Access skill level question

[Guest]

I have been reviewing the Northwind sample database application in Access
2003. I have completed my own application like the NW database presents. I
feel that I understand how the examples were coded and created. Microsoft
does not have an assessment or certification for VBA or I don't know of any.
What I wanted to know is? Where would you guys put the skill level at with
being able to create an Access application similar to the Northwind database
application.

I just wish Microsoft had some sort of certification or assessment for VBA
in Access.

 

[Guest]

There is no such thing as VBA now. VBA was a subset of VB used in earlier
versions of Access but the latest versions of Access uses the full VB
language.
Access is not regarded as a serious development tool but as a single
component of the Office suite, so a certification would have questionable
value.

 

[Douglas J Steele]

Say what? Access uses VBA, not VB. Earlier versions of Access used Access
Basic, but Access has used VBA since Access 95 (I believe it was). In fact,
all of the Office suite uses VBA, not VB. There are differences between VB
and VBA.

And it depends on who you talk to whether Access is a "serious development
tool".

 

[Douglas J Steele]

Many of us consider that Northwind has some significant flaws in it, but I'd
say it would require at least a medium level of skill to build an
application like it.

 

[Randy Harris]

Say what? Access uses VBA, not VB. Earlier versions of Access used Access
Basic, but Access has used VBA since Access 95 (I believe it was). In fact,
all of the Office suite uses VBA, not VB. There are differences between VB
and VBA.

And it depends on who you talk to whether Access is a "serious development
tool".

Absolutely! I'm not certain about Access 95, but certainly since Access 97,
VBA has been an integral part of Access. VB never has. And, they are very
definitely NOT the same.

 

[Albert D.Kallal]

Hard to tell. The hard part of the northwind is not the coding, but in fact
the *design* part.

I talk about ms-access skill levels in the following article of mine....it
might help....

http://www.members.shaw.ca/AlbertKallal/Articles/fog0000000003.html

There is a few places in the above article where I mention skill levels, and
later in the article there is even some questions that I would ask potential
developers.

 

[Albert D.Kallal]

Absolutely! I'm not certain about Access 95, but certainly since Access

97,
VBA has been an integral part of Access. VB never has. And, they are
very
definitely NOT the same.

Actually, since 97, VB, and VBA actually share the same compiler, and even
the same code base.

So, in fact the VBA and VB do share the same syntax. The only difference is
that forms object model is complete different. Since applications are built
around the forms object, then this is a significant issue. However, the
syntax of the language is identical to VB sans the forms object model.

So, one could argue that since a97, ms-access does share the same code base
+ compiler as VB. However, it is still called VBA.

Perhaps a better way of stating this is that VBA is now the same code base
as VB6, sans the forms of VB. Microsoft worked hard to have VBA be in
harmony with VB6 so as not have to maintain two separate code bases. I
believe that goal was obtained by office 97, if not office 2000.

So, VBA is different then VB6..but they are essentially the same language,
and as far as I know, share the same compiler. We just don't have some of
the features exposed (such as native compile mode, and threading for example
that don't work with VBA anyway).

I am complete open to suggestions that show me wrong on the above...

 

[Rob Oldfield]

Actually, since 97, VB, and VBA actually share the same compiler, and even
the same code base.

So, in fact the VBA and VB do share the same syntax. The only difference is
that forms object model is complete different. Since applications are built
around the forms object, then this is a significant issue. However, the
syntax of the language is identical to VB sans the forms object model.

So, one could argue that since a97, ms-access does share the same code base
+ compiler as VB. However, it is still called VBA.

Perhaps a better way of stating this is that VBA is now the same code base
as VB6, sans the forms of VB. Microsoft worked hard to have VBA be in
harmony with VB6 so as not have to maintain two separate code bases. I
believe that goal was obtained by office 97, if not office 2000.

So, VBA is different then VB6..but they are essentially the same language,
and as far as I know, share the same compiler. We just don't have some of
the features exposed (such as native compile mode, and threading for example
that don't work with VBA anyway).

I am complete open to suggestions that show me wrong on the above...

And I'm definitely not going to mention VB.Net

 

[Albert D.Kallal]

And I'm definitely not going to mention VB.Net

Well, that one is different!! However, there is the SOAP add in tool kit for
office. So, while you can't write web services in ms-access, you can
certanly use them....

 

[Randy Harris]

Actually, since 97, VB, and VBA actually share the same compiler, and even
the same code base.

So, in fact the VBA and VB do share the same syntax. The only difference is
that forms object model is complete different. Since applications are built
around the forms object, then this is a significant issue. However, the
syntax of the language is identical to VB sans the forms object model.

So, one could argue that since a97, ms-access does share the same code base
+ compiler as VB. However, it is still called VBA.

Perhaps a better way of stating this is that VBA is now the same code base
as VB6, sans the forms of VB. Microsoft worked hard to have VBA be in
harmony with VB6 so as not have to maintain two separate code bases. I
believe that goal was obtained by office 97, if not office 2000.

So, VBA is different then VB6..but they are essentially the same language,
and as far as I know, share the same compiler. We just don't have some of
the features exposed (such as native compile mode, and threading for example
that don't work with VBA anyway).

I am complete open to suggestions that show me wrong on the above...

--
Albert D. Kallal (Access MVP)
Edmonton, Alberta Canada
(e-mail address removed)
http://www.members.shaw.ca/AlbertKallal

I don't disagree that the two share a common code base and hence identical
syntax. But there is a great deal in VB that is not in VBA. The statement
was made that Access no longer uses VBA but full VB. That simply isn't
correct.

Randy

 

[Guest]

Thanks everyone for the feedback. This has enlightened me and now I have a
general idea of my skill level. Your knowledge has been very hjelpful.