com/free/newtips/primarykey.asp
Use Autonumbers properly http://access.mvps.org/access/general/gen0025.htm

AutoNumber
----------------
Purpose: Use an AutoNumber field to provide a unique value that serves no other purpose than to make each record unique. The most common use for an AutoNumber field is as a primary key.

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Normalization Terms and Concepts http://www.utteraccess.com/wiki/Norm...s_and_Concepts
Normalization http://www.utteraccess.com/wiki//Normalization


What is Normalization?
=======================
What Is Normalization, Part I: Why Normalization? http://rogersaccessblog.blogspot.com...on-part-i.html
What Is Normalization, Part II: Break it up. http://rogersaccessblog.blogspot.com...n-part-ii.html
What Is Normalization: Part III: Putting It Back Together http://rogersaccessblog.blogspot.com...-part-iii.html
What is Normalization: Part IV: More Relationships http://rogersaccessblog.blogspot.com...n-part-iv.html
What Is Normalization: Part V: Many-to-Many Relationships http://rogersaccessblog.blogspot.com...on-part-v.html


Entity-Relationship Diagramming
==============================
Entity-Relationship Diagramming: Part I http://rogersaccessblog.blogspot.com...ng-part-i.html
Entity-Relationship Diagramming: Part II http://rogersaccessblog.blogspot.com...g-part-ii.html
Entity-Relationship Diagramming: Part III http://rogersaccessblog.blogspot.com...ming-part.html
Entity-Relationship Diagramming: Part IV http://rogersaccessblog.blogspot.com...-i-ii-and.html



The Normal Forms
=========================
The Normal Forms: Introduction http://rogersaccessblog.blogspot.com...roduction.html
The Normal Forms: First Normal Form (1NF) http://rogersaccessblog.blogspot.com...-form-1nf.html
The Normal Forms: Second Normal Form (2NF) http://rogersaccessblog.blogspot.com...nd-normal-form.
The Normal Forms: Third Normal Form (3NF) http://rogersaccessblog.blogspot.com...rmal-form.html
The Normal Forms: In a Nutshell http://rogersaccessblog.blogspot.com...-nutshell.html

=====================================
GroverParkGeorge's PDF on Normalization http://www.gpcdata.com/downloads/nor...pgonaccess.pdf

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Access Basics Tutorial by Crystal (Strive4Peace) http://www.utteraccess.com/wiki/Access_Basics_Tutorial
http://www.accessmvp.com/strive4peace/

===============================================
Naming Conventions https://access-programmers.co.uk/for...d.php?t=225837
One source about how to name things - http://access.mvps.org/access/general/gen0012.htm
What not to use in names - http://allenbrowne.com/AppIssueBadWord.html