DMS Facets

Three way street

2009-09-06T23:10:00.001+12:00

Collaboration the hard way

I have recently had one of the more unpleasant experiences of my career in software, and have been reflecting on where did the process go off track.

Analogy

It was pertinent for me to think of a building analogy.

Let’s say you’re a plumber. You’ve been looking after the plumbing needs for a particular client for 10 years.

Out of the blue, a building company gets in touch… “We have built new offices for your customer, and they’re waiting to move in. All we need is the water and sewage – when can you get it done?”

Well, supposing you value your customer, and you want to do your best by them. Also, you know they are normally cost sensitive, so we have to aim for quick and simple if possible. Especially as you are charging out your time anyway at non-profit discount.

On the other hand, this is obviously going to be a tricky job. So you put aside your bamboozlement about why you weren’t involved in the process at an earlier stage, you adopt a task focus, and start drawing up specifications.

In the expectation that a collaborative relationship with the building company will yield greatest efficiency, you arrange for them to show you the new premises. Trouble is, they keep forgetting to bring the key. If there were ever any drawings, they have long since been misplaced, and the guy who can tell you what’s inside the walls is out of town. Only some of the holes you want to put through will they agree to.

You fly out of town at your own expense to kick the project into a higher gear, otherwise it will never get done. The builder says he will do the plumbing himself, but rapidly backtracks when you call his bluff.

When you finally get inside, you find that everything not directly visible from the front door (which is as far as your customers have been allowed to go) is incomplete and in disarray.

And then, they have put a toilet pan in the middle of the board room, that they just know the customer will need, but they can’t let the customer in until all the plumbing is connected. But the only way to get to this board room toilet is by running pipes around the outside of the building and up through the garage floor.

Well, after a while you finally get it piped out, in spite of the difficulties. The builders are still not opening the doors, but somehow you’re getting it in the neck from your customers because they’re still out in the cold. And as for keeping it cheap, well, that idea went down the drain a while ago. Get the picture?

Reasons

All right, here’s the point. Unless I am mistaken, this type of process would not really happen in the building industry. It would not happen in transport, or hospitality, or fishing. But it does happen in the software industry. Not frequently of course, but my experience is not an isolated example. Why?

I don’t claim to have the answers here. But here are a few factors that may be relevant.

First, there is the notorious difficulty of being precise about software specifications in advance. This is partly a result of the fact that software projects tend to be more individual, or in other words less similar to other projects that the developer has done previously, and so harder to put it within a familiar perspective.

Armen Stein discusses some aspects of this problem in this article.

Second, there is a tendency for the clients to not be clear about what they want; or not know what is possible until they actually see it; or not understand what is involved technically in achieving what they seek. The average person would have a much clearer idea of what has to be done to put a door in a wall, than they do about what has to be done to synchronise data between two databases with different structures.

Perhaps even trickier, given the customer’s extensive experience with some aspects of computing as an application user or power user, they can therefore believe they actually do understand what is involved in database application development, whereas in fact they do not.

Third, there are the many competing technologies, some of them with their passionate adherents, and others where the approach to be taken is decided based on the familiarity and skills of the developer.

I am an Access enthusiast. If a job can’t be done using Access, then it’s not a job for me. Whereas I certainly refer on, in cases of Access not being the suitable tool for the job, on the other hand my experience and expertise in Access allows me to recognise scenarios where Access can work well, which others with an incorrect conception of Access will not realise.

When it comes to putting in a toilet, there is probably not a lot of variation from one to another, from the core technology point of view. But for a database to track an organisation’s membership and finances, there are a bunch of wildly diverse ways of setting this up.

I think this factor makes it more difficult for collaboration between independent consultants working on different aspects of the project. And again, the fact that the clients are not necessarily aware of this factor, can exacerbate the problem.

Fourth, there are a lot of unscrupulous charlatans about.

Conclusion

This has been a learning experience for me. In this industry, one needs to be acutely aware of the special factors as discussed above. They need to be allowed for and compensated for.

Trying to shortcut the communication about specifications, done with the best of intentions in the interests of expediency, can backfire.

Finally, remember who the client is. Communicate primarily with the client, and communication with any third party or other provider should go via the client.

Technorati Tags: Microsoft+Access,ISV,software+development

Real World Access (41)

2009-07-08T15:16:00.001+12:00

One of a series of articles about where Microsoft Office Access applications have found a real-world niche.

Roger Carlson's Training Registration

Several years ago, Spectrum Health, the largest hospital system in out-state Michigan, changed its Hospital Information Management system.

Since they employ over 12,000 people, scheduling the training for those employees in the dozen or so modules the HIM offered was a challenge. They needed an application to schedule people, courses, and classrooms; and they needed it quickly.

Each course had multiple sessions, each of which could be scheduled in one of many classrooms. Each course could have only one teacher, but multiple teaching assistants assigned to it. Naturally, each course could also have multiple students assigned to it, up to a maximum, which varied based on the classroom to which it was assigned.

The application had to be able to:

create courses and sessions;
assign sessions to classrooms;
assign teachers, assistants, and students to each session.

It had to keep track of:

the seats assigned;
the maximum seating;
who had attended the course;
who had completed the course;
create session rosters;
create certificates of completion.

With Access, I created the database application in under a week's time, and it worked so well, they ended using it for several more projects. All they had to do was copy it, wipe the data, and start over. It was generic enough to be used for most any training initiative.

You can see a working copy here.

Technorati Tags: Microsoft+Access,Microsoft+MVP,software+development

SharePoint Book Recommendation

2009-07-07T21:39:00.001+12:00

Ishai Sagi’s new book

SharePoint MVP Ishai Sagi has recently published a brand new book about SharePoint 2007.

In a word – masterful. Congratulations, Ishai, on a great contribution!

The author is careful to point out that the book is not targeted to the technical end of the spectrum – the professional SharePoint developers and administrators.

Perfect! There are lots of books, and other resources, that make the assumption that you already know stuff, and jump right in to the intermediate or advanced level.

No, this is for the user. Well, in a sense, the author misses slightly here. He forgot to mention those who don’t necessarily work directly with SharePoint, but work with technologies that can integrate closely with SharePoint. Like (ahem) Access developers, for example.

