Access Hacks

Credits; Preface; Chapter 1. Core Access; 1. Help Users Find the Objects They Need; 2. Personalize Your Access Application; 3. Work Fast and Avoid Typos; 4. Optimize Data Changes; 5. Transfer Data Between Versions of Access; 6. Organize and Enhance Your Macros; 7. Rid Your Database of Clutter; 8. Protect Valuable Information; 9. Work with Any Amount of Data; 10. Find Database Objects in a Snap; 11. Use a Junction Table; 12. Stop the Database from Growing; Chapter 2. Tables; 13. Create an AutoNumber Field with a Custom Value; 14. Copy Data Between Tables Without an Append Query; 15. Steer Clear of System Tables; 16. Hide Sensitive Information; 17. Simulate Table Triggers; 18. Create Tables Faster; Chapter 3. Entry and Navigation; 19. Help Users Navigate Through Long Forms; 20. Help Users Enter Additional Text; 21. Let Users Add Custom Items to Predesigned Lists; 22. Populate and Sort Lists with Flair; 23. Use Custom Controls on Your Forms; 24. Confirm Record Updates Before Saving; 25. Put a Clock on a Form; 26. Be Tab-Smart; 27. Highlight the Active Control; Chapter 4. Presentation; 28. Separate Alphabetically Sorted Records into Letter Groups; 29. Create Conditional Subtotals; 30. Use Conditional Formatting to Point Out Important Results; 31. Provide a Direct Link to a Report; 32. Protect Intellectual Property; 33. Create a Slideshow in Access; 34. Play Videos in Access Forms; 35. View Reports Embedded in Forms; 36. Put Line Numbers on a Report; 37. Shade Alternating Lines on a Report; 38. Save Paper by Reducing Whitespace; 39. Include the Date, Time, and Page Count; Chapter 5. Queries and SQL; 40. Return a Sample of Records; 41. Create Bulletproof Insert Operations; 42. Find Unmatched Records on Multiple Field Keys; 43. Place a Grand Total in a Query; 44. Sort Any Arbitrary String of Characters; 45. Summarize Complex Data; 46. Get All Combinations of Data; 47. Don't Let Nulls Ruin Data Summaries; 48. Use a Custom Function in a Query; 49. Create Access Tables with SQL Server Scripts; 50. Use Wildcards in Queries; 51. Get Cleaner Or-Based Criteria; 52. Get Cleaner And-Based Criteria; 53. Create an Outer Join; 54. Use Regular Expressions in Access Queries; Chapter 6. Multiuser Issues; 55. Test for Duplication; 56. Distribute a Split Database with Predefined Table Links; 57. Build a Time-Out Feature; 58. Implement Unique Usernames; Chapter 7. External Programs and Data; 59. Import Noncontiguous Ranges of Data from Excel; 60. Use Excel to Reorient Access Data; 61. Use Excel Functions Inside Access; 62. Use Word to Compare Data in Two Access Tables; 63. Import Varied XML Data into Access; 64. Export XML Data Sanely; 65. Break Through VBA's Transformation Barrier; 66. Leverage SQL Server Power by Calling Stored Procedures; 67. Manage Word Documents from Access; 68. Use Access as a Front End to MySQL; 69. Send Access Data Through Outlook Automatically; 70. Create Access Tables from Outside Access; 71. Write VBA with the Macro Recorder in Word and Excel; Chapter 8. Programming; 72. Store Initial Control Selections for Later Recall; 73. Write Code Faster by Turning Off Syntax-Checking; 74. Substitute Domain Aggregate Functions for SQL Aggregate Functions; 75. Shrink Your Code with Subroutines; 76. Shrink Your Code with Optional Arguments; 77. Protect Programming Code from Curious Users; 78. Build a Secret Developer Backdoor into Your Applications; 79. Help Users Drill Down to a Record; 80. Prevent Users from Disabling Your Startup Options; 81. Inform Users of a Long Process; 82. Allow Users to Choose a Back-End Database; 83. Override the Timeout Interval; 84. Save Values from Unbound Controls for Later Recall; 85. Sort Records Randomly; 86. Bulk-Update Controls on a Form; 87. Provide Complete XML Control to Any Version of Access; 88. Use Custom Enumerations; 89. Convert Text to the Desired Case; 90. Create a Code Library; 91. Automatically Check for Database Table Updates; Chapter 9. Third-Party Applications; 92. Document Your Database with Total Access Analyzer; 93. Build an Application Shell with EZ Application Generator; 94. Load Your Database with Test Data; 95. Use Access as an XML Database; Chapter 10. The Internet; 96. Export a Report as HTML; 97. Use a Browser Inside Access; 98. Pull the HTML Source Code from a Web Site; 99. Download Files Using the Web Browser Control; 100. Use a Smart Tag to Open a Web Page; Index