Professional Access 2013 Programming.pdf
PROFESSIONAL
Access® 2013 Programming
PROFESSIONAL
Access®
2013 Programming
Teresa Hennig
Ben Clothier
George Hepworth
Dagi (Doug) Yudovich
Professional Access® 2013 Programming Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 10475 Crosspoint Boulevard Indianapolis, IN 46256 Copyright © 2013 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Indianapolis, Indiana Published simultaneously in Canada
ISBN: 978-1-118-53083-2
ISBN: 978-1-118-53082-5 (ebk)
ISBN: 978-1-118-78961-2 (ebk) Manufactured in the United States of America 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means,
electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning or otherwise, except as permitted under Sections 107 or 108
of the 1976 United States Copyright Act, without either the prior written permission of the Publisher, or authorization through payment of the appropriate per-copy fee to the Copyright Clearance Center, 222 Rosewood Drive, Danvers, MA 01923, (978) 750-8400, fax (978) 646-8600. Requests to the Publisher for permission should be addressed to the Permissions Department, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030, (201) 748-6011, fax (201) 748-6008, or online atLimit of Liability/Disclaimer of Warranty: The publisher and the author make no representations or warranties with respect to the accuracy or completeness of the contents of this work and specifi cally disclaim all warranties, including without limitation warranties of fi tness for a particular purpose. No warranty may be created or extended by sales or promotional materials. The advice and strategies contained herein may not be suitable for every situation. This work is sold with the understanding that the publisher is not engaged in rendering legal, accounting, or other professional ser-
vices. If professional assistance is required, the services of a competent professional person should be sought. Neither the
publisher nor the author shall be liable for damages arising herefrom. The fact that an organization or Web site is referred
to in this work as a citation and/or a potential source of further information does not mean that the author or the pub- lisher endorses the information the organization or Web site may provide or recommendations it may make. Further,readers should be aware that Internet Web sites listed in this work may have changed or disappeared between when this
work was written and when it is read.For general information on our other products and services please contact our Customer Care Department within the United States at (877) 762-2974, outside the United States at (317) 572-3993 or fax (317) 572-4002. Wiley publishes in a variety of print and electronic formats and by print-on-demand. Some material included with standard print versions of this book may not be included in e-books or in print-on-demand. If this book refers to media such as a CD or DVD that is not included in the version you purchased, you may download this material at
Library of Congress Control Number: 2013907974
Trademarks: Wiley, Wrox, the Wrox logo, Programmer to Programmer, and related trade dress are trademarks or regis-
tered trademarks of John Wiley & Sons, Inc. and/or its affi liates, in the United States and other countries, and may not be
used without written permission. Access is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation. All other trademarks are the
property of their respective owners. John Wiley & Sons, Inc., is not associated with any product or vendor mentioned in
this book.
To my family and my dearest friends — you are my inspirations, role models and
mentors. Whatever I am facing, I can fi nd strength and guidance by thinking of
what my Mom, Papa, Dad, or brother might say or do. Every day I have reasons
to say thank you for teaching us to work, to accept responsibility for our actions,
to do the right thing, and to help others. You taught us to do what we enjoy and
to do our best. What a great formula to be happy, energized, and resilient, and to
appreciate all that we have! You set the foundation for me to embrace the thrills,
lessons, and adventures in life. And, throughout life, to be compassionate and to
give generously — especially laughter and smiles, a hug or a helping hand.—Teresa Hennig To Suzanne and Harry, for being just plain awesome. I couldn’t have done it without you two!
—Ben Clothier I want to dedicate my part in this book to my mother and father, who not only
brought me into the world, but showed me how to live properly once I got here.
Family comes fi rst, but that is easy when you have a family like mine. To my siblings, JoAnna, Tom, Sam, Jack, Nancy, and Jane: Your encouragement (and
unusually high tolerance for bad jokes, lies, and war stories) helps keep me going.
Thanks. I promise I’ll update the family website again soon. I also need to make
special mention of my daughter, Lyndsey; you give me reason to be proud every
day. Love ya, sweetie. We’ll make up for the missed weekend dinners soon.—George Hepworth To my wife, Lisa, who still patiently picks up the slack as I dive head-fi rst into new adventures. None of it would have been possible without you. I love you.
—Dagi Yudovich
EXECUTIVE EDITOR
Katie Crocker
VICE PRESIDENT AND EXECUTIVE GROUP PUBLISHER
Richard Swadley
VICE PRESIDENT AND EXECUTIVE PUBLISHER
Neil Edde
ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER
Jim Minatel
PROJECT COORDINATOR, COVER
PROOFREADER
PRODUCTION MANAGER
Sarah Kaikini, Word One New York
INDEXER
John Sleeva
COVER DESIGNER
Wiley
COVER IMAGE
©
Tim Tate
Amy Knies
Robert Elliott
Nancy Rapoport
PROJECT EDITOR
Christina Haviland
TECHNICAL EDITORS
F. Scott Barker Jerry Dennison Jerry Wood
PRODUCTION EDITOR
Christine Mugnolo
COPY EDITOR
EDITORIAL MANAGER
BUSINESS MANAGER
Mary Beth Wakefi eld
FREELANCER EDITORIAL MANAGER
Rosemarie Graham
ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR OF MARKETING
David Mayhew
MARKETING MANAGER
Ashley Zurcher
CREDITS
ABOUT THE AUTHORS
TERESA HENNIG has been an Access developer and business consultant since 1997, when she decided to start her own business on the second day that she used Access.
