MS Access 2003 vs MS Access 2007

[LeighW]

Hi there,

I want to learn at least basic VBA coding for my job. I have done no programming before yet I'm creating a database as my main job as an intern. I've found a book in the library which is titled VBA Access 2007 but my company uses MS Access 2003.

Are there big differences between the two when it comes down to VBA? Or none at all?

Otherwise are there any better ways of learning VBA online or elsewhere?

Thanks,

Leigh

[dsatino]

I developed extensively in 2003 and have since converted to 2007 with no real issues.

As far as I can tell, nothing has changed with respect to the VBA itself, but their have been some changes to the Access object model so you may run into some stuff in the book that simply wasn't available in 2003.

I think it should also be noted that VBA is not at all necessary to build a database.

[LeighW]

Thank you dsatino,

The database I am creating isn't your bog standard one. It requires at least being able to look at code and think "ah so that's what that does" without just copying and pasting a load of meaningless jargon from different databases.

VBA also seems very interesting and I like to learn interesting things!

[dsatino]

VBA is interesting and very useful, but it's a programming language and not database language. You can certainly use it to interact with a database, but my point was that you shouldn't confuse VBA as an integral or necessary part of databases. The only language you should absolutely know with respect to DB's is SQL.

My guess is that you're using VBA to create the code that drives the User Interface that interacts with your data and that's great, but I'm just trying to convey that your code project and your database are separate entities.

Your code, even if you are saving it within the same Access file as your DB, can be used to interact with any DB that you can connect to and not just the one it's saved within. You can also code it to do many other things that are totally unrelated to databases.

I think the main point is that Access is not a database, rather it's a program that you can build a database within. VBA is a programming language that comes with Access, but can be used for just about anything you can imagine and is not inherently related to the DB.

[LeighW]

Thank you very much for the input. I understand they are seperate entities. I have little knowledge of SQL either. This is going to be a long 6 months!

[Mihail]

One tool is good. Two tools are very good. Three, are very very good. And so on.
Like you I'm not a professional coder. But I use my (programming) tools box to make my life easier.

So:
SQL is a very powerful tool for databases. I can't say if (or how much) is stronger than VBA because I don't know SQL.

On the other hand, Visual Basic (VB) is more general. And it's dialects, Visual Basic for Applications (VBA), can help to develop programs in any Office application (Access, Excel, Word, Power Point... even Word...) and more (as example SolidWorks has a very good VBA suport).
If you learn basics in VB you can switch easy between VBAs by learning only the differences.

Do not understand that I advice you to not learn SQL.
If you wish to become very good in databases you must learn to use SQL and, maybe, more other specific tools.

Good luck !