Microsoft Access Applications Development - Essay Example

These functionalities are captured as objects, and can be outlined as: Tables, forms, queries, and reports. These are essentially the ingredients required to build a successful database. Tables are the building block of databases. Forms allow ease of data entry to the database. Reliability of data is also achieved using forms. Reports allow for the retrieval of data, it lets you show off your data, on screen or on paper. Since database are created to provide some answers or help solve some problems, there has to be a way to make the database do this before it delivers its findings in a report.

This method of asking the database to find an answer is called Querying. It is important to note that access is the most broadly used database in the world. It has five key strengths that have contributed in putting it in this enviable position. These five strengths are as outlined below: With these and many more functionalities provided for in the Microsoft Access 2003, including a user friendly interface, it sufficiently allows for the development of database applications. Access 2003 makes it much easier to build many forms and reports.

These are things that used to e regarded as difficult to do. It also blazes the trail in both rich client and rich and reach clients against SharePoints that were hitherto hard to achieve. There is a big opportunity, both in terms of the type of application that can be built, and the ease with which Information Technology can manage these applications.Things initially seen as difficult such as building a calendar has become a lot easier with Access. Working with server has also been enhanced.

Access enables applications with both rich client and rich server interfaces built on SharePoint. You can also extend Access applications without having to rewrite them.Ease of use of Access 2003 IDE is enhanced by a streamlined design. The user interface has been grossly simplified. Instead of going to dropdown menu to look for a particular feature, a tabbed panel is provided to display options for you. Existing files can be accessed from here. Navigation in Access 2003 is easier than previous versions.

When compared to Access 12, Access 2003 is not that easy to use as multiple windows will be opened for multiple works. Like after creating my "Address table" and I want to now create my query for the table, a new window for the query will be opened. But in Access 12, less space will be needed to do better navigation. Access 2003 is so good when compared with other database programs that require a lot of coding and special expertise to use, Microsoft Access 2003 is easy to use. When compared also with previous versions tracking of previous work is much easier.

Visual basic for applications (VBA) can also be called from the Microsoft access environment. Thus codes can be edited from within the Access IDE. ODBC tools can also be called on to link to other databases and pure object oriented programming languages, such as C++. This feature only serves to buttress the usefulness of the Access 2003 IDE to