Combo boxes are extremely useful in Microsoft Access and other design environments. They provide a compact control from which your users can access a drop-down menu that enables them to choose from a variety of options. In my applications, combo boxes often pull their rows from lookup tables such as product or customer lists and […]
5 Reasons You Should Learn SQL
Let me tell you a story … In 2002, I was interviewing for a database support position and feeling pretty good about my chances. I’d been working with Microsoft Access for a few years, everyone at the last job knew me as the expert and general tech guru and I was hoping things panned out […]
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15 Min
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Cuddling up with Python
In my last post, I talked about getting started with programming and software development and I mentioned that a programming career means continually learning new languages and technologies. In that spirit, one of my goals for 2022 is to finally become proficient with the Python language which I’ve played around with before. I thought I […]
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5 Min
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“How do I become a computer programmer?”
Spend much time in beginner programming forums and you’ll see many of the same questions again and again from people trying to break into coding. For some of us who just sort of gravitated to the field, it’s a reminder that it doesn’t come as easily for everyone. Sometimes, I feel the urge to send […]
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4 Min
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So you want to be an entrepreneur?
There’s been a lot of talk about The Great Resignation in which employees are quitting their jobs left and right, sometimes to go on to other jobs, sometimes not. The common wisdom I’ve heard too often is that the government needs to stop “all these unemployment benefits” and get people back to work. That’s never […]
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1 Min
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Installing IIS and PHP on Windows Server
Several years ago, I wrote an extensive article on creating a WIMP development stack (Windows, IIS, MySQL, PHP) and it’s been quite popular here on the site. I’ve meant to do an update for awhile now and finally got around to it this week! This time around, I decided to do a video demonstration on […]
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1 Min
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New Video – Learning SQL with SQLite
An essential skill … If there is one programming language that I would recommend for everyone, it’s Structured Query Language (SQL). SQL (often pronounced “sequel”) is the main language used to communicate with databases including Oracle, SQL Server and Microsoft Access. It’s the set of commands used to write and retrieve data. If you work […]
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1 Min
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Customizing Reports in Microsoft Access
In my latest video, I go into more detail about Microsoft Access report settings. This video is also an addition to my tutorial series, Managing Your Data with Microsoft Access which is now free on YouTube. Microsoft Access has always been known for having a great report designer with which you can put together professional […]
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3 Min
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New Video Series – Discovering C#
My latest online course on Teachable.com is about getting started with C# programming. Most of my previous video work has centered around Microsoft Access but I’ve produced a couple of other C# videos and, based on the reaction, I decided it was time to do some more with it. I learned how to program many […]
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1 Min
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Splitting a Database in Microsoft Access
My latest video shows how to split a database in Microsoft Access to separate the data from the user interface and programming elements. Access can link to data from different file formats including Excel, text files and other Access databases. For multi-user applications, you can have an Access file with just the forms, reports, queries […]
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1 Min
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