Conclusion

Hopefully the above tips will have provided some valuable insights into how to make your DAO code run faster. In many ways, these are just the tip of the iceberg. Accessing ODBC data, in particular, is the subject of a whole other paper (e.g., the Tech Ed 95's AC301 talk has a paper that concentrates on this).

Probably the best tip of all is: Try it! If you have an idea that you think will make your program run faster, then try it out. If it is a big change, then try and find a way to test your assumptions before committing to a lot of work, but don't let that be a reason not to try it out. Even if it doesn't work, you will have gained valuable insights into why and will be able to use that knowledge on the next attempt.

Finally, don't forget the resources that come with the product itself. There are several help topics on improving performance. Several sections in the manuals also have suggestions. Other supporting papers such as "White Papers" and Knowledge Base articles are available on the Microsoft Developers Network CD-ROM and the usual download locations supported by Microsoft.