Access VBA, like all the VB-based languages, uses a single quote (') or the original class-style basic "REM" (most developers just use a quote). Access VBA does NOT have a multiple line comment. Directives are sometimes called compiler or preprocessor directives. A # is used for directives within Access VBA code. Access VBA offers only an #If..then/#ElseIf/#Else directive.

Same as VB. Access VBA logical operators:

and	and, as in this and that
or	or, as in this or that
Not	Not, as in Not This

Microsoft Access is a class-based language. Although you can create classes, Access VBA is not fully OOP. You can create classes, but not inherit from them. It is a traditional language with a few OOP extensions. You code in a traditional approach using functions, procedures, and global data, and you can make use of simple classes to help organize your reusable code. Microsoft Access is most suitable for creating business desktop applications that run within Microsoft Access for Windows.

In ASP, using ADO, you use RecordSet.AddNew to add a new record, Recordset.Update to post the record, and RecordSet.Delete to delete it. To edit a record, you open the RecordSet using an editable cursor.

The following code snippet adds a record to a given editable RecordSet with FullName and Created fields:

objRS.AddNew

objRS.Fields("FullName") = "Barack Obama"

objRS.Fields("Created")  = Now

objRS.Update

Method overriding allows you to define or implement a virtual method in a parent class and then replace it in a descendant class. In C#, you specify a virtual method with the virtual keyword in a parent class and replace it in a descendant class using the override keyword.

C# String Cancatenation

C# performs implicit casting of numbers to strings. To concatenate two strings, a string to an integer, or a string to a floating point number, use the + operator. For example, to convert a floating point number to a string just concatenate an empty string to the number as in "" + 3.2.

Alternatively, you can use the System.Text.StringBuilder class which frequently but not always provides faster code.

String FirstName;

String LastName;

Int16 Age;

FirstName = "Mike";

LastName = "Prestwood";

Age = 43;

Console.WriteLine(FirstName + " " + LastName + " is " + Age + ".");

//Implicit casting of numbers.

//

//This fails:

//MessageBox.Show(3.3);

//

//This works:

MessageBox.Show("" + 3.3); 

By Scott Wiltamuth and Anders Hejlsberg

This document describes the syntax, semantics, and design of the C# programming language.

Same as standard C++. Literals are quoted as in "Prestwood". If you need to embed a quote use a slash in front of the quote as in \". 

MessageBox::Show("Hello");

MessageBox::Show("Hello \"Mike\".");

//Does ASP evaluate this simple

//floating point math correctly? No! 

if ((.1 + .1 + .1) == 0.3) {
  MessageBox::Show("Correct");
} else {
  MessageBox::Show("Not correct");
}

Can you use native code in a C++/CLI application to increase speed?

Yes, that's one of the big advantages of using C++/CLI over C#. Although you can also call unmanaged code from within C#, support for native objects is built into C++/CLI.

I was telling to a friend how impressed I was with the performance of Paint .NET (a free .NET desktop graphics program), and he remarked the the only reason it could peform so well was because it made extensive use of an unmanaged graphics code library.

Q. I've updated my BDE from version 5.01 to version 5.2.0.2 but the About BDE Administrator dialog still shows version 5.01?

A. Your update may have taken. Updates typically just replace the DLLs the BDE uses so you may have the latest installed.

Version Information
To see what version of the BDE engine you "actually" have installed, you need to look at the Version Information from within the BDE Administrator. Select Object | Version Information... to see the DLL version numbers

According to Microsoft, "PowerCommands is a set of useful extensions for the Visual Studio 2008 adding additional functionality to various areas of the IDE. The source code is included and requires the VS SDK for VS 2008 to allow modification of functionality or as a reference to create additional custom PowerCommand extensions. "

If you've previously worked with Delphi and GExperts, you know how helpful some extensions to your IDE can be.

This free download, from Microsoft, adds some really useful functionality to the VS2008 IDE.  Check it out.

In general terms, managed .Net code is a little more portable (will run on any platform with the correct CLR installed) and is easier to write. However, managed code may run slower and require more system resources.

The following selects all the records in Table1 where IDField is not in Table2.

SELECT Table1.*
FROM Table1 

LEFT JOIN Table2 ON Table1.IDField = Table2.IDField
WHERE Table2.IDField is null

Microsoft's free download tool for managing MS SQL 2005 databases.

Microsoft SQL Server Management Studio Express (SSMSE) is a free, graphical management tool for managing SQL Server 2005 databases.

Available editions:

• Win32
• Win64 (x64)

Lots here!  Interbase TV is part of CodeGear's developer network. Contains both audios and videos.

This KB Post addresses accessing Paradox tables through the BDE using TDatasource, TTable, and TDBGrid. This tutorial was updated for Delphi 2009 but applies to all versions of Delphi.