Her company’s name, Data Dynamics Northwest, aptly refl ects her dynamic per- sonality and her innate ability to quickly grasp a situation, formulate and implement a solution, and motivate others. With a strong background in business and project management, Teresa focuses on providing intuitive, cost-effective solutions that sup- port all levels of an organization. One of her favorite aspects of being a consultant is working with an endless variety of businesses across many industries and in numerous locations.
As a self-taught developer, Teresa quickly became involved with the Seattle Access Group and has been the President since 1999. It wasn’t long before she was asked to help run, and then became President of, the Pacifi c Northwest Access Developer Group. Her fi rst book Access 2003
Programmer’s Reference (Wiley, 2003) opened the door to new opportunities to help fellow develop-
ers share their passion and expertise with the community. Over the past 10 years, Teresa has helped dozens of colleagues to become authors, editors and contributors. This is her sixth book, and she already has requests to do more. Teresa has been recognized as a Microsoft MVP continuously since 2006, and has twice earned
INETA’s National Community Champion award. Teresa thrives on challenges, project management, and creating cost-effective solutions. Her skills for motivating and helping others are refl ected in her contributions to the developer community and support of numerous non-profi t organizations. She is expanding her reach by doing presentations and offering customized training, mentoring, and consulting for database development as well as business and project management. You can contact Teresa aarn more about any of these services. You can also read about some of her adventures and charitable endeavors by visiting her website,
BEN CLOTHIER is a Lead Developer with IT Impact, Inc., a premier Access and SQL
Server development shop based in Chicago, Illinois. He has worked as a freelance consultant with notable shops including J Street Technology and Advisicon, and has worked on Access projects from small, one-man solutions to company-wide line- of-business applications. Notable projects include job tracking and inventory for a cement company, a Medicare insurance plan generator for an insurance provider, and order management for an international shipping company.
Ben is an administrator at UtterAccess and was a coauthor, with Tim Runcie and George Hepworth, on Microsoft Access in a SharePoint World (Advisicon, 2011), and a contributing author for Access
2010 Programmer’s Reference (Wiley, 2010). He is a certifi ed MySQL 5.0 Developer and a Microsoft
Certifi ed Technology Specialist for SharePoint 2010 confi gurations. He has been a Microsoft MVP since 2009. Ben lives in San Antonio, Texas with his wife, Suzanne, and his son, Harry.
GEORGE HEPWORTH began his Access career by creating tools to track sales and exam results for his business, which created and sold training and exam materials.
Realizing that Access databases were more interesting and rewarding than writing training materials, he soon transitioned to full-time Access development and started his company, Grover Park Consulti, specializing in resuscitat-
ing “owner-built” Access databases for small- and medium-sized organizations. As a self-taught developer, George believes that any day on which he doesn’t learn at least one new thing is a day wasted. George is a database developer for Data and Domains, a development organization near Bellevue, Washington, creating Access and Access/SQL Server solutions for clients in the Puget Sound region. George is part of the administrator team, and a regular contributor, at UtterAccess, the most popu- lar Access support site on the Internet. He is the author or contributor to several books on Access, and a presenter at the Pacifi c Northwest Access Developer Group and Seattle Access Group. George holds a BS in English and an MA in TESL from Utah State University. And now, George’s daughter and his money go to Seattle University.
DAGI (DOUG) YUDOVICH is the Assistant Director of Departmental Computing for the
University of Washington School of Medicine. One of the department’s primary BI responsibilities is developing database solutions using Access and SQL Server. Doug is an Administrator on UtterAccess forums and the UtterAccess wiki. Doug was a contributing author to Microsoft Access Small Business Solutions and the
Access 2010 Programmer’s Reference. Additionally, Doug is an active member of
the Pacifi c Northwest Access Developers Group (PNWADG) and a presenter in the Seattle Access Group (SAG). Doug has been awarded the Access MVP award since 2009.
ABOUT THE TECHNICAL EDITORS/ CONTRIBUTORS
JERRY DENNISON has over 20 years of professional experience in the design and
development of Microsoft Access database applications. He was one of the coauthors of Microsoft Access 2010 Programmer’s Reference (Wiley, 2010) and a contributing editor on other Access books. Jerry was a four-year recipient of the Microsoft Offi ce Access MVP award and is considered by his peers to be one of the foremost experts on the forms of data normalization.
