VB and VBA

  • Thread starter Thread starter Leen
  • Start date Start date
L

Leen

I am making an application which has MS Access as it
backend database. Can in use VBA to make the application ?
Will this application be integrated with MS Access and
will people have to open the mdb file to access the forms
etc. Will it make sense to do it as a stand alone
application in VB.
What is the difference between VB and VBA ?
 
VBA can be used to do most things, however depending on
your project and needs it may or may not be an ideal fit.

VBA is a subset of VB and has some limitations, but if you
are using Access as the DB, it may be worthwhile to use
Access Forms/VB/etc. rather than doing a full-fledged VB
app.
 
What is the difference between VB and VBA ?
Click to expand...

Visual Basic is an entire general purpose visual programming application
for Windows: it's not particularly aimed at database programming but
certainly does it very well.

VBA is an embedded programming environment, which means it has no existence
outside some host application such as Access, Excel, CorelDraw, Visio etc
etc. The language is almost the same as the language in VB proper. VBA in
Access looks like a database programming language, and in Excel looks like
a spreadsheet language; but the difference is only between the objects that
are exposed by default, and the available controls, etc. It's quite
possible to write a Jet database app entirely in Excel.

VBS (which you didn't ask about) is a scripting language that runs in a
very small-footpring Scripting Host. Its advantage is that it doesn't need
a big host application to run; but its disadvantage is that it's badly cut
down from VBA6 with weak data typing, poor error trapping and so on. On the
other hand, you can do strange things with XML and wrappers, which I never
understood.


HTH


Tim F
 
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