[AccessD] What problems converting A2K3 mdb to A2K7?

John,

I will try to check at the end of the next week when urgent work will
hopefully be finished here:

- I'd think that MS Access 2007 built-in MDI tabbing feature should be very
suitable for your multi-tab designs - you will have to "just" disintegrate
your multi-tab forms...

- I'd also think (and Martin can approve./disapprove) that ribbon can be
made hidden/substituted with custom "thin" ribbons a la' good old
commandbars...

- and I suppose that MS Access 2007 free runtime, which (I expect) should be
not a big issue to install on fresh PCs can help you to smoothly solve the
third part of your "puzzle" - I mean supply your customers/users with an
interface you develop for them and nothing else "extra" on top of that...

Access 2007 is what is called progress comparing with MS Access 2003, isn't
it? :)

I'd suppose MS staff spent countless (and usually well paid hours) before
they made and implemented new MS Office 2007 interface solution...

And AFAIK MS has a lot of corporate customers and they (MS stuff) do
communicate closely with these customers and they do react on their demands
- so my simple guess is that ribbon was requested by their customers first
of all because it's very useful in there everyday work...

Not arguing, just supposing/proposing that "fighting/neglecting" MS-driven
progress "bulldozer" could be an expensive endeavor... :)
 
--
Shamil
 

-----Original Message-----
From: accessd-bounces at databaseadvisors.com
[mailto:accessd-bounces at databaseadvisors.com] On Behalf Of jwcolby
Sent: Thursday, August 30, 2007 8:17 PM
To: 'Access Developers discussion and problem solving'
Subject: Re: [AccessD] What problems converting A2K3 mdb to A2K7?

Shamil,

I have one specific client who is firmly implanted in 800x600 mode.  Even
though he is upgrading all of the 15" and smaller monitors to at least 18"
his users complain bitterly if they cannot stay in 800x600 mode ("eye
strain").  This is a real application, not a toy - it completely runs a
disability insurance call center.  It has a main form with a tab control
with more than 15 tabs.  Each tab has either controls on it or JIT subforms.
The tabs are already crammed with controls.  The client WANTS it that way.  

I cannot do ANYTHING to this thing without slider bars appearing at the
bottom and right edge because I have pushed the size of the main form out
past the edges of the 800x600 screen.

ALL of my clients use a database which performs a purpose.  They hire people
with NO experience in Access (or even excel or word) to use an application
to get work done.  The application does precisely and only what the BUSINESS
OWNER wants done.  The employees do not play around doing stuff, they work -
click buttons, open reports, enter and display data.  These people wouldn't
know a report design view if it bit them in the behind nor are they allowed
to.  They don't build their own tables, or queries, or reports.  They have
highly technical skills which involve processing insurance claims (for
example), NOT changing the application.

Now throw in Access 2007 and tell me where you are at.  The users don't NEED
the ribbons - PERIOD.  They use the forms to enter data and to display data
about the claims.  They are not designing ANYTHING.  Not changing fonts, not
building queries or reports, not... Well you get the picture.  Toolbars take
up screen real estate for absolutely ZERO gain.  We are not talking some
gain, or little gain, we are talking ZERO GAIN.

Access is NOT an "office application" in my universe, it is a way to design
a database to a customer spec.  A HUGE part of that spec is that the users
don't dick around with the application, they do what they are told, when
they are told, how they are told.  If they need functionality they say so
and the business owner decides whether, when and how to add it.

Hey, that sounds a bit like software design in the non-office world.

John W. Colby
Colby Consulting
www.ColbyConsulting.com 
-----Original Message-----
From: accessd-bounces at databaseadvisors.com
[mailto:accessd-bounces at databaseadvisors.com] On Behalf Of Shamil
Salakhetdinov
Sent: Thursday, August 30, 2007 11:49 AM
To: 'Access Developers discussion and problem solving'
Subject: Re: [AccessD] What problems converting A2K3 mdb to A2K7?

Hello John,

Recently I had to work with MS Access 2007 because there were no other
options available around as e.g. to use MS Access 2003...

I must say that in a few hours I started to feel that MS Access 2007 ribbon
is more useful (more ergonomic) than that of MS Office 2003 - one just have
to adapt to it...

And of course having several tables, queries, forms,... opened and being
able to switch between them using tabs - just one this feature is worth to
switch to MS Access 2007 :)

Just IMO of course.

Thanks.

--
Shamil
 
-----Original Message-----
From: accessd-bounces at databaseadvisors.com
[mailto:accessd-bounces at databaseadvisors.com] On Behalf Of jwcolby
Sent: Thursday, August 30, 2007 7:20 PM
To: 'Access Developers discussion and problem solving'
Subject: Re: [AccessD] What problems converting A2K3 mdb to A2K7?

And that seems to be the problem.  The ribbon bars are all about the user
and ignore the needs and wants of developers.  As a developer I know where
everything is.  I click menu items all day, use shortcut keys, do things
automatically.  Now suddenly all that stuff doesn't work and I can't get any
work done.  

This stuff is know as "muscle memory" and it is a well documented fact.
Your body just "learns" how to do things, everything from typing to playing
an instrument to holding a fork to walking.  Imagine handing a sax player a
saxophone where all of the keys are randomly changed.  Now imagine handing
that to a professional musician with a concert to play that night, where he
is being paid thousands of dollars to play.  Now imagine handing such
instruments to every member of the orchestra.

It is bad enough to do that to my users, but I charge my clients hundreds of
dollars an hour to hunt down where they hid everything.  My clients are NOT
HAPPY and they are NOT HAPPY with ME!!! 

John W. Colby
Colby Consulting
www.ColbyConsulting.com
-----Original Message-----

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