The Problem (Q-score 6, ranked #52nd of 67 in the Access VBA archive)
The scenario as originally posted in 2008
I know that Open Office Database uses a java database backend. Does anyone have any insight on how this compares to the Jet Database Engine?
Also is the query designer/reporting nearly as robust as MS Access?
Why community consensus is tight on this one
Across 67 Access VBA entries in the archive, the accepted answer here holds niche answer (below median) status — meaning voters are unusually aligned on the right fix.
The Verified Solution — niche answer (below median) (+5)
Verbal answer — walkthrough without a code block
Note: the verified answer is a prose walkthrough. If you need a runnable sample, check Access VBA entries ranked in the top 10 of the same archive.
It’s odd for me to say this, because I’m not a fan of Access at all. However, I think Access is actually the nicer product here, for a number of reasons:
- It’s been around a lot longer (maturity)
- The core db engine is included with windows.
- There’s an easily distributable runtime if your users don’t already have Access and you need to distribute an application.
- Over the years it’s had enough people try to use it for things it’s not designed to do (web sites, workgroups) that they’ve put enough work into performance and concurrency so the two more recent incarnations (2003, 2007) are actually very robust if you’re doing something it is designed to do (desktop crud app, talking to linked sql server tables, very small workgroup). (I guess this is really the same as the first point)
On the other hand, there’s nothing wrong with the OpenOffice DB, and it’s free.
When to Use It — vintage (14+ years old, pre-2013)
Ranked #52nd in its category — specialized fit
This pattern sits in the 84% tail relative to the top answer. Reach for it when your scenario closely matches the question title; otherwise browse the Access VBA archive for a higher-consensus alternative.
What changed between 2008 and 2026
The answer is 18 years old. The Access VBA object model has been stable across Office 2013, 2016, 2019, 2021, 365, and 2024/2026 LTSC, so the pattern still compiles. Changes that might affect you: 64-bit API declarations (use PtrSafe), blocked macros in downloaded files (Mark-of-the-Web), and the shift toward Office Scripts for web-first workflows.