Beginning Access 2002 VBA (Programmer to Programmer)

We're sure you know what the Internet is by now, but let's start with a few definitions so that we're all on common ground:

• HyperText Markup Language (HTML) is the format in which most Internet documents are written. It is a fairly simple language and is really just designed for the layout of documents (the Markup part), and the linking of documents to each other (the HyperText part).

• A hyperlink is what identifies the connection between one HTML document and another.

• The Dynamic HyperText Markup Language (DHTML) was created to overcome the rather static nature of HTML, where there is no ability for HTML pages to interact with the user . The Dynamic ability is provided by programming code embedded into the HTML page. DHTML also includes topics like Cascading Styles, downloadable fonts, and other dynamic technologies which can be used to bring life to otherwise static HTML pages.

• A browser , or web browser , is a program that displays HTML pages. The two most popular are Microsoft Internet Explorer and Netscape Navigator.

• A web server is a computer system that is used to store HTML pages, graphics, ASP pages, and so on, and sends them to a browser when the browser requests them.

• Active Server Pages (ASP) is Microsoft's technology for web servers, which allow programming code to run on the web server before the web page is sent to the browser. Note that classic ASP 3.0 has been superceded in most of the Microsoft documentation and focus by ASP.NET. However, Access 2002 still uses classic ASP. We hope to see significant changes in Office 11.

• A web site is a collection of related web pages.The Wrox Press web site, for example, can be found at http://www.wrox.com/ . Most web addresses are preceded by www .

• A Uniform Resource Locator (URL) , or web address , is the address given to a web site, or a page within it. For example, the URL for the books catalog page at the Wrox Press website is http://www.wrox.com/ .

There are also a number of protocols that are used around the Internet. A protocol is simply the name given to the way computers can communicate with each other. For example:

• HyperText Transfer Protocol (HTTP ) is the main protocol for transferring web pages between the web server and the web browser. That's why many URLs start with http:

• File Transfer Protocol (FTP) allows you to download, and upload, programs and files to web servers. FTP addresses start with ftp:

• Mail , which allows mail to be sent over the Internet. A URL that represents a mail address starts with mailto:

There are many other protocols, but they don't play as important a role for us when we're working with VBA.