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Access Performance
Probably the biggest complaint of developers and
users of Access2000 and beyond (especially those that were using
Access97) is performance. This is especially noticeable when
loading forms. There are 2 specific things you can do to
dramatically increase performance in new versions of Access:
* Turn-off the subdatasheet
feature (Now
do this using Liquorman Utilities!).
* Turn-off the name autocorrect.
If
you have a split-database schema (that is, frontend and
backend databases), do this in both databases.
Another
use tip is to try to restrict the size of the recordset behind
bound forms. You can read how to do this in this tip I
wrote and was published by Access Advisor magazine: Create
Powerful Forms in Access
Highlight a Single Row
This database demonstrates the ability to
highlight the "current" row of a continuous form by seemingly
changing the backcolor of those controls only on the current
row! This makes this row stand out from all the other rows.
I'm rather proud of this database, as it was a very
difficult nut to crack. I've seen other techniques, but with
all due modesty, I think this is the fastest and the best. It
is pretty-well documented, so you can adapt the technique for
your own needs.
This is an Access97 database, but will convert
"as is" to Access2000. An explanation of an alternative method
that uses Access2000 conditional formatting is included.
Send
Batch E-mails from Access
I
have found a 3rd party product that is really handy. It
is PBEmail from Perfectionbytes.com!
You can send e-mail directly from Access, without going
through your e-mail client (like Outlook), and it can often
even be sent without using SMTP. I've created a little
demo in Access2000 to illustrate how this works in a real live
situation, showing how to send the same e-mail individually to
separate addresses; trying first to send directly, then
falling back on SMTP for whichever e-mails can't be send
directly.
Rename Form/Report Controls
When you create a bound control on a form/report, Access insists on making the control's name the same as the underlying controlsource field.
Most experts agree that you should always rename your controls, and usually they recommend using the standard prefixes (such as 'txt' for textbox).
This Access97 database contains a form you can copy into any database to rename the bound controls and labels on any form or report. There are some caveats, so read the included Help screen first.
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