New Access Version?

[Neil Ginsberg]

Does anyone know if a new version of Access is due to come out anytime soon?

Thanks,

Neil

 

[Tom Wickerath]

Hi Neil,

I know the Microsoft team is hard at work on the next version, since I've had the privilege of
being on a small team of users that gets to preview new features and provide input. However, I
have not heard of any anticipated RTM (Release to Manufacturing) schedule yet.

Tom
_________________________________


Does anyone know if a new version of Access is due to come out anytime soon?

Thanks,

Neil

 

[Neil Ginsberg]

Thanks Tom. We're using A2000 now and are considering upgrading to A2003.
Any thoughts on that, as opposed to waiting for the next version?

Neil

 

[Steve Jorgensen]

Thanks Tom. We're using A2000 now and are considering upgrading to A2003.
Any thoughts on that, as opposed to waiting for the next version?

Neil

Access 2003 offers no compelling improvements over Access 2002(XP). If you
are using Access 2002, I would not bother upgrading right now unless you were
upgrading MS Office anyway.

 

[Neil Ginsberg]

I wrote we're using Access 2000, not 2002. I agree re. 2002/2003.

Neil

 

[Mike Turco]

I wrote we're using Access 2000, not 2002. I agree re. 2002/2003.

Neil,

I haven't seen anything new and great since A97. (A2 was 16 bit and A95 was
a piece of junk.) I keep upgrading because all my customers upgrade.

I think A97 was a real breakthrough in reliability. I'm not particularly
impressed with ADO, the ASP pages or any of this newer stuff. Unless you
have a specific reason to upgrade I would suggest that you stay with what
you have.

There have been some nice incremental improvements. For example, if you
change the name of a query, and you have a report based on that query, the
report will automatically updated to reflect the changed name. That's a nice
feature -- renaming objects used to be so difficult. (There are some
drawbacks too. The name game is best avoided.)


Mike

 

[Neil Ginsberg]

Neil,

I haven't seen anything new and great since A97. (A2 was 16 bit and A95
was a piece of junk.) I keep upgrading because all my customers upgrade.

I agree re. A97.

I think A97 was a real breakthrough in reliability. I'm not particularly
impressed with ADO, the ASP pages or any of this newer stuff. Unless you
have a specific reason to upgrade I would suggest that you stay with what
you have.

One concern is that A2000 is now 5 years old, and MS won't support things
indefinitely. As new OS's come out, more and more the older software becomes
incompatible. We are looking to revamp our DB, so it seems a good time to
upgrade and do it in a newer version, even though, yeah, there's no real
compelling reason.

There have been some nice incremental improvements. For example, if you
change the name of a query, and you have a report based on that query, the
report will automatically updated to reflect the changed name.

I have another client who likes to fiddle around with the database, mostly
re. reports and some form formatting. He's notorious for renaming objects as
he thinks of a better name. Drives me crazy! For that reason alone, it would
be worth switching to A2003!

That's a nice feature -- renaming objects used to be so difficult. (There
are some drawbacks too. The name game is best avoided.)

Name game?

Thanks,

Neil

 

[White Bilky]

For example, if you
change the name of a query, and you have a report based on that query,
the report will automatically updated to reflect the changed name.
That's a nice feature -- renaming objects used to be so difficult.

This in itself is problematic. Have a look at this:

<http://members.iinet.net.au/~allenbrowne/ser-48.html>

Regards,
Keith.
www.keithwilby.com

 

[Trevor Best]

Neil,

I haven't seen anything new and great since A97. (A2 was 16 bit and A95 was
a piece of junk.) I keep upgrading because all my customers upgrade.

I think A97 was a real breakthrough in reliability. I'm not particularly
impressed with ADO, the ASP pages or any of this newer stuff. Unless you
have a specific reason to upgrade I would suggest that you stay with what
you have.

There have been some nice incremental improvements. For example, if you
change the name of a query, and you have a report based on that query, the
report will automatically updated to reflect the changed name. That's a nice
feature -- renaming objects used to be so difficult. (There are some
drawbacks too. The name game is best avoided.)

The dreaded Name Autocorrect feature, would be nice if it weren't so bug
ridden.

 

[Tom Wickerath]

I'm currently using Access 2002, and have decided to skip the current version. In my case, the
cost of updating all of my add-ins (FMS Total Ultimate Suite and SpeedFerret) is significant, so
I need a better reason than just small incremental upgrades. If you go for either 2003 or the
version that follows, be prepared to deal with the new macro security warning message, or to just
set your security warning to low.

Access 2003 offers improved XML capabilities over the previous version, if you want to use XML.

From your later post:
"I have another client who likes to fiddle around with the database, mostly re. reports and some
form formatting. He's notorious for renaming objects as he thinks of a better name. Drives me
crazy! For that reason alone, it would be worth switching to A2003! "

Actually, you've already got this MIS-feature in Access 2000. It is the so-called Name
Autocorrect. The person who followed this post provided an excellent link to Allen Browne's paper
on Name Autocorrect woes. Perhaps it would be easier if your work group established a set of
naming conventions that everyone would adhere to.

