Highlights The ability to export reports to Excel has been added. Fixes for issues with the import data wizards, report printing and previewing, macros, Excel integration, and date filters. Updates to Access Developer Extensions and Access Runtime are updated for SP2 and are available in all supported languages. The ADE is patched with the full Office Suite patch, while the Access Runtime is in a separate patch. More Access Runtime info This version of the Access 2007 Runtime contains the same version...

Access MVP Bob Larson has released a utility that you can use to clear test data from your database. I’ll let Bob tell you about it: It is a “database reset tool” which is for anyone who has been developing a database and they’ve got test data in it and want to get it prepped for release.  It allows you to browse to the database file, and automatically opens a form with a list of the tables that are in the database (not system tables), then you can delete any of the tables from the list that...

Mike Alexander (Excel MVP) is putting on an Excel and Access Integration workshop in Dallas May 18/19th 2009. The goal of this workshop is to help users explore all the functionality that exists when Excel and Access are brought together. We go through a comprehensive review of the wide range of integration techniques that can be performed using Excel and Access. Mention you came from this blog and get at 30% discount. Do you do a lot of Excel/Access integration? We would love to hear more about...

Access MVP Albert Kallal has developed a Ribbon class object that you can use to simplify modifying Ribbon commands at runtime. The office ribbon is an amazing new interface. The problem with the ribbon is that takes a lot of code to change the ribbon at runtime. Solution: With my ribbon class you can enable, hide, change label text, or pictures of a button with great ease and very little code. This ribbon class allows you to use the simple "old style" syntax to enable, hide, or change...

The Office Sustained Engineering team has announced the official ship date . Highlights for Access include: The ability to export reports to Excel has been added. Fixes for issues with the import data wizards, report printing and previewing, macros, Excel integration, and date filters. Updates to Access Developer Extensions and runtime (including as a patch) are now included in SP2. We will have a complete list of fixes available on the 28th.

Reader Patrick Jackman of Vancouver, BC has submitted a useful “fit-and-finish” tip. Here is a simple tip that I use quite often in MsgBox prompts when the message involves reporting the results of a count. Function Pluralize(ByVal varCount As Variant, Optional Singular _                     As Variant, Optional Plural As Variant) _                    ...

Sure, that sounds like the frustrated outburst of an overworked technical writer, but when you build Access applications for others to use, you're pretty much on the hook to write the Help for them. Last month, we featured the “ How to synchronize combo boxes " template, and commenter Shairal was interested to know how the "Click to see details" reports were done. I think this is a pretty clever way to add Help to your Access applications.To summarize the system, the links (actually...

Posted by Chris Downs, writer, Access IW Content Team Here’s a great tip suggested by Clint Covington. Using an expression and a Rich Text text box, you can create a traffic light indicator in an Access form or report, as in the following illustrations: First, add a text box to the form or report, and set the following properties: Property Setting Text Format Rich Text Locked True Enabled False Then, enter the following expression into the Control Source property: ="<font face=Webdings size...

Tony Toews (Access MVP) recently released a helpful utility that helps you ensure that all controls in your database are the same width. This is helpful when you find a bug that clips data in a control and want to fix it in all instances where that control exists through out your app. http://www.granite.ab.ca/access/ensuringuniformcontrolwidth.htm Enjoy and thanks Tony!

I’d like to take this opportunity to announce a new feature of the blog, which some of you might have noticed already. Our Content Publishing team has begun collecting “Power Tips” from members of the Access community, including the product team, Access MVPs, user group members, and other Access enthusiasts. Power Tips are intermediate-level “How-to” tips that you can use to enhance your Access applications, without having to dive too deep into programming. We hope they’ll be valuable to those of...