Learn Access 2003 VBA With The Smart Method [Paperback]

Mike Smart (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 1, 2007 | ISBN-10: 0955459907 | ISBN-13: 978-0955459900 | Edition: 1st

Who is this book for?

If you've never written VBA code before this book will show you how.

This book is for Access developers who:

• Are comfortable with all aspects of the interactive use of Access
• Are already able to design simple relational databases
• Want to learn VBA skills from first principles
• Want to learn how to develop professional-grade Access applications

What you will learn

This unique book provides the easiest possible route to mastering professional  Microsoft Access VBA programming. Both IT professionals and absolute beginners will love the book as it avoids needless technical jargon and concisely explains everything you need in a simple and no-nonsense way.

The emphasis throughout the book is on solid, professional coding practices and techniques. Instead of simple code snippets the book takes you through the process of developing a high-quality, sophisticated Access application entirely from scratch. By the end of the course you will have a working and complete application that can be used as the basis for your own real-world commercial projects.

Amongst other things you'll learn how to:

• Understand the Object-Orientated paradigm
• Create a custom function library
• Implement custom error handling to eliminate program crashes
• Analyse, understand and improve wizard-generated code
• Implement filters using option group controls
• Add interactive help
• Implement popup browse forms
• Create self-updating combo boxes
• Understand scope and use module-level and global-level constants
• Implement VBA validations to enforce complex business rules
• Create dialog-driven reports
• Export Access data to Word document templates with a single click
• Create an elegant user interface with custom menus and tool bars
• Finalize applications for delivery to your clients

The Smart Method develop and run IT courses and have provided consultancy and training services to many of the world's largest companies in England, Europe and America. This book is also used as the basis of The Smart Method's Access VBA course. If you need to teach Access VBA this book is equally useful as courseware.

Companies who have taken Smart Method courses include:

AOL Time Warner, Daimler Chrysler, HSBC, Barclays, American Express, Allied Irish Banks, Imperial Tobacco, Motorola, Volvo, The BBC, British Petroleum, The Foreign and Commonwealth Office, Unilever, The Institute of Chartered Accountants, The Ministry of Defence, Keele University, Deutsche Bank, Transport For London, The Performing Rights Society, Scottish Power, The Office of the Parliamentary Ombudsman, BAE Systems, Marks & Spencer, Virgin, 02, BMW .. and many, many others.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Mike Smart is the founder of The Smart Method Ltd who develop and run IT courses. Mike has trained delegates from many of the world's largest companies in England, Europe and America (see back cover of book for more details). Mike's unique teaching method is fun, absorbing and virtually 100% effective.

Product Details

• Paperback: 296 pages
• Publisher: Smart Method, Limited, The; 1st edition (January 1, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0955459907
• ISBN-13: 978-0955459900
• Product Dimensions: 11.7 x 8.2 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (22 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #67,718 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #15 in Books > Computers & Technology > Microsoft > Development > VBA
  • #41 in Books > Computers & Technology > Microsoft > Development > Visual Basic
  • #44 in Books > Computers & Technology > Databases > Database Management Systems

More About the Author

Mike Smart is the founder of The Smart Method Ltd who develop and run IT courses. Mike has trained delegates from many of the world's largest companies in England, Europe and America (see back cover of book for more details).

Mike's unique teaching method is fun, absorbing and virtually 100% effective.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

23 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Learn Access 2003 VBA With The Smart Method, June 10, 2007

By 

Pizzo (New England) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Learn Access 2003 VBA With The Smart Method (Paperback)

Pros - The book offers the opportunity to build an enterprise level application where it can be modified to suit individual needs. I like the fact that it takes you through an entire project so each lesson builds on the previous one, there is no disconnect. Other material teaches in pockets not correlating skills or lessons with one another, this one does an excellent job at interweaving them all.

Cons - It is advertised as a beginner's book but it immediately dives into showing you a skill once and then expecting for you to replicate it under a different scenario almost immediately. If you are not comfortable with access from a database development standpoint this can prove to be frustrating. I would recommend starting with something else like "Access VBA Programming for the absolute beginner" ISBN 1-59200-723-6.

Otherwise the book is a good all around training tool that will help you further knowledge on VBA for applications.

Luis

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Miracle for those in over their head!!!!, September 18, 2008

By 

Microsoft wanna be "Microsoft wanna be" (Los Angeles) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Learn Access 2003 VBA With The Smart Method (Paperback)

I am not a computer expert, in fact I was only good with excel less than a month ago. I could use excel to do everything... so I thought. Recently I have been on the job hunt and I found one that required "strong" Access skills. I have used access, maybe even made a few wizard approved databases. Let me make this clear, I had never done any VBA coding (maybe not even heard of the benefits or even understood it). After a while on this project I realized I was in over my head, and I wanted to walk out the door. My last hope was to find books to walk me through the process. I picked Access 2003 VBA because it Said the SMART METHOD... not because I knew anything about Mike Smart. I started working through some of the excercises, and found that Mike has a way of explaining the process very very to the point. He held my attention, and basically took the fear out of the programing and just brought me to what I needed to know to get my pay check. I had a few problems along the way. I was ready to run away again, and as a last resort I emailed Mike Smart himself. He responded to my question with in 24 hours. He has been working with me to correct the issues. I could not believe it. Here I am in all alone "pretending" to be a programmer and Mike Smart himself helps me out. I have bought many books to teach myself computer skills, but this one is the best. So if you are in a hurry like I was to learn what it takes to get your pay check you better BUY this book! Mike even told me that he is writting more books. So since that is the case, buy this book and email him or post it here what you would like to see him teach "us" about next. I would like a basic everything you need to know about computer repair, maintenance, and preventative maintenance book. I would also like to see a book on Microsoft Office intagration, how to intigrate everything with real world examples. This book is what you need to stand apart on a job hunt, to prepare a database, and just keep you and your company up to date with all the benefits of Access. You might as well learn Access, Microsoft charges us enough for it, and programmers get paid well. I hope he continues to write more books, because maybe just maybe with his help I can become a real programmer... not the pretender I am right now!!

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars More programming books should be like this one, November 30, 2007

By 

Jack Malki - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Learn Access 2003 VBA With The Smart Method (Paperback)

I own lots of Access books, some good and some not so good. This book is outstanding. I feel as if I am in a classroom taking a step by step course from an excellent teacher.

The only minor problem I have found is that the database that you download from the internet has a couple of minor differences from what is described in the book, but it was not a big problem. The real joy of this book is that it so clearly and easily explains what you are doing and why. I wish more books were written in this format and with such clear, informative instruction.

This book is best suited to those who know the basics of Access and want to move on to more professional programming. It's also good for people like me who know VBA programming to some extent but want a more solid foundation or wish to fill in the gaps.