[AccessD] Now what do I do with this thing?

Jim Dettman jimdettman at earthlink.net
Sat Feb 22 13:39:00 CST 2003


John,

<<I just want to start catching up on what's going on out there.  The web is
here, high speed access is here (at least for much of the US population) and
companies are starting to use lots of different technologies.  I just feel
like I'm being left behind.>>

  I'm at the same point.  Years ago I decided to ignore the web and in hind
sight, that was a foolish move.  I've pretty much ignored SQL Server as
well, and I am *really* going to start paying for that shortly.

  As soon as I get past my current VFP hurdles, I plan to start attacking
that and some of the new stuff like .NET.

<<Plus, it could be fun to play with.>>

 Definitely right there.

<<The sales pitch is that all this stuff makes programming easier, less
error
prone and able to tie in more easily with other technologies.  If all that's
true, I should be back tomorrow with a 3 tiered port of a client's app,
ready to demo my skills.

<VBG>
>>

  "what, you can't do that already?" (with incredulous look on his face).

  According to many software vendors, you'd think we could generate this
stuff blind folded!<g>

Have fun!

Jim Dettman
President,
Online Computer Services of WNY, Inc.
(315) 699-3443
jimdettman at earthlink.net

-----Original Message-----
From: accessd-admin at databaseadvisors.com
[mailto:accessd-admin at databaseadvisors.com]On Behalf Of John W. Colby
Sent: Saturday, February 22, 2003 1:49 PM
To: accessd at databaseadvisors.com
Subject: RE: [AccessD] Now what do I do with this thing?


>I've had the .Net stuff for well over a year (I have a MSDN Universal
Subscription), but it really does nothing for me, so I've been ignoring it
for the most part.

Jim, I can sure appreciate that.  I have been ignoring all the stuff going
by for te last few years as well.  Access is a great little autonomous world
that it is very easy to get so comfortable with that you don't want to do
anything else.

I just want to start catching up on what's going on out there.  The web is
here, high speed access is here (at least for much of the US population) and
companies are starting to use lots of different technologies.  I just feel
like I'm being left behind.

Plus, it could be fun to play with.  I have SQL Server installed on my
server, I can upsize up a couple of client's data and have plenty of data to
play with.  Learn how to do what I do inside of Access from another
environment entirely.

Not to mention the fact that I need work.  When I look in the job ads,
Access is usually down about the 10th skill listed.  Its kinda embarrassing
to go to an interview and have to say, "Nope I don't know that.  Nope, don't
know that either.  Uhh... nope, not that either.  But I know Access REAL
well."

It remains to be seen where I get with this.  We definitely are NOT in
Kansas any more!  But I did 'C' programming back when, Turbo Pascal, Basic,
played with Fortran and Prolog, DBase and Paradox.  I CAN do this!

The sales pitch is that all this stuff makes programming easier, less error
prone and able to tie in more easily with other technologies.  If all that's
true, I should be back tomorrow with a 3 tiered port of a client's app,
ready to demo my skills.

<VBG>

John W. Colby
Colby Consulting
www.ColbyConsulting.com

-----Original Message-----
From: accessd-admin at databaseadvisors.com
[mailto:accessd-admin at databaseadvisors.com]On Behalf Of Jim Dettman
Sent: Saturday, February 22, 2003 1:21 PM
To: accessd at databaseadvisors.com
Subject: RE: [AccessD] Now what do I do with this thing?


John,

<<I feel very discombobulated in this environment.  It appears that it is
designed to allow navigation through a varied set of tools, but I was kind
of expecting to press a button somewhere and be transported on my magic
carpet to something resembling the VB development environment.  I haven't
found that button yet!>>

  Your not going to find it.  .Net is a framework that encapsulates all the
languages you mentioned.  It provides base services to everything.  If you
thought ADO/DAO and Office object models were complex, you have not see
nutt'n yet.

 Pick your favorite language and work with it.  They all end up in the same
place: the CLR (Common Language Runtime).

  I've had the .Net stuff for well over a year (I have a MSDN Universal
Subscription), but it really does nothing for me, so I've been ignoring it
for the most part. Probably another big mistake I'm making and one I'll
regret in a few years, but I'm sure at least it won't be the last<g>.

Jim Dettman
President,
Online Computer Services of WNY, Inc.
(315) 699-3443
jimdettman at earthlink.net

-----Original Message-----
From: accessd-admin at databaseadvisors.com
[mailto:accessd-admin at databaseadvisors.com]On Behalf Of John W. Colby
Sent: Saturday, February 22, 2003 9:17 AM
To: AccessD
Subject: [AccessD] Now what do I do with this thing?


OK, so now that I have this fancy Visual Studio.net (which comes with no
book of course) - what do I do with it?  I have:

Visual Basic .net
Visual C# .net
Visual C++ .net
Visual J# .net
and Crystal Reports .net.
The .net framework SDK
The Windows application compatibility toolkit

What the &^%$ is this .net thing they are so proud of?
What the (*&%* is the # thing they are so proud of?

How do I write a program?  Hello world?  ;-)

I feel very discombobulated in this environment.  It appears that it is
designed to allow navigation through a varied set of tools, but I was kind
of expecting to press a button somewhere and be transported on my magic
carpet to something resembling the VB development environment.  I haven't
found that button yet!

If anyone out there is using this thing and wants to discuss it with other
(even us neophytes) please raise your hand.

John W. Colby
Colby Consulting
www.ColbyConsulting.com


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