I ask impossible questions????? (RE: [AccessD] Array dimensio ns, Row - Col or Col Row)

DWUTKA at marlow.com DWUTKA at marlow.com
Tue Feb 24 15:51:17 CST 2004


True.  Very true.  I was glossing over the minor details! LOL!

There are other differences, I just didn't want to bog the list down by
going into them all.  Like VBA allows for 'Eval', which cannot be used in
VB.  VB has no problems with using AddressOf in callback functions.  VB also
creates true 'forms' instead of highly subclassed forms (like Access).  This
list goes on.....

However, my statement still holds true, in the manner in which I 'meant' it.
There is little you can do in one or the other, which you can't do in the
opposite.  True, VBA inside of Access uses Access a default object, so it is
easier to do database stuff within Access (though I tend to use ADO in VB,
which to me, is just as easy as using Access).  However, that 'capability'
is still there, it's just more difficult to do it.  Likewise, there are
things which are easier to do in VB, but you can still replicate the
capability (most of the time) with VBA.

It all boils down to using the right tool for the job.  Which is what we
generally agreed on in the great bound/unbound debate! <grin>

Drew

-----Original Message-----
From: accessd-bounces at databaseadvisors.com
[mailto:accessd-bounces at databaseadvisors.com]On Behalf Of John W. Colby
Sent: Tuesday, February 24, 2004 3:40 PM
To: Access Developers discussion and problem solving
Subject: RE: I ask impossible questions????? (RE: [AccessD] Array
dimensions, Row - Col or Col Row)


>However, there is very little that you can do in one, that you can't do in
the other.

Well... not exactly.

VBA is Visual Basic for Applications and is simultaneously a superset of and
a subset of VB (Visual Basic).

VBA is different for each "Application" that is the A portion of VBA.  VBA
for Access is not the same as VBA for Word as VBA for Excel etc.  VBA for
Access understands Database things, VBA for Word understands document things
(paragraphs for example), VBA for Excel understands Cells for example.

That is the "Superset" part of VB.  It is VB with something (a LOT!) added.

It is also a subset because there are a handful of things that VB can do
that VBA can't.

Thus to say that "there is very little you can do in one that you can't in
the other" is very misleading.  I can apply formatting to selected test in
VBA for Word where VB hasn't a clue what text even exists.

Now I understand that these "objects" exist in libraries and VB can access
these libraries, but... and this is a BIG but... if Office is loaded then
VBA exists whether or not VB is loaded on a machine, whereas the Word.OLB
does NOT exist unless Office is loaded.  Thus VBA for word can do paragraphs
regardless of anything else.  If Word is loaded, VBA for word can do that
stuff.

A VB programmer on the other hand has to make sure that Word is loaded
before he can use the .olb.

John W. Colby
www.ColbyConsulting.com

-----Original Message-----
From: accessd-bounces at databaseadvisors.com
[mailto:accessd-bounces at databaseadvisors.com]On Behalf Of
DWUTKA at marlow.com
Sent: Tuesday, February 24, 2004 12:24 PM
To: accessd at databaseadvisors.com
Subject: RE: I ask impossible questions????? (RE: [AccessD] Array
dimensions, Row - Col or Col Row)


There are differences between VBA and VB, but not that many.  The core
language itself is the same, and 99% of the capabilities are shared.  The
big difference is how the code actually works.  However, there is very
little that you can do in one, that you can't do in the other.

I understand you can speak 'separately' about VB and VBA.  I want to say
that I disagree that either are 'user' programming languages, however, I
think I need to rephrase my stance to be that both VB and VBA are languages
which can be used by a user, but have enough power for advanced programmers.

How's that?

Drew

-----Original Message-----
From: accessd-bounces at databaseadvisors.com
[mailto:accessd-bounces at databaseadvisors.com]On Behalf Of Susan Harkins
Sent: Monday, February 23, 2004 11:47 AM
To: 'Access Developers discussion and problem solving'
Subject: RE: I ask impossible questions????? (RE: [AccessD] Array
dimensions, Row - Col or Col Row)


I'm not talking about VB, I'm talking about VBA and VBA, and yes, I can say
what I just said and it still makes sense to me. ;) I can speak of VB and
VBA separately.

Susan H.

Um, Susan?  Are you saying that VB was intended as a user programming
language?  I'm sure there are more than a few programmers out there who
would take exception to that.  VBA is the language part of VB, so you can't
really call one a user language without carrying that over to the other.


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