So really, it’s for people who need a good, solid, overview understanding of SharePoint. Terminology, concepts, functionality. In my experience, there was a big gap for this type of book, and Ishai has filled it superbly.

Here’s the first sentence in Chapter 1:

SharePoint is a platform that allows users to build websites.

That’s what I like… start at the beginning, and move on up from there.

Not that it’s all on the basic level. By the time we get to page 341 we’ve covered some pretty meaty topics.

I have learned heaps from this book, and will continue to do so as I explore it more thoroughly. Just what I needed for my present stage of SharePoint knowledge and skill.

I have no criticisms at all. It is nicely written, in a very readable style. Very well organised. Excellently illustrated. Highly recommended.

Technorati Tags: SharePoint,Microsoft+MVP,Ishai+Sagi,book+review

Doing the Access Stretch

2009-07-06T22:40:00.001+12:00

Pleasing Some of the People Some of the Time

I have heard it said that the best thing about Microsoft Access is that it's part of Microsoft Office, and the worst thing about Access is that it's part of Office.

For one thing, if it wasn't part of Office, it's doubtful it would have survived like it has. On the other hand, it is clearly in a completely different league compared with the other Office products. Most people find it a pretty steep learning curve, and it takes a lot of hard work to achieve proficiency.

In the sense that it is used to “develop” database applications, it is clearly a developer program.

Here's another thing that is a best/worst thing about Access. It provides the ability for beginners to make effective simple applications, as well as providing a very powerful set of tools for professional developers to build complex applications. It simplifies the ability to connect to a wide range of data sources. It provides for a wide range of different application types - desktop / multi-user / hybrid desktop-web / client-server.

There is not a product on the planet that does now, nor ever has, come even close to catering to the needs of such a diverse range of IT workers and such a wide range of application scenarios. And guess what, I reckon this trend is going to become even more so, as Access continues to move forward and keep pace with the wider IT industry.

Is this an advantage? Yes. Is it a disadvantage? Yes.

This is a topic that is close to my heart. Unlike many professional freelance programmers, I do not have a deep IT background. I came to databases from an entirely different background. If it wasn't for the fact that Access provides something for the newbie, I would never have got into it. It was still a steep learning curve, but it was manageable.

I have been full-time Access developer for about 12 years, part-time for a few more years before that. Know what I'm saying? I love my work, and I owe my career to being able to do something with Access without knowing what I was doing.

This type of story is not uncommon in the Access world in general.

Now, that's the trouble... The fact that anyone can have a go, and think they're doing cool stuff, but in reality making a mess, because Access is in Office like Word and Excel and some people therefore assume it is as easy to use - that's the root of the stuff you sometimes hear about Access being regarded as "just a toy".

In many situations, it is a constant battle for Access developers to maintain their dignity and get taken seriously. And for Access to be seen as an appropriate/best tool for jobs, which it really is but the reputation is tarnished. That's the reason I built this webpage, to try and demonstrate that Access does some serious stuff.

But of course, for a computer programme to continue at the cutting edge, it has to change.

With Access 2007, Microsoft made a huge investment. I thank the Access team at Microsoft, for their willingness to take the hard and unpopular decisions in order to keep Access current with the IT industry, create a product that is unique in its scope of functionality, and provide Access with a future.

I see Access 2007 as the first tentative steps in a major movement
towards Access 2010 and beyond, and sometimes tentative steps only make sense in retrospect.

It looks to me that Access is just reaching adolesence. As such, I anticipate that in 10 years, my work will still be centred around Access development.

What a stroke of luck that some of us hitched our wagon to the Access horse, and not one of those other technologies that are slowly fading into oblivion.

We are expecting the Technical Preview (Beta) of Office 2010 sometime soon, and my bet is on an increase in the number of people who will recognise that Microsoft is getting it right.

Technorati Tags: Microsoft+Access,software+development

Sweet as cherry pie

2009-07-05T22:15:00.001+12:00

Bing causing a sensation

People are noticing.

Bing has sort of sneaked out of the closet while nobody was watching. And we find that it has grown up since we last checked.

Somehow, you get a sense that Microsoft are getting it right this time.

We have an internet search engine that has come a long way. I mean a real long way. I am not the only one who is finding it good enough for most normal search purposes.

Plus a couple of very nice features that really set it apart from its competitors – a list of “Related Searches”, and a very nicely done site preview on the search results page.

The Images search also shows some great improvements over the Windows Live Search caterpillar from which this butterfly grew. Again, they have managed to come up with some real points of difference – category options, and very effective ‘similar image’ sub-search.

As a home page, Bing is very attractive. Simple and elegant and uncluttered. But putting that daily picture on there, always a superb and powerful image, is a stroke of pure genius. I have talked to a number of people for whom this has been a significant factor in them choosing Bing.

Maps Search is also looking extremely nice, and seriously rivals anything else out there.

Actually, I can’t think of anything negative to say. Well, apart from the fact that it looks like it will eventually be swamped with advertising – but I guess that is sadly inevitable in this day and age.

Anyway, I am really liking Bing, and wow! I think this is going to make a real impact. I wonder when we will start seeing people using “Bing” as a verb, in the same way that the word “google” is used now.

And then, after all that, I found out today that those of us outside North America, are again the poor cousins. The North American version has even more very cool features that we don’t have (but presumably we will eventually). For example, being able to scroll back to previous days’ default Bing picture. And having a bunch more options available right on the front page.

I really think that Microsoft dishing up a product of this type that is quite as good as it is, has taken a lot of people by surprise. But I have heard that significant numbers of people are already declaring themselves as Bing fans.

Technorati Tags: Bing,internet+search,Microsoft

Non-commercial Re-installations

2009-02-03T07:01:00.001+13:00

A challenge for freelance developers

Maybe it’s just me. But I suspect this is a situation faced at times by others who work at the micro-ISV level.

It has happened to me 3 times in the last week. Customers have got a new computer, and have installed “my” application, without contacting me.

Well, what’s wrong with that, you may ask. This is how I see it…

If you are a freelance developer, building an application for a very specific one-off scenario, you don’t go to the extra effort/expense of providing for the “generality” factor. Like you do if the application will be deployed more widely.

