Microsoft Access 2010 Bible

Chapter 24: Optimizing Access Applications

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When using Jet or ACE as the database engine, an Access application can run only so fast. With Jet

or ACE, each time you open a table, run a query, or perform an operation on data, all the data ref-

erenced by the process or query must be moved from the data database (assuming that you’ve split

your program and data database files) to the computer running the program. This may mean mov-

ing a lot of data across the network. In contrast, an Access project using the Microsoft SQL Server

or SQL Server Express Edition can use stored procedures to minimize network traffic, drastically

speeding up most Access applications.

Tip
If you’re working with large amounts of data, consider using SQL Server as your back-end database file.

Improving Perceived Speed

Perceived speed is how fast your application appears to run to the end user. Many techniques can

increase the perceived speed of your applications. Improving perceived speed usually involves sup-

plying visual feedback to the user while the computer is busy performing some operation, such as

updating a percent meter when Access is busy processing data.

Using a splash screen

Most Windows programs employ a splash screen, as shown in Figure 24.9. Most people think that

the splash screen is simply to show the product’s name and copyright information, but this isn’t

entirely correct. The splash screen contributes to the perceived speed of an application. It shows

the user that something is happening, and it gives users something to look at for a few seconds

while the rest of the application loads.

FIGURE 24.9

A splash screen to display product and version information

Note
In large applications, you may even display a series of splash screens with different information, such as helpful
hints, instructions on how to use the product, or even advertisements. These are often called billboards.