Create a classic "Hello, World" Windows native code Console App using Delphi. This tutorial is based on Borland Developer Suite 2006 but you can use any version of Delphi you wish. In this tutorial, you will create a classic "Hello, World!" windows console application. A console application is a type of Windows application that has FULL access to the Win32 API, but it's GUI is limited to a DOS-like text window. When Windows starts a console application, it creates a text-mode console window where the program can display text and the user can interact with the program via the keyboard.

Delphi uses the keywords procedure and function. A procedure does not return a value and a function does.

//Interface section:

TCyborg = class(TObject)
public
  procedure IntroduceYourself;
end;

//Implementation section;

procedure TCyborg.IntroduceYourself;
begin
  ShowMessage('Hi, I do not have a name yet.');
end;

//Some event like a button click:

var
  T1: TCyborg;
begin
  T1 := T1.Create;
  T1.IntroduceYourself;
end;

Bob Swart, affectionately known by some of us as "Dr. Bob," has long been a great resource for details about Delphi development.

I'll never forget how, when I first had to write a Windows service in Delphi, Dr. Bob's articles provided the most lucid explanations about all the ugly details of Windows Services.

Swart, being a well recognized Delphi authority, I'll read any thing the good doctor publishes. I'm drooling to get my hands on this one.

I have an application in Delphi 1-7, using BDE. Is there a way that I can upgrade the BDE so the can work with MSSQL 2005 or 2008. They work fine if MSSQL2000 is is used. Am I on a dead end or there is still hope?

Unlike languages such as C++ and Object Pascal, every line of code written in Java must occur within a class.

//Declare class.

public class Cyborg {

  //Fields.

  private String cyborgName;

  private int age;

  //Constructor.

  public Person() {

  cyborgName = "unknown";

  age = 0;

  }

}

//Create object from class.

Cyborg p = new Cyborg();

p.getClass(); //From the Object base class.

Eclipse (although it can be used for and has many other plugins for other languages) is a widely supported, open-source, free, IDE for creating Java applications; whether they be small one-off programs or enterprise wide systems.

Language Overview: Class-like language with limited but usable class-like and object-like functionality but no formal inheritance nor visibility control, etc.

Target Platforms: JavaScript is most commonly used to extend HTML by executing code on the browser side when visiting a website. It does have other uses including server side scripting and AJAX.

• Terminating JavaScript command lines in semicolons is optional; in C it's mandatory. Recommended practice is to use them religiously in both languages (and Java as well).
• Both JavaScript and C are case-sensitive; 'doThis' is different from 'DOTHIS'. Experienced programmers learn to love this feature, which drives beginners nuts.
• Both JavaScript and C are block-structured computer languages and employ curly brackets -- '{' and '}' -- to delimit blocks.
• Both JavaScript and C employ quotation -- enclosure in single or double quote marks -- to designate text strings.
• Arrays in both JavaScript and C are zero-based; the first element is myArray[0], not myArray[1].
• Both JavaScript and C employ '==' for comparison, '=' for equality, and '!' for negation. In fact the set of JavaScript operators is essentially borrowed from C (right down to the deprecated ternary construct a ? b : c).
• Both JavaScript and C employ the symbols /* to designate a comment */. JavaScript also permits the use of '//' for short comments, as in C++.

Finally, JavaScript's statements are a strict subset of C++'s, offering a smaller selection of identical looping and conditional constructs.

Chapter 24 "SQL and Client/Server Applications" of Paradox 9 Power Programming by Mike Prestwood.

In ObjectPAL, you can filter set a TCursor, UIObject, and Table objects using setRange() and setGenFilter().

The following example loads, filters, and runs a report.

var
 r Report
 dyn DynArray[] String
endVar

dyn["Name"] = "SCUBA Heaven"
Customer.setGenFilter(dyn)

r.load(":Sample:customer")
r.Customer.setGenFilter(dyn)

r.run()

You can also drop a flter with:

r.Customer.dropGenFilter()

Download the 1,500 KB ZIP support file download (unzips to 5+MB). Contains 200+ forms demoing code from the book PLUS OTHER MATERIAL (much more material). Also includes 7 libraries, 10 scripts, and other support files (reports, queries, tables, datamodels, etc.)

Our Prestwood Programmer Community page that contains links to varioius Paradox for Linux resources. Part of our Linux Group.

Corel Paradox 9, 10, and 11+ can import Excel spreadsheets up through Excel 97 so you need to save the spreadsheet as an Excel 97 spreadsheet. Then you can import it in Paradox using either the interactive File | Import option or with ObjectPAL's importSpreadsheet procedure.

If you have trouble with then Excel 97 file format (and you may depending on the version of Excel you are using), try saving the file as an Excel 4 file format. The worst case scenario, is that you may have to save the file as a dBASE table file format (.DBF) which you can directly use in Paradox and even copy it to a Paradox table (.DB).

