Access 2007: The Missing Manual at Dominant Systems Book Store

Compared to industrial-strength database products such as Microsoft's SQL Server, Access is a breeze to use. It runs on PCs rather than servers and is ideal for small- to mid-sized businesses and households. But Access is still intimidating to learn. It doesn't help that each new version crammed in yet another set of features; so many, in fact, that even the pros don't know where to find them all. Access 2007 breaks this pattern with some of the most dramatic changes users have seen since Office 95. Most obvious is the thoroughly redesigned user interface, with its tabbed toolbar (or "Ribbon") that makes features easy to locate and use. The features list also includes several long-awaited changes. One thing that hasn't improved is Microsoft's documentation. To learn the ins and outs of all the features in Access 2007, Microsoft merely offers online help.

Access 2007: The Missing Manual was written from the ground up for this redesigned application. You will learn how to design complete databases, maintain them, search for valuable nuggets of information, and build attractive forms for quick-and-easy data entry. You'll even delve into the black art of Access programming (including macros and Visual Basic), and pick up valuable tricks and techniques to automate common tasks -- even if you've never touched a line of code before. You will also learn all about the new prebuilt databases you can customize to fit your needs, and how the new complex data feature will simplify your life. With plenty of downloadable examples, this objective and witty book will turn an Access neophyte into a true master.

Customer Reviews & Comments
This book teaches you how to design and maintain databases, search them for information, and build attractive forms using the new version of Access. There's also material on Access programming for automating common tasks. Access 2007 is quite a bit different from previous versions, and has a brand new interface. Once you master Access's new style, you'll be able to build databases rather quickly. The problem is that with Office 2007, you get no printed user guide at all. To learn about the thousands of features included in the software, Microsoft expects you to read the online help. The Microsoft help screens are helpful if you're looking for a quick description of something. If you're seeking information more on the art than science of Access, such as chart creation, you'll find nothing of real use there. This book excels at teaching aspects of Access that involve more wisdom than dictionary definition. This book is divided into seven parts, each containing several chapters: Part One: Storing Information in Tables. In this part, you'll build your first database and learn how to add and edit tables that store information. Then you'll pick up the skills you need to stop mistakes before they happen, browse around your database, and link tables together. Chapter 1. Creating Your First Database Chapter 2. Building Smarter Tables Chapter 3. Mastering the Datasheet: Sorting, Searching, Filtering, and More Chapter 4. Blocking Bad Data Chapter 5. Linking Tables with Relationships Part Two: Manipulating Data with Queries. In this part, you'll build queries, apply changes, and summarize vast amounts of information. Chapter 6: Queries That Select Records Chapter 7: Essential Query Tricks Chapter 8: Queries That Update Records Chapter 9: Analyzing Data with Crosstab Queries and Pivot Tables Part Three: Printing Reports. This part shows you how to use reports to take the raw data in your tables and format it into attractive printouts, complete with fancy formatting and subtotals. Chapter 10: Creating Reports Chapter 11: Designing Advanced Reports Part Four: Building a User Interface with Forms. In this part, you'll build forms, which are customized windows that make data entry easy, even for those new to Access. Chapter 12: Creating Simple Forms Chapter 13: Designing Advanced Forms Chapter 14: Building a Navigation System Part Five: Programming Access. Shows how to use macros and Visual Basic programming to automate complex tasks and solve common challenges. Chapter 15: Automating Tasks with Macros Chapter 16: Automating Tasks with Visual Basic Chapter 17: Writing Smarter Code Part Six: Sharing Access with the Rest of the World. In this part, you'll learn how exchange data between Access and files such as text documents and Excel spreadsheets. You'll also see how to use Access to interact with some of Microsoft's server software such as SQL Server and SharePoint Server. Chapter 18: Sharing a Database with Multiple Users Chapter 19: Importing and Exporting Data Chapter 20: Connecting Access to SQL Server Chapter 21: Connecting Access to SharePoint Part Seven: Appendix. This book wraps up with an appendix that shows how to customize the Quick Access toolbar to get easy access to your favorite commands. I found this manual to be head and shoulders above all of the cheap "shovelware" books on such subjects that often have all the information you need, but are disorganized. I haven't seen any of the new versions of the "Que" books that always come out on Access, but I haven't been that satisfied with them in the past. I recommend this book for anybody planning on using Access 2007.

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