No, you set it up and install it to the computer system it was designed for. You make sure, on that system, that everything related to the application is carefully put in the right place, and nicely lined up.

One of the examples this week was an Access 2000 MDE application, originally deployed with the Access 2000 Runtime, referencing a couple of third-party DLLs, using a set of specifically located TXT files, and requiring a DNS for some core functionality connecting to the MySQL database on their website.

The customer replaced their PCs, with Access 2007 installed. The IT company who supplied and set up their new computers, simply copied the Access database files from the old PCs to the new, and somehow expected them to work. Which they didn’t, of course.

One of the problems with this, is that it suddenly starts to feel like it’s my fault. There seems to be something of an undertone in our communication of “What’s wrong with this dumb database of yours, it was working fine and now suddenly it’s throwing all these errors, we didn’t think you would fail us at a time like this.” Well, I’ve got broad shoulders, and I can handle this one.

More difficult, is the fact that by this stage it has become urgent. They rely on this application. They have to get their invoices out by tomorrow. And of course they are in a distant city. And they don’t know what “unzip” means. And so on… Pressure!

As I said before, this is not the only time. So I can’t help dwelling on the question… Why didn’t somebody think of getting in touch with me before the event? “We’re getting new computers. What do we need to do to make sure our database will work?” It would have been easier and cheaper and nicer.

Technorati Tags: Microsoft+Access,Micro-ISV,software+development

Access Security

2009-02-02T07:33:00.001+13:00

Management by Technology

When planning and designing a Microsoft Access application, the question of the security of the data has to be carefully considered.

Similarly, one is called upon, from time to time, to discuss this aspect in technical forums and newsgroups.

Of course, from the technical angle, there are many aspects that could be discussed – and indeed they have been, many times in many places. Hiding the database window, disabling the bypass key, deploying as MDE/ACCDE, backend in SQL Server, etc. But that is not my main focus here.

Nor do I want to diminish the importance of attending to the question of data security in general. However, I think we have to recognise that how critical a consideration this is, will vary hugely from one industry to another and from one application to another.

If security is highly critical, basically an Access application with a JET/ACE backend database is not the right tool for the job. So? There are millions of database application scenarios where security is not highly critical.

A few weeks ago, I was responding in a newsgroup to a question about preventing access to the backend database. This person had realised that if anyone on his staff was sufficiently savvy, it would be possible for them to use various means to locate and connect to his application’s data.

This person had taken all the reasonable steps, as a developer, to make the backend database file difficult to find and open directly, and to make sure that the ordinary user would only interact with the data via the frontend application.

He asked what further steps he can take to prevent this hypothetical tech-savvy staff member from finding a way in.

I was discussing this over lunch with Lucy Thomson, fellow MVP, and she confirmed my viewpoint. “People keep trying to use technology as a substitute for management!”

Exactly! This is not a technical question. It’s a management question. It’s already patently obvious that you’re not supposed to mess with the database file. It’s like a locked door. It wouldn’t be too hard for someone with a screwdriver or bolt cutters to get in - but they would surely know they were doing something wrong.

Mr/Ms Savvy linking to the data file, or however they are going to do it, is hacking the company system. This is a serious offence. Make sure the staff know it will not be tolerated. Public flogging followed by instant dismissal for first offenders.

Expend your development efforts on building a great application. And apply management solutions to management problems.

Technorati Tags: Microsoft+Access,Micro-ISV,software+development,Access+security

Nana is 100

2009-02-01T07:35:00.001+13:00

On a personal note…

My family and I have returned home from a very special visit to Adelaide, South Australia – my home town.

The purpose for the trip was to help my grandmother Phyllis Schapel to celebrate her 100th birthday, on 10th January.

Of course it was a very family-oriented affair. Wonderful to catch up with immediate family, cousins and extended family members, many of whom I hadn’t seen for many years.

And of course to spend some time with my Nana. She’s a great lady, always know for her sharp wit. Here are a few of her birthday quips I will remember:

Looking across the room at my wife Susan, she turns to me and says…

“She’s too young to have you for a husband!”

(Of course I should have commented back about a certain person being old enough to have me for a grandson, but I wasn’t quick enough – too busy laughing!)

The congratulatory letter from the Queen has been read, the candles are lit, the assembled throng are on the verge of singing Happy Birthday, and Nana says…

“Who paid for this cake?”

Witnessed this interchange…

Nurse: “To what do you owe your long life?”
Nana: “Good, clean living.”
<general laughter>
Nana: “Hey, I didn’t say I was perfect!”

And another…

Somebody: “All set for another 100 years?”
Nana: “Well, I’ll definitely be around for part of it.”

My daughter Hazel has posted here about it. All in all, a pretty memorable experience.

Snip Snip

2009-01-31T08:36:00.001+13:00

I like the Snipping Tool in Vista

Sometimes “quick and easy” is good.

The Snipping Tool which is part of Windows Vista is a screen capture utility.

For me, it’s been a recent discovery. But since that time, I have found myself grabbing it fairly often.

The best thing about it is that it’s “feature-sparse”!

Of course, for some purposes you need screen capture with lots of flexible options about what to capture, when and how, coupled with powerful editing tools, in order to produce presentation-standard outputs.

In such cases the Snipping Tool does not snip the mustard, and for myself Snagit continues to be an essential blade in the quiver.

But I reckon the Snipping Tool designers have got the mix of functionality just about right, for those times where you want a simple no nonsense instant shot.

Here are a few examples of what I have used it for today:

I got an email from a customer asking where does he put a certain type of information into his Access database application. I opened the application at the form my customer is supposed to use, grabbed the Snipping Tool, grabbed a screen shot of the relevant section of the form, highlighted the textbox, and emailed it to him. Total time less than 60 seconds. Totally effective, adequate to the purpose, and certainly quicker than I could have handled it by any other means.
As part of a development task, I had to delete a bunch of tables in a database, and replace them with tables imported from another database. I wanted to make sure the Relationships pertaining to these tables would end up the same, without having to work it out (thinking is so time consuming, don’t you find?) Opened the Relationships window, grabbed the Snipping Tool, grabbed a shot of the relationship diagram, didn’t even save it – just left it sitting there to refer back to, deleted the tables, imported the new ones, and checked the relationships. Nice.
While working on one aspect of a database, I thought of something tangential that I would need to attend to later. Grabbed the Snipping Tool, took a capture of the relevant part of the report (in this case), used my tablet to write a note on it, and whacked in into my “to do” page in OneNote. Couldn’t have done it quicker and better any other way.

