Update Record Performance - Query vs Code

[Wendell]

I currently have C++ code that processes a raw data file containing multiple
types of records. The code creates records in multiple tables in an Access
database depending on the record type. The records are created one at a time
as the data is read. I don't think this is very efficient. But I can't
change this part of the processing. There are hunderes of thousands of
records in raw data and the tables.
I now need to update fields in created records from data contained in other
tables in the database. The options I've come up with are:
1. In the C++ code, read the data from the table at the time the new record
is created.
2. Run an update query after all of the new records have been created to
update the fields in the new table. There is a recordID in both the old and
new tables that allows me to easily join the tables together.
3. Run some VBA code after the new records have been created to update the
new fields in the new table.
What method has the best performance for accomplishing this? I would guess
the update query. But I haven't found a good resource for understanding this.

Thanks for your help!
Wendell

 

[Wendell]

Thanks Peiter! Your explanation makes a lot of sense.