Access using .NET code

[Guest]

Hello, I currently have an Access 97 application. As I further build it, I'm
wondering what people's thoughts are on continuing to write the code using
VBA. Can or should you try to start writing code as VB.NET and then
reference it from inside Access? What if you upgrade to Access 2003, can you
then write the code inside the application as VB.NET?

Thanks

Don

 

[Brian]

Hello, I currently have an Access 97 application. As I further build it, I'm
wondering what people's thoughts are on continuing to write the code using
VBA.

You don't have any choice, it's the only language supported by Access, and
it's a good 'un.

Can or should you try to start writing code as VB.NET and then
reference it from inside Access?

Absolutely not.

What if you upgrade to Access 2003, can you
then write the code inside the application as VB.NET?

No. Nor can I imagine why you would want to. Microsoft has lost the plot
with dotnet, it's a really bad idea, badly implemented. My experiments with
it have been so disappointing that, for web developments, I have given up on
Microsoft altogether and switched to PHP (a truly excellent product). For
non-web database developments I'm stickin' with Access until Microsoft ruins
it in some future version by dotnetting it. For non-web, non-database
developments, I'm sticking with VB6 for now.

 

[Albert D. Kallal]

Hello, I currently have an Access 97 application. As I further build it,
I'm
wondering what people's thoughts are on continuing to write the code using
VBA. Can or should you try to start writing code as VB.NET and then
reference it from inside Access? What if you upgrade to Access 2003, can
you
then write the code inside the application as VB.NET?

Access xp, and access 2003 can consume web services. That means you can't
write or develop .net code in ms-access, but you can most certainly CONSUME
web services written in .net via the soap add-in for ms-access.

So, ms-access can use web services written in .net.

And, it is interesting to note that both Excel, and Word in office 2003 does
support the use of .net code.

However, the other applications (Outlook, PowerPoint, ms-access etc.) still
must use VBA for their code. (Excel, and word you have a choice of .net, or
VBA).

The new .net platforms is a incredible development platform. You can use the
same tools to develop a desktop applications, a pda application, and even
have your code run on the new version sql server. In other words, you get
pda, desktop, web development, and sql server development all in one system.
(you don't have to learn t-sql anymore..as sql server now consumes .net
code). Thus, the 4 major areas of writing business software is covered by
the .net tools. This is remarkable feature...and is one reason why the .net
environment is winning so big in the market place.

ms-access is a very good tool, and when compared to VB6, or .net..it is
still a MUCH faster development tool when you need to make a form that
edits data.

The other nice feature of ms-access is that we continue to get new versions
along with office. So, we got a2003 with all kinds of new goodies (themed
controls, xml support built in, soap add ins etc). And, the team at MS is
working on the next great version of ms-access. So, I see no reason to stop
using ms-access, as it has been getting all the new MS technologies that ms
has to offer.