And so on. The examples are infinite of course.

So here’s the deal… you get:

A handful of configuration options;
The choice of 4 capture size/shape options;
A pen for freehand drawing/writing, with the choice of 2 nibs, 3 thicknesses, and 16 colours;
A highlighter, in the colour of your choice (as long as you choose yellow);
Save your capture to a choice of 4 formats;
A snappy user interface.

A lot of the time, that’s plenty.

Technorati Tags: screen+capture,snipping+tool,software+development

Real World Access (40)

2009-01-30T16:03:00.001+13:00

One of a series of articles about where Microsoft Office Access applications have found a real-world niche.

Jeanette Cunningham's Roads and Bridges

ParkRoads is an MS Access based road and bridge asset management program.

It is designed for use by rangers and other road management staff in Parks Victoria, a national park management agency, in Victoria, Australia.

The program:

records assets on roads, including the road surface;
assesses the condition of the asset;
develops works schedules for maintenance and upgrade works;
calculates repair cost estimates;
prioritises works based on structural condition and cost estimates;
tracks progress of works.

Reports can be generated on screen, in Access templates, or exported to Excel worksheets.

Photographs, technical reports, and assessments can be attached to the database.

The program is designed to be intuitive for non-engineer type road managers, and does not require extensive training courses.

Technorati Tags: Microsoft+MVP,Microsoft+Access,data+management,asset+management,roads

Database discussion

2008-08-04T22:08:00.001+12:00

Access & SQL Server at US TechEd

There is a video recording available of an interesting panel discussion, chaired by Mary Chipman at the US TechEd in June.

It is about considerations for moving a database from JET/ACE to SQL Server.

This is a topic where one can often find considerable confusion. You will see people wanting to choose between Microsoft Access and SQL Server.

To me, it's simple. SQL Server is not an alternative to Access. They're quite different categories of software, and you can't compare them. Access's primary purpose is application development. As far as I am aware, SQL Server can not be regarded as an application development platform. It's database management system software, and as such needs a frontend user interface built using "something else".

In many cases, that "something else" is Access.

Therefore it was excellent to see the panel bringing some good perspective, balance, and clarity to this question.

One of the panelists, Access MVP Armen Stein described Access as a "development environment". A development environment that comes with a free database engine (JET/ACE), which you can use by default, but under certain scenarios you may prefer to use another database engine - SQL Server for example. This is a good way to put it.

Technorati tags: Microsoft+Access, SQL+Server, database+development

Access White Paper

2008-07-21T23:17:00.001+12:00

I went to a SharePoint User Group meeting tonight. A great presentation by visiting British trainer Craig Carpenter.

But I digress... Somehow at these events I always seem to end up mentioning Access to somebody. And, as is so often the case, the "somebody" is apparently surprised to know that Access is being used in the real world.

Well, on this occasion, I was able to refer the person to an article that was fresh in my mind. It's the Microsoft Office Access Vision White Paper, published by Microsoft.

It's available for download as a Word document. A couple of years old, but still a good read.

I take the liberty of quoting from the final section of the document:

Microsoft believes strongly in the strategic importance of continued investment in Access and the Access database engine. Access addresses a class of users who would never use Visual Studio and developers who can help empower and support those users. The Access database engine, with its versatile ability to connect to multiple diverse data sources and its powerful client-side query processor, fills a need that is distinct from SQL Server and SQL Server Express. Also, as a tool for creating rich Windows-based forms and reports bound to Windows SharePoint Services data, Access can add significant value to the Web-based capabilities of Windows SharePoint Services. The Web services–based technology that Access uses to connect to Windows SharePoint Services is a promising harbinger of how Access will be able to add value to other emerging service-oriented data sources. For these reasons, Microsoft sees a bright future for Access and will continue to invest strongly in its continued growth.

Nicely put, don't you think?

Technorati tags: Microsoft+Access

Real World Access (39)

2008-07-21T21:57:00.001+12:00

One of a series of articles about where Microsoft Office Access applications have found a real-world niche.

Bob Larson's Medical Point of Sale

Providence Health System, in Portland, Oregon, was opening a retail outlet for selling appearance items for cancer patients in one of their hospitals.

They needed a Point of Sale (POS) system in order to handle the retail transactions. The transactions would include marking which items were covered by insurance and/or cash sales.

They found a system that the Home Medical Equipment division was implementing, but it was not going to be available for 6 months to a year. So, they needed some program to handle the sales until such time as they could get hooked up to the Enterprise system.

Using Microsoft Access I designed, programmed, and implemented a POS system which is able to handle the cash sales, including credit cards (and tracking the bank confirmation codes), and insurance sales.

The system can submit sales invoices to the business office. They have all the information required for billing the insurance companies.

At the time I left the company the retail outlet was successfully using the Access program I created and, if it had done the actual insurance billing, they were wishing that they could just keep using the program I created instead of the Enterprise system.

Technorati tags: POS, Microsoft+Access, Microsoft+MVP, software+development

Real World Access (38)

2008-06-07T14:14:00.001+12:00

One of a series of articles about where Microsoft Office Access applications have found a real-world niche.

Branislav Mihaljev's SMS Messaging

One of the customers asked me if I can build a database program in Microsoft Access which he will use to send single or mass SMS text messages.

Basically it is a simple task, as SMS messages will be sent through a SMS Gateway, and VB code is already provided by the SMS Gateway provider. With small modification this code can be easily adapted to work in Access.

Wherever the base of a program is a small or mid sized database, Access can be used to build a program around it, so we both agreed to continue with Access.

There were lots of things to consider for this application. The buyer maintains several lists in Excel database-like format, so I needed to write a custom import module to import all these data. As most of the worksheets do not have the same field names, there was a need to give the user the option to "connect" fields from a database table to Excel columns. In some worksheets, the columns are not in the same order, which complicated the programming a bit, but in the end a custom import wizard (reusable for other programs) worked well!

Usually, even for a single user, I split a database into backend and frontend parts. At least there is one advantage: when the backend is completed I can work on the user interface (frontend) without interfering with the user's actual data.

