Microsoft Access / VBA. Whats that about?

[chickenfunkstar]

Hi,

I've got a job interview on Friday for a position which would involve the use of Microsoft Access and possibly some VBA programming ability. Currently I have no experience with either. I've had a bit of a poke around on the internet and found out that MS Access involves database management. I understand VBA is what you can use to add functions to programmes?

If anyone could maybe explain either programme a bit more / give me an example i'd be greatful.

Cheers,

CFS

[SwanTiger]

I was about to start writing everything out when I remembered "Wikipedia".

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microsoft_Access

[James Deuce]

Access is the database you have when you don't have a database. It's more of a relational spreadsheet.

VBA is a way of using .NET to build applications within the Microsoft framework.

http://msdn.microsoft.com/isv/technology/vba/default.aspx

That has some good resources.

You're a bright guy. Lie, and then go for the OJT approach. It's how the IT world works.

[paturoa]

Access comes with VB inbuilt and has direct commands to manipulate access objects. This is used to develop Access database applications.

VB is the general programming language that can manipulate all m'soft apps/crap plus a bunch of others. You can create apps that can be compiled and distributed.

From the Access version of VB you can also do the same, but need the Access application.

VB is hard to learn for a few hours, then the penny drops on the heirachy / structure and you'll be away.

[jeremysprite]

I used to play around with vb6 a lot when i was younger, making annoying programs, shut down and kill your computer kinda stuff (not virii, i wasn't that adept), my own music players, internet surfers etc. Twas fun, and super easy to learn. Just take a coupla berocca and read the 'net forums on vba, practising doing stuff with the program. You can download it, it's about 60mb not including the help files, it'll take you a night and then you'll be sweet.

[limbimtimwim]

Dead tech. Don't learn it, it'll look bad on your CV later.

[chickenfunkstar]

I was about to start writing everything out when I remembered "Wikipedia".

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microsoft_Access

Cheers, didn't seem to make too much sense at first, but I've re read it a couple of times and its starting to get a wee bit clearer.

[RantyDave]

I've got a job interview on Friday for a position which would involve the use of Microsoft Access and possibly some VBA programming ability.
If it's on Friday you have time to learn Access and VBA.

* Get a copy of Access
* Get a copy of Access in 24 hrs or whatever it's called
* Blast through book
* Set yourself some database'y challenges (there are accounts, there are transactions, transactions are associated with accounts, blah blah blah) and do them
* Pitch up to job interview and clearly know what you're doing.
* Hired!

Piece of piss. The hard part is the first one - I think these days you need to find someone with the "Über Carlos Fandango" version of MS Office to rip Access off from. There may be a 30 day trial on the web. Someone here can probably lend you the disk.

You'll get extra marks for making stuff with forms in Access - for a good chunk of the 90's this is what passed for computer programming for a good few tens of thousands of .... ummmm ... . fucking lamers. I mean consultants. The reporting is surprisingly useful too.

Dave

[RantyDave]

Dead tech. Don't learn it, it'll look bad on your CV later.
Hey, he gets paid for it, it is by definition not dead. I get paid to write C++. Shit, I get paid for talking about writing C++. Lots of people get paid to write COBOL still. Nothing wrong with Access in terms of being a first step on the career ladder - sure beats driving around plugging the mouse back in for stroppy and clueless middle managers.

Dave

[What?]

More to the point, vba code for Access is pretty-much the same as for Excel, which is useful.
Apparently.
Keeps me in work...

[Ixion]

Hey, he gets paid for it, it is by definition not dead. I get paid to write C++. Shit, I get paid for talking about writing C++. Lots of people get paid to write COBOL still. Nothing wrong with Access in terms of being a first step on the career ladder - sure beats driving around plugging the mouse back in for stroppy and clueless middle managers.

Dave

Yup. COBOL still very definately alive and kicking. And did you know that you can write COBOL programs for the .Net framework. With ActiveX controls even (should you really want to). /me likes COBOL, one of the best languages ever. And I got paid a lot of money for COBOL skills a few years back :yes:

[Devil]

More to the point, vba code for Access is pretty-much the same as for Excel, which is useful.
Apparently.
Keeps me in work...
Thats becase VBA is surprisingly enough, VBA.

Visual Basic for Applications. Its a cut down version of VB for fiddling in all kinds of MS apps. Excel, Access, Outlook, Word etc...

Farking legacy Access applications, grrr, they should be banned. Nothing but a pain in the arse. Lovely one brought one of our citrix servers to its knees the other day.
But yeh, learning VBA is a good place to start for VB, VB.NET

[Devil]

Yup. COBOL still very definately alive and kicking. And did you know that you can write COBOL programs for the .Net framework. With ActiveX controls even (should you really want to). /me likes COBOL, one of the best languages ever. And I got paid a lot of money for COBOL skills a few years back :yes:
Hah, I learnt a bit of cobol about 6 years ago, easy enough language but having 66% of the code just for initialisation etc and 33% for actually doing shit got a little tiring!

[Ixion]

66% for one line ?
COPYBOOK is your friend.

[Devil]

66% for one line ?
COPYBOOK is your friend.
Sounds like the 'bit' I learnt didn't include the useful stuff!
Couldn't remember any of it now.
My VB is weak now too, bit of googling would get me up to speed though.