Perl is a loosely typed language with only three types of variables: scalars, arrays, and hashes. Use $ for a scalar variable, @ for an array, or % for a hash (an associative array). The scalar variable type is used for anytype of simple data such as strings, integers, and numbers. In Perl, you identify and use a variable with a $ even within strings

A short 10 minute Perl primer. Get started in Perl now!

An operation with only one operand (a single input). The following are the Perl unary operators: !, -, ~, +,�\, &, and *.

• ! performs logical negation which is "not"
• - performs arithmetic negation if the operand is numeric.
• ~ performs bitwise negation, that is 1's complement.
• + has no semantic effect whatsoever, even on strings.
• \ creates a reference to whatsoever follows.
• & Address of operator.
• * Dereference address operator.

PHP is a loosely typed language. No variable types in PHP. Declaring and using variables are a bit different than in other languages. In PHP, you identify and use a variable with a $ even within strings!

You assign by reference with & as in &$MyVar.

PHP uses functions and loosely typed parameters. Function definitions can come before or after their usage so my preference when mixing PHP in with a mostly HTML page is to put the functions after the </html> tag.

function sayHello($pName) {
 echo "Hello " . $pName . "<br>";
}

function add($p1, $p2) {
 return $p1 + $p2;
}

What's new with Delphi for PHP 2.0 by Nick Hodges (Delphi for PHP product manager).

The Prestwood Online Community rules and disclaimers. Essentially, our policies all center around be-friendly, don't flame, encourage more discussion, and limit advertising to approved areas.

Like Delphi, Prism supports overloading. However, Prism supports implicit overloading (no need for an overload keyword).

Declare your class in the Interface section. Then implement the class in the Implementation section. To create an object instance, use the New keyword. Optionally, you can use Create for backword compatibility with Delphi if you turn it on in the compatibility options. Since Prism does have a garbage collector, you do not have to free the object. If you need to free either unmanaged resources or resources where "timing" is important, implement IDisposable and take control of freeing the object yourself using Dispose.

Prism uses the keyword method for member methods. Alternatively, you can use procedure or function if you want the compiler to make sure all functions return a value and all procedures do not.

In the interface section:

Cyborg = class(System.Object)
  public method IntroduceYourself();
end;

In the Implementation section:

method Cyborg.IntroduceYourself();
begin
  MessageBox.Show("Hi, I do not have a name yet.");
end; 

On some event like a button click:

var T1: Cyborg;
begin
  T1 := New Cyborg;
  T1.IntroduceYourself;
end;

A Delphi Prism implementation of the Delphi for Win32 RTL.

Comprehensive introduction by Christian Stelzmann.

What is the difference between a partial method and an abstract method?

Both are very similar in usage. However, a partial method is a callable empty method whereas an abstract method is a defined method in a parent class that must be implemented in a child class. Contrast this with a partial method which can be implemented in a child class but does not have to be. Partial methods are common with code generators for managing events.

The default phase for a defect is Phase 6 Testing & Rework. The default phase for a task or PSDP Artifact is Phase 2 Requirements. Whether or not you have enabled PSDP Phases for a project, the defaults are always set just in case you enable PSDP Phases.

Even though PSDP Artifacts contain a Task, Requirement Item, Design Item, and a Test Script, it belongs to the requirements phase because the Requirement Item is the first real software documentation item. An additional task or tasks of filling in design items belong to Phase 4 Detail Design. The task of coding the artifacts belong to Phase 5 Initial Coding, and finally the task of completing of the test scripts and testing a particular build belongs to Phase 5 Testing & Rework.

For a particular user on a particular computer, all programs installed for all users will still be available whether they log into their computer or the domain. You will have to migrate all other user specific settings either manually or use an automated tool.

Both of which are incomplete so expect to have to manually migrate some application specific settings and data for each user. At a minimum, log into the old local account and migrate My Documents, Desktop, Favorites, and perhaps e-mail such as the Outlook .PST or Outlook Express .DBX files.

What is the best way to share addresses in Exchange Server 2003?

Create a Contacts folder in Public Folders.  All a user will need to do is browse to the Public Folders section, go to properties, and check the box under Outlook Address Book tab.

Public folders have inverse permissions from individual Mailboxes.  A mailbox has initial permissions granting access only to its owner.  The owner may elect to open up permissions, allowing others to see various folders within his mailbox.   Public folders are born with full access granted to everyone.  The creator of the public folder can then tighten down access permissions as appropriate.

Commenting Code
VB Classic, like all the VB-based languages, uses a single quote (') or the original class-style basic "REM" (most developers just use a quote). VB Classic does NOT have a multiple line comment.

Directives - #

Directives are sometimes called compiler or preprocessor directives. A # is used for directives within VB Classic code. VB Classic offers only an #If..then/#ElseIf/#Else directive.