Furthermore this program should maintain different types of message recipients, where each type can belong to one of four groups. In other words, the user has five attributes to define each recipient group. So we have decided to use different backends (one for police, one for fire brigade, one for army, etc). Also there was a need for the option to create a new backend database.

The main screen overall looks simple. It allows the user to select the user type, and using four filters choose a group of recipients. The user can select one or unlimited number of recipients and send the same SMS message to each one.

The SMS screen does not allow more than 160 characters to be entered (it has a counter of the number of typed characters), and it can schedule sending for any date/time in the future.

Sending generic messages is not always user friendly, so we thought we could use "smart tags" in the SMS message. Here is a sample message with "smart tags" in:

Dear <Name> we have a meeting at <Company> tomorrow at 9AM.

When the program generates the SMS messages it will replace <Name> with the real name and <Company> with the name of the company where the recipient works.

As well as being user friendly, "smart tags" appear to be useful in many other ways. "Smart tags" are managed in an option screen, where the user can create a limited number of new "smart tags".

The program checks for the number of SMS Gateway credits available, and if the number drops below a specified number, it generates an e-mail to the SMS Gateway provider asking for additional credits, providing all necessary payment details. Actually the program interacts with the SMS Gateway, pulling all the information needed: credits spent, credits remaining, number of messages sent, etc.

Finally, since we have lists of people in the database, we modified the program to be used as contact management as well, and I have added an option to send e-mails instead of SMS messages. In the end we have a program which can send message information to recipients in different ways.

Imagine if there is a large fire and they need to inform in shortest possible time as many off-duty fire fighters as possible? Using a mobile phone it can take some time, whereas using this Access program they can send one or hundreds of messages in just a couple of seconds.

Technorati tags: Microsoft+Access, Microsoft+MVP, software+development, SMS, text+messaging

Shonky Operator

2008-06-02T22:47:00.001+12:00

Beware of Roger Hamilton and XL Results Foundation

I recently received an invitation to a presentation in Wellington by Roger Hamilton from XL Results Foundation.

The topics of the meeting included personal profiling, wealth creation, and business success. I figure I always have something to learn.

He does this all around the world.

I attended the evening event, and also the follow-up breakfast meeting the following morning. What I witnessed was quite disturbing - to the extent that I am moved to comment on it, as well as to alert the organisation that promoted it to me.

Roger Hamilton is an interesting and entertaining presenter. Give credit where credit is due. He is a clever guy, he shared some good ideas, and I learnt something for sure.

However, his core purpose is not to inform. The whole thing is a sales process.

Well, in business there's sales and there's sales. I am not qualified to comment on legalities, but I am surprised that what he is doing does not cross over the boundary into being classified in New Zealand as an illegal pyramid scheme.

Either way, he certainly crosses the boundary of ethics and honesty, very skillfully using psychological techniques to deceive and manipulate.

As a result, I saw a large number of people part with a large amount of money, for a product which is not worth a small fraction of what they paid, in response to vague and misleading information and straight out lies.

Sure, they signed their names voluntarily, and people have a right to make their own impulsive decisions, and to pay money without doing due diligence if they so choose. So that's all accepted.

But it's still a nasty scam.

In researching about it afterwards, I found a number of web sites and blogs where others have similar concerns. On one of those, the author asks "How you feel when you hear about people being swindled in the same way - do you let it happen, ignore or speak out?" I think I will speak out at any opportunity.

Having said that, I need to try and be succinct. So, what was for sale? Life Membership of Mr Hamilton's little club. What is the price? $NZ14,500 per person if paid on the spot, or $NZ17,500 if paid in instalments over 12 months. Is there an opportunity to review any hard information before making a commitment? No.

Here's a brief overview of the sales process:

The man with the gift of the gab gets everyone real hyped up.
Those who "resonate" with the hype have to fill in the application form.
After that you get told the price.
After that, you compete to be one of the 5 who will be accepted (except that after the first 5, they keep accepting people anyway - there were 10 who took the plunge when I was there).
After that, you have to give your credit card details, and sign the form which states no refunds.
After that, you get some specific details about what you get for the money.

Well, that last point is a tad unfair, I admit. During the course of the talk, you do get some snippets of information, in very emotive and general terms, about Life Membership. But certainly not enough to base a rational decision on.

Pretty much what it comes down to is:

Subscription to a monthly magazine - lots of advertising and the occasional interesting article.
Potential benefits of social networking with other members. Sort of like a private LinkedIn.
The opportunity to contribute to charities, in some undefined way.
An income opportunity by getting a percentage cut of the membership fee of people you refer (this was not mentioned at the meeting, I found out about it later).
Attendance at a whiz-bang function.
Access to life/business coaching.

$14,500?? C'mon!

On the face of it, the coaching aspect sounds like the most meaty of the offerings. But then, if I'm going to get coaching, I need to find a coach I can "click" with.

I have no idea, of course, about any of the coaches within that organisation. There was one of them at the meeting I attended, and I sure wouldn't have "clicked" with him.

But you would have to assume that the coaches are all people who at some stage have been through the same process I observed. That means they are not representative. It means they are people who are able to be swayed by excitement. It means they are people who have demonstrated their willingness to invest large amounts of cash without proper consideration. It means they do not have a well-developed ability to detect unethical behaviour. It means they are not for me.

So that's the value for money aspect. But in the end, it is primarily the snake-oil tactics that I am upset about.

Something just really got to me about this. Because I saw it first-hand, I suppose. It was certainly amazing to see the vulnerability of some folks, and to reinforce my belief in the concept of consumer protection.

Which is simply my point... Watch out!

Technorati tags: scam, wealth+creation, social+networking, consumer+protection

Real World Access (37)

2008-05-07T11:53:00.001+12:00

One of a series of articles about where Microsoft Office Access applications have found a real-world niche.

Jack Cowley's Rodeos

The general consensus seems to be that if you are cowboy or cowgirl and want to enter a rodeo, you fill out a form, pay your entry fee, and wait until the appointed day. After everyone has signed up, the participants’ names are drawn from a hat, and if your name was drawn 5th in bull riding, then you are the 5th rider out of the chute.

