I have one thought for you; If you are looking for a good book to learn from about common database developer needs, then this is a MUST buy! Truly, I wish this book had been out 10-15 years ago when I was learning and developing my first databases.

The subjects covered are corner stones of almost any database and any developer will find useful knowledge and techniques. Furthermore, coming from 2 of the best Access developers (Douglas Steele and Arvin Meyer), you know that the information is right on the money!

The approach is very unique, in that the book is divided into Tips and then each tip is subdivided into Objective; Scenario, Tables, Queries, Forms, Reports, Macros, Modules, Using This Tip & Additional Information. So they explain every aspect of what they are doing, why they are doing it and what needs to be done to make it all work. It is a simple step by step guide.

This book is not so much about how to use Access, but rather how to develop a database. Arvin and Douglas share their solutions on how to tackle common issues from start to finish. These are real-life issues that we all have to deal with and with complete solutions. Subjects such as Cascading Combo Boxes, Treeview & Listview controls, Drag and Drop, Tab Controls, Relinking your Back-End, and so much more…

Furthermore, unlike numerous other books currently collecting dust on my shelves in which a few chapters are useful but the bulk are not, Access Solutions: Tips, Tricks, and Secrets from Microsoft Access MVPs Review is good from cover to cover. Every tip is useful. Clearly written, easy to follow along, you can tell that Doug and Arvin have invested a lot of time and energy developing the content within.

The table of contents is:

Part I Tables 1.
Tip 1 Creating Tables for Web Applications.
Tip 2 Alternative to the Hyperlink Data Type.
Tip 3 Fill a Table with Numbers.

Part II Queries.
Tip 4 A Single Query to Do Both Updates and Insertions.
Tip 5 Using a Cartesian Product to Generate a Calendar.
Tip 6 Using a Multiselect List Box as a Query Parameter.

Part III Forms.
Tip 7 Cascading Combo Boxes.
Tip 8 Cascading Combo Boxes on Continuous Forms.
Tip 9 Paired List Boxes.
Tip 10 Marquees, Scrolling Messages, and Flashing Labels.
Tip 11 Custom Tab Controls.
Tip 12 Simulating Web-Style “Hover” Buttons.
Tip 13 Custom Form Navigation Controls.
Tip 14 Calendar Form.
Tip 15 Simulating Drag-and-Drop in Access Forms.
Tip 16 Providing Visual Feedback for Drag-and-Drop.
Tip 17 Control List Boxes with Drag-and-Drop.

Part IV Taking Advantage of Report Capabilities.
Tip 18 Page 1 of N for Groups.
Tip 19 Always Starting a Group on an Odd Page for Duplex Printing.
Tip 20 Dynamically Changing the Sort Order of a Report.
Tip 21 Week-at-a-Glance–Type Report.
Tip 22 Day-at-a-Glance-Type Report.

Part V Using VBA.
Tip 23 Useful String Functions.
Tip 24 Useful Functions.
Tip 25 Relinking Front-End Databases to Back-End Databases in the Same Folder.
Tip 26 SaveAsText and LoadFromText: Undocumented Backup and Anti-Corruption Tricks.
Tip 27 Reminders—Building Tickler Forms and Utilities.
Tip 28 Using Disconnected Recordsets.
Tip 29 Implementing Soundex.

Part VI Automating Applications and ActiveX Controls.
Tip 30 Charting Using Excel.
Tip 31 Using the TreeView Control.
Tip 32 Using the ListView Control.
Tip 33 Adding Images to the TreeView Control.
Tip 34 Using the TreeView and ListView Controls Together.

Part VII Access and the Web.
Tip 35 Building an Access Web Application.
Tip 36 Embedding a Web Control in a Form.
Tip 37 Building a Time Picker in a Web Form: An Introduction to Web Macros.
Tip 38 RSS Feeds.
Tip 39 Detecting Whether You’ve Got Internet Connectivity.

Part VIII Utilities.
Tip 40 Drilling Down to Data.
Tip 41 Utility for Renaming a Form’s Controls.
Tip 42 Document Management Using Access.
Tip 43 Ultra-Fast Searching.

At the end of the day, even an experienced developer such as myself has taken ALOT away from this book!  I would recommend it to anyone, especially anyone starting out.  It will make a great addition to my existing library.  Well worth every penny!!!

To learn more or purchase the book, see:
wiley.com
amazon.ca
amazon.com