The Power of Access – User Poll
August 7, 2009 by Jason Bean
Filed under Computers
Last night I had the privilege of being a guest speaker at a local university. I spoke about blogging and using Word 2007 to publish your posts. Not my preference as a blog tool, but if you’re just getting started, have Word already, it’s available to you.
Since I couldn’t make it to the early class where they were covering Word 2007, I spoke on the night they covered Access 2007. I ended up hanging around through the entire class to get a little introduction and overview of the power of Microsoft Access 2007.
I’ve been working with SQL databases and a few Access databases for the past 4 years now. I was thrown into figuring out SQL and troubleshooting items, but I never really had the opportunity to take things from the start and move from there. Much of what was discussed in class was information I already grasped easily. There was a true benefit of seeing how to start from scratch. From my experience, it’s like I was taught how to fly a plane but I only took control after someone else had already gone through take-off. Last night helped me learn how to take-off in Access.
As I was in class I was intrigued by the potential for Access to be used more by individuals for things they do everyday. Many people use Excel as their “database”, basically a simple flat file version. That’s not the true strength of Excel though.
Do you use Access? Let us know in our poll below. If you are a user, let us know how you use the tool in the comments. If you’re not a user, why not? Cost? Availability? Fear of the tool? I’ll be jumping into a few test projects soon, I’m looking forward to it.
A quick thank you to Bob Burchfield that invited me to speak to the class. He and I have met through our work blogging and supporting websites in Indianapolis. He runs AroundIndy.com which is a HUGE wealth of information about everything going on around Indianapolis.
Many thanks to Indianapolis blogger extraordinaire Jason Bean for his excellent presentation about blogging in my Microcomputer Applications class last night at the University of Indianapolis. It’s always a very useful experience to have a third party come into the classroom and reinforce the concepts that have already been presented. Jason did a fine job of explaining not only how to use MS Word 2007 to create blog posts in Wordpress, Blogger, Typepad, etc., but also the rationale for WHY to blog, tips on HOW to blog, and encouragement to my students to get involved in the process. Thank you, Jason!
I use Access to keep an inventory of books I’ve read (it’s nice to remember and look up the books you’ve read), and detailed information on contacts.
I’m not sure if I’m a “Jedi” but I do know how to use it pretty much. I also took BCIS class at my high school, and I know the most routine functions of Access 2007 like managing my database, making reports, and such.
I’ve used Access since Access 97 when I connected it to a MySQL database using MyODBC because having a frontend/backend system with an Access backend was ending up with corruption every couple of days in a small office with about 5 users. The system kept track of sales agents, customers, and sales commission reporting for a small mail-order company. It wasn’t too hard to pick up after all the MySQL/Perl stuff I’d done in my teen years–all SQL!
I’ve since used Access to help myself and others, and really can’t stand Excel being used as a “database.” Access and other relational databases are so much more powerful! Access certainly provides a nice GUI for fast prototyping and UI design for small projects that don’t need a heavy-duty SQL server underneath (although it can connect elsewhere with ODBC as well).
Currently, I don’t use Access very often although I took a database class at IUPUI that covered Oracle and Access 2007, which was my first dive into Access 2007 (it’s fixed so many of the issues I used to have to work around, I love it!). In the last couple of weeks I’ve been updating an Access database I created for tracking computer systems, software, users, patch panel and switch ports, and wall jacks at work. It’s all set up relationally but what I’d really like is a way to display the data on a blueprint/map of the building–something I may try to link into Visio from the Access database at some point if I can figure it out.
Relational databases FTW! You reminded me I should check out Access 2010 since I just installed the preview…