Nothing could be further from the truth. It is so complex that it takes hours and hours of manual labor to get people in the order in which they finally get their turn to participate in the rodeo.

Rodeos usually have a ‘main’ event or ‘performance’. Some participants want to be in this event, and some prefer not to be, preferring to be in a later or ‘slack’ event. Or they can select to be in ‘slack’ if they don’t get chosen for the ‘performance’. Or they can choose to be excluded from the rodeo if their number is not drawn for their preference, whether it be ‘performance’ or ‘slack’.

And this is just the beginning! There are team events (2 people), and a person can be in multiple team events and individual events and they can choose to be excluded from all events if they can’t be in their individual events and team events in their preference of ‘performance’ or ‘slack’.

This seems easy enough. But each person and each team is given a randomly generated priority number, and that number determines where they are in the order of the event. A low number and you can go near the end, which is good, as you can see what your competition has done. But if you do not make it into your individual event (‘bad’ priority number), you can choose to be excluded from your team event as well… or not!

Just to add to the confusion, the Barrel Racing event is the reverse, so you want a low number as you go first, not last, so you can set the time to beat.

Basically everyone gets the randomly generated number and then you start trying to put him or her in the events and performance(s) they want to be in. If there are more people signed up for ‘slack’ and not enough for ‘performance’ then a high priority numbered person in ‘slack’ will be moved to ‘performance’.

This has all been done with 3x5 cards and lots of shuffling and moving of cards and reshuffling and more moving, until you end up with a rodeo ready to go. With over a hundred plus people signed up for an ‘average’ rodeo, that is a lot of shuffling and reshuffling!

Now we are doing this with an Access database. Currently a beta version of a simple rodeo can be generated in just a few seconds, saving many hours of manual work deciding who gets to ride and when.

Technorati tags: Microsoft+Access, Microsoft+MVP, Software+Development, Rodeo

Real World Access (36)

2008-03-27T15:06:00.001+13:00

One of a series of articles about where Microsoft Office Access applications have found a real-world niche.

Sascha Trowitzsch's Remote Equipment Service

A manufacturer produces machines for industrial application, that fully automate the milling of guitar necks. The sound of the instruments will be optimized this way.

They needed a database to administer all sold machines, their parameters and processes.

I developed an application named "plekBase", based on of Access 2003, which acts as a remote service centre for machine maintenance.

The devices are deployed worldwide. They produce daily error log reports, and send them by email. "plekBase" receives these emails, records and analyzes them, and notifies technicians about malfunctions and operational deviations.

Based on the data received, the application independently generates a service case if necessary. If a service case is produced, the database reveals all customer's data to the current user technician, who can decide to immediately contact the client via phone with a click of a button (TAPI interface), or send a service enquiry via email.

The database also contains a catalog of all parts of any machine, including pictures, technical drawings, and documentation. This guides the attending technicians with the troubleshooting of specific errors they received.

Technorati tags: Microsoft+Access, Microsoft+MVP, software+development, remote+diagnostics

New Blog - GPG On Access

2008-03-23T22:43:00.001+13:00

Hey! I have noticed that Access MVP George Hepworth (aka Grover Park George) has recently joined the ranks of Access bloggers. He calls it GPG On Access.

I'll be keeping my eye on his blog. I expect he will be targeting some interesting topics, and he has a great knack for explaining things neatly.

Technorati tags: Microsoft+Access, Microsoft+MVP, blogging, Grover+Park+George

Office 2007 Ribbon Saga

2008-03-23T22:24:00.001+13:00

There is some fantastic information available, about the evolution of the Ribbon (Fluent User Interface) for Office 2007.

I first heard about it on Clint's post to the Access Team Blog.

He points to an article by Jensen Harris, Group Program Manager of the Microsoft Office User Experience Team.

And in particular a video of a recent presentation done by Jensen, showing some of the steps in the process of deciding on the Ribbon concept, and putting it together.

(Note: 146 Mb, 70 minutes)

For some reason, this has really caught by imagination, and I have just looked through it a second time. Even though I had heard about a lot of it before, I have found it totally fascinating to get a glimpse behind the scenes of such a bold process.

It is a very nicely done presentation.

Of course, the Ribbon interface itself has received a mixed reception. This is not surprising - adjusting to the unfamiliar is always uncomfortable.

Judging by some of the responses to the blog posts mentioned above, there are still a lot of people who are putting up a fight. Then again, judging by these survey results, they are a minority.

I think there is a lot of good information around, to assist people to learn the Ribbon. This includes interactive reference guides for finding Office 2003 toolbar and menubar commands in Office 2007 ribbons. In the case of Access, it is here.

There are some good tools available too, to facilitate customising the Ribbons. I have used these, and can recommend:
RibbonCustomizer
RibbonCreator

And there are also a number of third-party tools available, which mimic an Office 2003 interface within Office 2007, for those who want to live in the past.

But to suggest that Microsoft might revert to the old style, or provide users with a choice, is away with the fairies.

The Ribbon isn't perfect, and nowhere is that more true than in Access. I look forward to seeing improvements in due course.

But no matter how much moaning anyone does, what we have now is still a great step forward, from which there will not be any turning back.

My belated congratulations to Jensen Harris and his team at Microsoft, for stepping up to the plate, and doing what had to be done.

Technorati tags: Microsoft+Access, Microsoft+Office, Office+Ribbon, software+development

Real World Access (35)

2008-02-25T20:52:00.001+13:00

One of a series of articles about where Microsoft Office Access applications have found a real-world niche.

Graham Seach's Investment Banking

Many of the Access projects I develop are for very large organisations. One in particular was for a multi-national investment bank.

This $3.9M project was to develop a highly secure enterprise system that allowed the bank to meet its regulatory reporting requirements under both the BASEL I & II accords (similar to Sarbanes Oxley).

This project employed a Project Manager, a Systems Architect, 4 Access developers, a SQL Server DBA, 2 Business Analysts, 2 DataStage developers (data migration), 2 MicroStrategy developers (reports), 2 Test Engineers, plus team managers.

The long-term plan for the project was to create an enterprise-wide intranet solution in DotNet. Access 2OO3 was selected as the Version 1.0 frontend technology due to its flexibility, power, and its RAD (rapid application development) capability.