VB Classic logical operators:

and	and, as in this and that
or	or, as in this or that
Not	Not, as in Not This

VB6 has limited support for interfaces. You can create an interface of abstract methods and properties and then implement them in one or more descendant classes. It's a single level implementation though (you cannot inherit beyond that). The parent interface class is a pure abstract class (all methods and properites are abstract, you cannot implement any of them in the parent class).

In the single level descendant class, you have to implement all methods and properties and you cannot add any. Your first line of code is Implements InterfaceName.

 A sub named New. You can overload the constructor simply by adding two or more New subs with various parameters.

Public Class Cyborg
  Public CyborgName As String

  Public Sub New(ByVal pName As String)
    CyborgName = pName
  End Sub
End Class

Use a destructor to free unmanaged resources. A destructor is a method with the same name as the class but preceded with a tilde (as in ~ClassName). The destructor implicity creates an Object.Finalize method (you cannot directly call nor override the Object.Finalize method).

In VB.Net you cannot explicitly destroy an object. Instead, the .Net Frameworks garbage collector (GC) takes care of destroying all objects. The GC destroys the objects only when necessary. Some situations of necessity are when memory is exhausted or you explicitly call the System.GC.Collect method. In general, you never need to call  System.GC.Collect.

Most (many?) developers recommend using "+" because that's what C# uses but "&" is also available and many VB Classic and VBA/ASP developers prefer it. My preference is to use the & because it offers implicit type casting.

Dim FullName

Dim Age

//You can use + for strings.

FullName = "Prestwood"
Console.WriteLine("Hello " + FullName)

//For implicit casting, use &

Age = 35

Console.WriteLine(FullName & " is " & Age & " years old.")

'Implicit casting of numbers.

'

'This works:
MessageBox.Show(3.3)

'This fails:

'MessageBox.Show("" + 3.3)

'This works:
MessageBox.Show("" + CStr(3.3))

'Implicit casting &. This also works:

MessageBox.Show("" & 3.3)

This article is a basic introduction to HTML authoring.

Get rid of the boring default icon on your website.  Add a custom icon!  Most browsers support .ico and the most popular ones will show any standard web image. 

Follow this easy step by step to add one to your web page or site.

Example: This is Prestwood.com's icon. 

Images must be 16x16 pixels.  I use GIMP to create mine.

Normally, save as a .ico file in the root of your site or in any unsecured folder.  I usually put them in "/images", and I usually name it favicon.ico or favicon.gif.

Add this to the header section of your AJAX Master page or any aspx/htm/html/shtml page.

<link REL="SHORTCUT ICON" HREF="/images/favicon.gif">

Some browsers even support ANIMATED gifs.

You should be aware of the benefits of using PNG images. This short article is a great overview. Although here at Prestwood we use and recommend using GIFs and JPGS because of compatiblity with older browsers and you can animate GIFs. However, this compatibility issue will likely go away in the coming years and we too may switch to PNG images at that time.

I've created a web application using v3.5 of the .NET Framework.  But, when I go to deploy it, I find only versions 1.x and 2.x in the ASP .NET dropdown for IIS configuration of my application's virtual directory.  Where is v3.5?  How do I deploy if that's not a configuration choice?

It's not there. You see, v3.5 isn't really a "version" in Microsoft's eyes. 3.5 builds upon v2, and is really considered an incarnation of v2.  Sounds crazy, doesn't it? Not to worry, though, you can still deploy your v3.5 app.  There are just two things that must be done:

1. The .NET Framework, v3.5 must be installed on the server.
2. When configuring your application's virtual folder in IIS, choose the v2.x from the ASP .NET version dropdown. 

You'll find this in IIS on the ASP .NET tab of the Properties dialog for your app's virtual directory.

This is our proper netiquette page. You are welcome to use it for your website. You can link to it or copy the content over to your website. If you copy it, you will most likely want to update it a bit as it's pretty specific to our website.

Convert to PDF from any application by simply 'printing' to the PrimoPDF printer - it couldn't be easier! Within minutes, you can create high-quality PDFs by converting from Word, Excel, and virtually any other printable file type.

• Completely FREE PDF Converter - not just a trial version.
• Print to PDF from virtually any Windows application.
• Create PDF output optmized for print, screen, ebook, or prepress.
• No annoying pop-up ads, no registration requirement - no catch!
• High-quality, easy to use PDF creator for all users.
• New! Ability to merge PDF files upon conversion.
• New! Now supports Windows Vista.

This is the PDF creating tool we use here at Prestwood software!

Vista targets consumers so it does have limits. Vista Business, Enterprise, and Ultimate OS support 2 physical CPUs; others support one only. There is no limit on the cores. So, for example, you could have 2 physical CPUs with 2 cores each and Vista Business will fully utilize all four processors. If you need more, use the Windows server OSes.