Microsoft Access 2007

Access is part of the Microsoft Office suite of programs. It is a database and has become the world's most popular desktop database. There have been a number of versions and the latest is Microsoft Access 2007. This new version is the most powerful to date, incorporating a number of enhancements. One of the most controversial is the Ribbon. This replaces the old style menus and tool bars. There has been a mixed response to the Ribbon. Some love it, others hate it. I believe it is a great feature, but takes a bit of getting used to. The Ribbon is made up of tabs which contain commands related to it's theme. A tab called 'Create' contains commands for creating new objects such as forms and queries. Each tab will contain a number of groups which in turn contain a number of commands. Sounds complicated? Not really once you've had a go.

The old database window is now replaced with something called the navigation pane. This allows you to group forms, reports etc in a list and see clearly what you have available.

Creating a form manually was traditionally done in design view. Now there is another option called 'Layout View'. This lets you see the data while making design changes to the form.
To create a quick form all you now have to do is highlight the table in the navigation pane and at the Ribbon select the tab named create. Then go along to the forms section and click the form button. You will get a quick basic form for entering data. You can customize it in design view if need be. Creating a quick report is done in a similar manner.

You no longer have to write code to get a calendar control working. In fact you no longer need a calendar control. It is all done for you behind the scenes. Simply set a date/time data type in your table and drag the field onto the form. When the form is run a calendar icon appears when you click into the date/time text box. Select a date from the calendar control and you are done.

MS Access security is now done by setting a password on the database. If you want tighter security for individual users and groups it is better to move to SQL Server. It was never easy to secure an Access database and there were issues with lost or corrupted work group files.

Outlook, Word and Excel integration is supported. Outlook can actually be made to drop it's email replies into MS Access. This is a great new feature and handy when collating survey responses.

It is well worth taking the time to learn Microsoft Access 2007 as it will also prepare you for future versions of this great application.

By: Paul Barnett

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Do you want to get a Microsoft Access tutorial series that's jam packed with hints and tips? access-databases.com/ms-access-tutorial/