The SQL Server 2005 data store was designed as a data warehouse, so the front end had to be designed to cater for huge numbers of records (in excess of 100 million).

The Access application provided users with the ability to manage and analyse deals and exposures, capital deductions, limits, on/off balance sheets and collateral allocations, and to reconcile the GL (general ledger).

The Access application's user interface is fast, responsive and extremely stable, having been designed using the principles of human-computer interaction (HCI). The UI design focus is on usability and employs a direct manipulation model.

The system uses techniques not normally found in typical Access databases, for example:

Extensibility (user customisation)
Proactive integrity checking (the system actively prevents users from making mistakes rather than just responding to them)
Screen update delay minimisation techniques
Screen fading effects
Graphical tooltips
Full drag-n-drop facility throughout
Dynamic list scrolling during drag operations
Automatic user shutdown/lockout during data load operations
Ad-hoc environment switching (using XML configuration files)
User-defined security model (including screen/action permissions) tightly integrated with SQL Server security.

The project was delivered on-time, despite a highly aggressive schedule.

The intranet version has been delayed because the Access version works so well that it has quickly become the line-of-business application. Management now see no reason to replace Access.

Technorati tags: Microsoft+Access, Microsoft+MVP, software+development, investment+banking

Kids and the Internet

2008-02-24T22:58:00.001+13:00

As a parent, as well an IT professional, I am very interested in the topic of safe computing practices for children.

A few days ago, a guy I know pointed out this article.

It caught my attention, especially since I have been managing a blog for some of the kids at my daughter's school, during their summer holidays.

Well, I found this article, and the website behind it, to be deficient.

The site is aimed towards teenagers.

It does not mention the appropriate role for parental guidance.

It does not provide them with an opportunity to evaluate or discuss the ideas presented.

It does not provide any justification for the claims and opinions presented.

To say stuff like "pose a risk to your privacy or even your personal safety" without explanation or example is not informing, it's scare-mongering.

The best threat they can come up with is the one about future employment prospects. Give me a break! It improves their future employment prospects. It will help them to screen potential employers. Any potential employer who is going to take into account what you posted to a blog when you were a kid, you don't want to work for, so there, you save yourself a wasted interview. Doesn't the calibre of our kids ensure they will have a plethora of employment/business opportunities through life, without needing to suck up to bad employers?

On the other hand, if they post good and appropriate stuff online, there's no risk anyway. And the way to increase that probability is to introduce them at any opportunity, within a very tight and safe environment (such as the one I provided with the blog), and teach them how to do it well. Isn't that part of being a parent - to guide them as they learn (as they must) to distinguish what is fun from what is dangerous?

Anyway, listen, by the time our kids are old enough to get jobs, there won't be any such thing as the Internet - well, nothing like what we know it today anyway.

So let's dispense to where it belongs, this ridiculous idea that kids posting online will put their futures at risk.

So, what are the risks? None mentioned on that website.

One possibility is that personal information will be provided, that will assist:
- a deranged non-custodial parent embroiled in a custody battle to kidnap the child
- a paedophile to conduct a targetted pre-meditated attack on the child

Do these things happen? Yes. Often enough to make good copy for the Women's Weekly. But I couldn't agree that we should curtail life in case something bad happens. In the final analysis, an extremely low risk here, and once again, the risk dramatically reduced by good parental guidance (which does not mean over-protection).

And of course, for those whose personal circumstances are such that they have to take extraordinary steps to stay incognito, well, they have to take extraordinary steps.

Another risk area is commercial exploitation, i.e. bombardment with advertising, spam, and other unsolicited marketing, because of personal information revealed.

Another risk is infecting your computer with malware via access to malicious websites.

Another risk is revealing information such as passwords, bank account numbers, etc, which can be exploited.

So yes, there are risks. Does this mean don't play? No. It means learn to manage and minimise the risk. It is not too soon for our kids to see the adults in their lives, their parents and teachers, managing and minimising the risk.

I like what Kimberly Moritz says:

As an adult, I have no problem discriminating, considering the source, looking at the possible bias. I have no problem avoiding the million and one websites out there that focus on nonsense.

I don't think blocking access to the web is going to teach our kids how to do those things. I'm certain that opening it up completely to students who are still developing their good sense and judgment isn't the answer either.

Good parents pay attention to what their kids are doing on-line, just like they pay attention to every other aspect of their lives.

I also like what Mary McCallum says:

Cue the 'terrorist' parent who trusts his/her children but also expects the worst and makes sure s/he is knowledgeable and curious about the things children are into, is tolerant, is non-judgemental when there are 'hiccups', and is always ready and willing to dive in unexpectedly to check on the children and their activities AT A MOMENT'S NOTICE!!

This discussion would not be complete without mention of some software!

Have a look at PC TimeWatch. It is an excellent, easy to use tool for managing computer use. It is probably more applicable for older children, who are starting to have independent access to a computer.

I have noticed that Windows Live OneCare includes a monitoring module which looks interesting.

And I understand that Windows Vista includes parental control and content managing tools, which I confess I have not checked out, but their existence is certainly indicative of a trend.

I expect tools like this will become more available and more powerful in the near future.

Technorati tags: family+safe+computing, parenting, internet+privacy, children+and+internet

Mouse Parade

2008-02-23T22:06:00.001+13:00

This week has seen the opening of another chapter in my long-term process of caring for the tendons in my hand and arm.

I am referring to my acquisition of a new Microsoft Natural Wireless Laser Mouse 6000 (#4 in the picture).

When I first experienced problems because of mouse damage (RSI, OOS, whatever you call it), the only effective solution I found was the 3M Ergonomic Mouse (#1 in the picture).

Well, originally I got an Anir Vertical Mouse, which was the predecessor of the 3M edition, same basic design.

Over a period of a few years, I think I had a total of 4 of these upright mice. This was a lifesaver. This design has it's limitations, for example even the latest versions do not have wheels. And they seem to wear out pretty quickly. But they force your hand and arm to a position they naturally fall to by default, preventing further damage, which was critically important for me at the time.

Here is a nice picture of how to use it.

Eventually I found that my hand had strengthened, and I decided to give another product a try. Enter the Evoluent Vertical Mouse (#2 in the picture).

