Programming Direction

[tmb904]

Hello,

I am a new to the programing scene. I have been using Access 2003 for about 4 years now and writing my own Sql and VBA 3 years. I am in process of getting certified for something call "SAS" (formerly known as statical analysis system.

Looking for any insight from advance programmers our there on what to learn next. I read a bunch of manuals (on of my hobbies) and I am coming across something called VSTO. Any suggestions on what would be best to learn further my career in the programming? I'm most interested in analytical reporting.

 

[MarkK]

- I think you want to learn object oriented programming principles which you can start with in VBA using class modules.
- Typically beginning programmers in Access VBA write code under buttons or to automate tasks that are demanded by the user interface, and it grows from there driven by development to the UI. But this leads to application logic and the user interface being 'tightly coupled' which puts a dramatic crimp on the scalability of an application.
- If business logic is embedded in the user interface it is way hard to maintain because there is no authoritative code repository to process data of certain types. Some 'Order' processing might occur in the fOrder mainform, but other tasks might make more sense to handle in the fOrderSFM subform on the fCustomer form, and maybe the new shipping department needs a specific interface to receive deliveries. So when business rules change for 'Order', where do you put the new code? This can get out of control to the point that keeping the system up to date is prohibitively expensive.
- Enter the three tiered application, where ...

1) Data (tables),
2) Business Logic (classes, data objects), and
3) User Interface (forms, buttons)

... are distinct systems. Your table data are consumed by your data objects which are consumed by your user interface. When business logic changes you change the one location in your system where that logic is processed, and UI consumers of that data/programming don't know the difference. In respect to the 'Order' example above, you need a 'cOrder' class.
- You want to learn to write systems that are loosely coupled, and where repetitive processes are abstracted and fundamentally good code is reused as much as possible.
- On this path you want to understand objects, classes, and interfaces.
- Re-look at objects you use a lot, like maybe DAO or ADO Recordsets. There is an initialization step where the nature of a particular Recordset, an instance, is defined. Then the recordset object exposes properties--some of these being objects or collections of other objects--and methods that allow you to interact with this instance and accomplish tasks.

 

[tmb904]

Lagbolt - Thanks for the info. As a take away, studying code for more than just executing simple commands or processes will definitely help me grasp the programming environment more and disclose vast capabilities.

To add: Can anyone comment on what systems and languages the most current (and successful) consultants use in a statistical/analytical programming environment use? Is it VB.net? are the moving to VSTO? Will SQL always be a staple?