Tom
______________________________

Thanks Tom. We're using A2000 now and are considering upgrading to A2003.
Any thoughts on that, as opposed to waiting for the next version?

Neil
______________________________

 

[Steve Jorgensen]

Neil,

I haven't seen anything new and great since A97. (A2 was 16 bit and A95 was
a piece of junk.) I keep upgrading because all my customers upgrade.

If you do a lot of VBA coding, there are some improvements that I now find it
hard to do without when working in A97. Custom events, custom enumerated
types, and CallByName, to name a few. Also, having the VBE in a separate
window, though initially annoying, shows its value the first time you debug
code behind a modal form.

 

[Bri]

H,

Please do NOT attach binaries to posts in non-binary newsgroups,
particularly 500+kb bmp files that could have been done as a 30kb jpg.

Thanks,

Bri

 

[Mike Turco]

I agree re. A97.

One concern is that A2000 is now 5 years old, and MS won't support things
indefinitely.

That's a really good point. I really like the backward compatibility of
Access, although its not quite perfect.

I have another client who ... [is] notorious for renaming objects as he
thinks of a better name. Drives me crazy!

Name game?

Well, the re-name game

Mike

 

[Neil Ginsberg]

It's safe to say that Microsoft want to drop support for jet and make MSDE

the default database engine (we know it can be installed silently and
without user input).

Yes, that's their intention. But I can't imagine them dropping support for
Jet, with the huge number of Jet databases in use.

Neil

 

[Neil Ginsberg]

One concern is that A2000 is now 5 years old, and MS won't support things

That's a really good point. I really like the backward compatibility of
Access, although its not quite perfect.

And added to that is that the upgrade to A2003 should be pretty
straightforward. The next version of Access, though, will most likely use
VBA.NET and would require significant changes to upgrade. Thus, upgrading
now, while A2003 is the current version (and available) may be the best
move. OTOH, seems that nothing new is coming out for a while anyway, so....

Neil

 

[Neil Ginsberg]

If you do a lot of VBA coding, there are some improvements that I now find

it
hard to do without when working in A97. Custom events,

Custom events? Haven't seen that in A2000. What are they?

custom enumerated
types, and CallByName,

CallByName? Another new one.

to name a few. Also, having the VBE in a separate
window, though initially annoying, shows its value the first time you
debug
code behind a modal form.

Yeah, I know. For me, it's just the ability to use Alt+Tab (which I can do
without looking) to go to the code window, as opposed to Ctrl+F6 (which
requires much more work). Also, being able to have a certain form be the
current one, and a certain code module, and flip back and forth, instead of
having to scroll through all forms and code modules that are open (arggggh!
just the thought! ).

Neil

 

[Neil Ginsberg]

Actually, you've already got this MIS-feature in Access 2000. It is the

so-called Name
Autocorrect. The person who followed this post provided an excellent link
to Allen Browne's paper
on Name Autocorrect woes. Perhaps it would be easier if your work group
established a set of
naming conventions that everyone would adhere to.

Well, it's not a workgroup. It's just me and the guy I'm working for, who
likes to get his finger in the pie and rename things -- not just change the
prefixes or whatever, but give them entirely new names.

Neil

 

[Arvin Meyer]

Does anyone know if a new version of Access is due to come out anytime

soon?

I think you'll find that both Access 2002 and 2003 are significantly more
reliable, especially during development, than Access 2000. Access 2003 has
slightly better help files than 2002, both of which are better than 2000,
BUT not as good as Access 97. Access 2003 does not have an index on it's
help files, and by default wants to connect you to the Internet to get help.
A 2003 has solved the Name AutoCorrect bug and fixed some of the other
corruption bugs that plague A2000. I think either A2002 or A2003 is a
worthwhile upgrade. Access 12 (the next version) will have some nice
features, but won't be out for some time, so you may not want to wait.
--
Arvin Meyer, MCP, MVP
Microsoft Access
Free Access Downloads
http://www.datastrat.com
http://www.mvps.org/access

 

[Tony Toews]

t's safe to say that Microsoft want to drop
support for jet and make MSDE the default database engine (we know it can be
installed silently and without user input). X

Want to drop support for jet? Possibly. But they never will. It's in way too many
systems now.

Make MSDE the default database engine? That's fine by me so long as it's about as
easy to use as Jet.

Tony
--
Tony Toews, Microsoft Access MVP
Please respond only in the newsgroups so that others can
read the entire thread of messages.
Microsoft Access Links, Hints, Tips & Accounting Systems at
http://www.granite.ab.ca/accsmstr.htm

 

[Tony Toews]

The dreaded Name Autocorrect feature, would be nice if it weren't so bug
ridden.

I've been using it the last few weeks in A2003 and it's been quite smooth for me. So
far anyhow. Quite nice too.

Tony
--
Tony Toews, Microsoft Access MVP
Please respond only in the newsgroups so that others can
read the entire thread of messages.
Microsoft Access Links, Hints, Tips & Accounting Systems at
http://www.granite.ab.ca/accsmstr.htm