Well, I used a couple of these over a couple of years, and I must say they are excellent. It took a while to get used to initially, but after that, it certainly fit the bill. Includes a mouse wheel, and ancillary buttons. The only real problem we had was that occasionally they would just stop, until you re-plug it in to the USB port. Some technical glitch, but it happened on both the units I had.

Then, last year, I got a desktop set. I mainly wanted it for the Microsoft Natural Ergonomic Keyboard (which, by the way, are magnificent beasts). But since it came with a Microsoft Wireless IntelliMouse Explorer (#3 in the picture), I decided to give this a go, given that it had some nice additional features, such as wireless, and a zoom button, and horizontal scrolling - stuff I had never had before.

This mouse (and it's current successor the Wireless Optical Mouse 5000), require you to twist your arm inwards to an unnatural position. But there is enough of a lateral angle on it to provide a significant advantage over a standard horizontal design. And the rest of the body of the unit is so nicely streamlined that it allows a very comfortable grip. So much so, that I have been using it for normal daily use, with only occasional discomfort.

But then, when I heard about the new Natural Mouse, I just had to have one. And so far it's working out very well.

In fact, I think they have come up with a winner this time. This mouse seems to combine the best features of all the ergonomic products mentioned above.

It is a fully featured desktop mouse, with 5 button programmable functionality, scroll and tilt wheel and click the wheel. The wheel action is very satisfyingly positive. The zoom button (unlike the one on the Optical mouse) does not keep getting accidentally activated by coming in contact with the edge of the keyboard.

The lateral angle of the "top" of the mouse is only slightly "off" the natural position. The height of the mouse, at least for my hand size, allows the pressure on the desk to be comfortable. The contours of the base lend themselves to horizontal wrist movement as well as full arm control. The width of the mouse, and the angle of the grips, mean you can control it without needing to squeeze inwards with the thumb, which makes it more comfortable in this regard than the Evoluent.

It did take some getting used to, of course, just because it's different. Something slightly disconcerting at first was that the angle of movement of the mouse did not "line up" for me with what I felt were the horizontal and vertical coordinates. There is no provision to adjust this tracking angle, which was one of the nice features of the Anir/3M mouse.

So, it's recommended. And not just for those who need an ergonomic solution because of existing injury problems - I believe all regular computer users should use safe as possible tools.

Technorati tags: ergonomic+mouse, safe+computing, product+review, Microsoft+mouse

Bill Gates talks about Office

2008-02-23T08:23:00.001+13:00

Thanks to Access MVP Thomas Möller for pointing out this very interesting recent interview with Bill Gates.

We know that Bill has always been very fond of Access, and it is good to see this is still the case.

In this interview, Bill gives some interesting hints about what might be coming in Access 14.

Given that, plus the continued high level of input within Microsoft to the development of future versions of Access, we can be confident of a rosy and exciting future.

We also hear some great comments about where we are going with Microsoft Office in general, and the future of computer technology.

Technorati tags: Bill+Gates, Microsoft+Access, Microsoft+Office, software+development

Up in the air

2008-01-30T00:49:00.001+13:00

Can anyone figure out how they allocate passenger seating on aircraft?

As far as I can tell, it must be a fairly complex data management task, so my hat's off to the person who wrote the algorithm for Air New Zealand.

Tell you why I think so. All sarcasm aside, honestly.

Today I travelled on a plane, I think it was called a Q300, which had 50 seats, as per the diagram.

And you will also see from the diagram which seats were occupied (blue)... it was not a full flight.

I was in seat 6D (shown in red). In the interests of a bit of extra elbow room for me and the person next to me, I thought it would be good to move forward to the vacant seat 5D.

Stewardess Kathy wouldn't allow it. Man, I wish I'd been able to record her reason, but it was obviously a well rehearsed speech.

Basically it amounted to the fact that doing so would interfere with the "trim" of the aircraft during take-off and landing, throwing it dangerously off balance.

Wow! If the plane is that vulnerable to the seating configuration, it's real scary to think the seat allocation software might get it wrong. Eh?

On the other hand, maybe what Kathy told me isn't true.

Maybe she should have said "it is strict company policy for passengers to remain in their allocated seats". Or "my other duties do not allow me the time to evaluate passengers' requests to change seats". Or some such.

Maybe Air New Zealand requires their staff to say ridiculous things to passengers. Who knows. But if so, that's cruel, really, don't you think?

But, as a database developer, I have to consider: If you had to place 18 people within 12 rows of 4 seats plus 2, from the point of view of preventing the plane falling over... how would you do it?

Technorati tags: database+development, seating+allocation, air+safety

Real World Access (34)

2008-01-15T21:02:00.001+13:00

One of a series of articles about where Microsoft Office Access applications have found a real-world niche.

Glenn Lloyd's Distribution

Bulk Product Information Management and Reporting

My client, the regional manager for a major multi-national corporation, is responsible for the storage and distribution of a small variety of bulk products throughout a vast geographical area.

The company operates a main storage and handling facility that periodically receives stock via cargo ship and several sub-terminals located at strategic points in the region.

From the main terminal the company distributes bulk products to the sub-terminals and to industrial customers in the terminal’s vicinity. Sub-terminals, in turn, distribute product to industrial customers within their respective territories. The company distributes and re-distributes its products within the region by bulk highway transport.

The company’s global data handling and reporting system focuses on the 'big picture'. As such, it is not suited to meeting more detailed and immediate management information needs at lower levels of the corporation.

My client required comprehensive and timely reporting of ongoing business activity on a terminal by terminal basis. He had initially asked that I develop an Excel based solution for him.

However, it became clear to me, after reviewing the activities and needs he was expressing, that a worksheet approach would be cumbersome to develop and maintain. On the other hand, the data management aspects of my client’s needs indicated that a database oriented solution would be far more suitable in the long run.

After further review and discussion, we decided that Access would be the appropriate vehicle to implement the solution.

The Access application provides a form-based user interface for the collection and update of manually entered data. The interface also provides for the import of Excel data in some cases.

The system includes on demand reporting of product activity, inventory balances, customer activity, summary sales data, overtime useage, and maintenance and safety activity by product, terminal, region and customer.

Technorati tags: Microsoft+Access, Microsoft+MVP, software+development, product+distribution