Tools for frontend development

[Josef P.]

Reading the thread "How to test program before releasing new version?" it occurred to me that it would be interesting to find the "ideal development environment" for Access.

What does your Access frontend development environment look like?
(Backend development I would like to leave out in this thread so that it doesn't get too confusing due to the many DBMS.)

Maybe we can create an overview of useful developer tools for Access.

I use:

• Code generation (VBE-Add-Ins)
  • Mz-Tools
  • Rubberduck
• Source Code Management | version control system
  • Git (GitHub, Azure DevOps), only very rarely: Subversion
  • TortoiseGit
  • msaccess-vcs-addin
  • own Access Add-In Import-Wizard for reusable code modules
• Automated tests
  • AccUnit for unit tests
• Code documentation | Application documentation
  • NaturalDocs for interface documentation (before that i used doxygen)
  • soon: Database Analyzer Pro for the documentation of the application (doc for the customer's IT team, ...)
• To-Do Lists | Issue Trackers: depending on the project:
  • GitHub issues or
  • Azure DevOps Boards or
  • MS Planner (mostly combined with Teams channel)
• Application deployment
  • Batch files for distribution to the user PC (install + update)
  • VBScript / PowerShell files for accde creation + configuration for end user (locking, link to DBMS, ...)
• Other Tools
  • vbWatchdog for general error handling
  • miscellaneous custom add-ins that simplify repetitive tasks (e. g. DBMS Connection Wizard, Filter-Form-Wizard)

I miss:

• CI/CD tool that combines Git, testing and accde creation (32 + 64 bit).
• Copilot for VBA

/edit:
If anyone uses other tools or wants to describe their own set of tools, please reply in the thread.

 

[Josef P.]

This article fits the topic:

Setting Up a New MS Access Development Environment

Five settings and two addins that vastly improve your quality of life as a Microsoft Access developer.

nolongerset.com

 

[Edgar_]

Code generation:

• Github copilot and ChatGPT, I have code snippets that help me prompt easily

Source code management:

• Git, if any

Automated tests:

• None, I'm usually in a big damn hurry

Code documentation:

• No tools, just good naming and comments where I see fit, I try to make my code look as english readable as the syntax allows me, even if the names are long, I also try to make it as declarative as possible and follow good principles as well as oop

To-Do-Lists:

• The notepad. Windows + R > type "notepad". Since these lists are ephemeral, I don't keep track of it.

App deployment:

• Google Drive and powershell/cmd

I'd use the rubberduck if the developer had more docs.

Edit: I keep misspelling that word.

 

[Gasman]

Would that be rubberduck?

 

[MajP]

You beat me to it. Funny how the D and F are next to each other on the keyboard. Or maybe just an unhappy customer?

 

[Mike Krailo]

type that into google and see what pops up

 

[amorosik]

This post is very interesting (almost for me), because it allows you to compare yourself with other enthusiasts/professionals and check the tools used, personally, I basically use three tools:

- MzTools for the simplified creation of error and time measurement routines on each function/procedure

- Vcs-Access for saving all the objects contained in the project in txt format for the purpose of comparison between different versions and above all for periodic restoration to maintain a limited size of the work file

- Google Document, for communication with users I use a Google Document and allow the user to write the requests or notes he deems appropriate

I keep the notes on the required operations and things to do directly inside the work file in a modCoseDaFare module

 

[Josef P.]

I miss:

• Copilot for VBA

... now just a little. => SDOpenAI Add-In tested:

Developer page: https://sd-win.com/produkt/addins/accessaddin

 

[AccessBlaster]

Nice presentation, I didn't realize a .gif could hold so much information.

 

[ions]

- Vcs-Access for saving all the objects contained in the project in txt format for the purpose of comparison between different versions and above all for periodic restoration to maintain a limited size of the work file

Amorosik,

How do you use Vcs for the purpose of comparison between different versions? I used to compare databases using FMS detective but it is no longer being updated for the latest versions of MS Access.

Thanks.

 

[amorosik]

Amorosik,

How do you use Vcs for the purpose of comparison between different versions? I used to compare databases using FMS detective but it is no longer being updated for the latest versions of MS Access.

Thanks.

Each new version, I save both the source in mdb/accdb and the directory containing the txt files extracted with Vcs-Access in a directory with the version number
If I need to check the differences between various versions, I use WinMerge which allows you to quickly show the differences between two files or two directories containing similar files

 

[Josef P.]

Do I understand correctly: you use msaccess-vcs but no VCS like Git or similar?
Have you ever tried Git with TortoiseGit, for example? This allows you to use Git locally without an extra Git server.
With a VCS you have a very good overview of the changes.

 

[ions]

Each new version, I save both the source in mdb/accdb and the directory containing the txt files extracted with Vcs-Access in a directory with the version number
If I need to check the differences between various versions, I use WinMerge which allows you to quickly show the differences between two files or two directories containing similar files

Thanks amorosik,

VCS and WinMerge work great together.

 

[DickyP]

The one thing I will say about this ongoing discussion about source code management is that I find it truly frustrating that, having been forced to finally move from Office 2003 by hardware failure, they are now my problems. Previously all these feature were available via the Visual SourceSafe integration in Access in one simple to use package until Microsoft killed it!

 

[Josef P.]

Ivercy also supports the MSSCCI interface.
Alternatively, there is also OASIS-SVN or the open source application msaccess-vcs.

I now use msaccess-vcs (mostly with git/TortoiseGit) and no longer miss the Access VCS add-in that ran until Access 2010.
msaccess-vcs has the advantage for me that I was able to incorporate a few useful changes in a fork - e.g. run unit tests before exporting.
The workaround via TortoiseGit doesn't bother me, because then I can even see when something has been changed unnecessarily because I may have had a variable with different capitalization somewhere.

 

[DickyP]

and no longer miss the Access VCS add-in

I too am using msaccess-vcs and WinMerge and other tools, especially the command line version of WinZip to tuck away (and when necessary, retrieve from) each release. However, it doesn't alter the fact that VSS did all of these things in one simple integrated tool, and I miss its simplicity.