Visual Basic Programmer

Microsoft Access Database Programmer

Front-End: VB.Net or Microsoft Access?

When creating a new company administration database system, should the Front-End be written in VB.Net, or should the Front-End be an Access database Front-End?

Microsoft Access is geared for the small system – and the novice programmer who wants a result quickly. Microsoft Access is ideal for this – a meaningful and useful system can be created within hours.

Here are the arguments for and against each alternative:

Microsoft Access

Good features

• Using a wizard to create bound forms, a system can be created quickly.
• The Query and the Report designers are very friendly.
• The Rapid application development (RAD) features of Microsoft Access allow it to quickly prototype any system or subsystem.
• The Access queries are optimised.
• Record locking is automatic.

But

• Bound forms have too many quirks for serious systems.
• Constant upgrades of Microsoft Office Professional are required. Multiple Microsoft Access licenses can be expensive.
• There are often performance problem – constant tuning is required as the system and volumes grow.
• The system is limited to the available controls – or third party suppliers.
• Network traffic can be high.
• Large systems become unwieldy and difficult to maintain.
• Much of the logic is hidden and difficult to maintain.
• Visual Basic for Applications (VBA) will be replaced by VB.Net in all new Microsoft software Products.

The professional programmer is more likely to use Unbound forms, controlling the system with Visual Basic for Applications (VBA).

VB.Net

Good features

• The system will be more robust and scalable in a multi-user environment.
• There is a huge array of features that can produce any desired effect.
• The development environment is stable and efficient.
• Features like batch Emailing can be easily added.
• The Charting graphics are superb.
• VB.Net has an integrated Report writer using Business Intelligence Development Studio (BIDS).
• A SQL Server Back-End database will allow Web data retrieval.

But

• Standards are important. Care has to be taken that the "huge array of features" is not used, and that only simple, non-esoteric and maintainable code is employed.
• The object orientated development features can make support and development harder, and should be avoided – where possible.
• All client machines will need to have the .NET framework installed. This is not a big deal – just an automatic one-time download.
• Care must be taken to avoid simultaneous updating of the same record (use timestamps).

For a complex company administration system, VB.Net is comparable in cost and speed of development to Microsoft Access, and is the best option. And with a large number of users, SQL Server is the preferred option for the Back-End database.