Jerry is the owner of TradeIt! Software Support Services, where he provides database consulting for businesses and other Access developers. He is an automation engineer at Rexam Healthcare Packaging, where he has worked for 22 years providing design, installation, and service support for automated inspection and test systems.
Jerry lives with his wife of 24 years in Hixson, Tennessee.
PATRICK WOOD is the founder of Gaining Access Technologies, which provides consult-
ing and custom software development. Originally a minister with a bachelor’s degree in biblical studies, he decided one day while he was between churches to develop an application to manage the many tasks involved with small- to medium-sized churches. That sparked his interest in Microsoft Access development, which led to the founding of his company. He learned ASP.NET to build the company website, and began developing
SQL Server and Azure SQL databases. Pat’s articles about cutting-edge technology software develop- ment have been featured on several websites. He received the MVP Award for Microsoft Access in 2011. Pat still preaches at a small country church and enjoys taking walks, playing the guitar, hunting and fi shing, and spending time with his wife and three young grandsons.
F. SCOTT BARKER is the owner of AppsPlus, where he develops software for industries
ranging from government agencies, insurance companies, banks, medical analy- sis fi rms, and even for Microsoft. Scott is a former Microsoft MVP and Microsoft employee, and was a member of the original Access team. He is also the author of a number of books on programming techniques using Microsoft technologies.
LEO (theDBguy™) is an Access MVP and moderator of the UtterAccess (UA) Forums.
Since joining UA in 2007, Leo has made over 50,000 posts responding to questions and solving worldwide database dilemmas. Leo is a renowned Access expert with over 17 years of experience creating complex and intuitive Access solutions. He currently works as a Knowledge Manager for the Navy and manages the SharePoint portal for his com- mand, which supports over 1500 sites and more than 5500 users. Leo’s free time is dedicated to his family and to helping others leverage the powers of Access. In addition to being an active member and presenter at the Access User Group of San Diego, he also shares his expertise through his website at
TECHNICAL CONTRIBUTORS
GREG LINDHORST is the Principal Program Manager for Microsoft Access. He has been a member
of the Microsoft Access engineering team since 2006, specializing in Access web apps and the pro- gramming model. Greg is a 20-year veteran at Microsoft, where he has worked on a wide range of application development tools in Offi ce and Visual Studio.
TOM VAN STIPHOUT is an Access MVP and the software development manager for Kinetik I.T.
, a premier provider of website design, SEO Internet marketing, software
development, and computer network services and solutions in Phoenix, Arizona. Tom can be reached at
JACK D. LEACH is an Access MVP with a strong background in the manufacturing business.
He runs Dymeng Services, a software development company in upstate
New York, specializing in database and website solutions for small businesses. Jack can be found on
PETER DOERING is an Access MVP from Bamberg, Germany and an expert on migrations to SQL
Server as well as SQL Azure and Offi ce 365. He’s been an independent developer on international projects for over 20 years. Peter is an acclaimed speaker at developer conferences in Europe and can be reached at
GLEN KRUGER is an Access MVP and the Developer/Owner of KNK Consulting, assisting clients
using Access and Visual Basic. Glen graduated from NAIT’s Computer Systems Technology (CST) program. He is an administrator of the UtterAccess Forums, and can also be reached at
RIK HEPWORTH is a Microsoft vTSP and is the IT Director and head of the SharePoint Practice at
Black Marble in the UK. With over 20 years in IT, Rik has worked in nearly every aspect of comput- ing. As a technology evangelist, Rik is a regular presenter at events around the UK and Ireland. He is easiest to fi nd on Twitter a
Jonathan is a full-stack developer who participates
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS AS A TEAM, WE WOULD LIKE TO EXPRESS our respect and appreciation for all of the people who
contributed to the content, editing, and production of this book. This project truly epitomizes the concept of team work and community — especially the MVP community. We wanted this book to refl ect a wide perspective of expertise, but we didn’t anticipate the extent that would become. We reached around the world to leverage the expertise and passion of more than a dozen MVPs and experts from multiple disciplines. They invested an unprecedented amount of time, research, and resources to create this book and all of the supporting fi les and examples. Much like creating a solu- tion for your clients, the team has invested hundreds of hours to create or enhance developer tools that you can incorporate directly into your fi les.
Over the course of a number of months, we conquered many hurdles, forged new connections, and helped to expand the functionality for Access web apps. We couldn’t have done it without the timely and invaluable efforts of our editors and technical contributors. These guys stepped up the moment they were called upon — and yes, that often meant at a point of near panic and urgency! Whether it was to resolve a version confl ict, expand into associated technologies, or to share tools and tech- niques, they generously shared their expertise and passion with the community and you, the readers. Please take a moment to read about our contributing editors and technical contributors. Of course, we wouldn’t have anything to write about if it weren’t for the incredible people on the Microsoft Access team. Their passion, dedication, and commitment to continuously expand and enhance Access are truly remarkable and inspiring. And we wouldn’t have a book without all of the editors and teams at Wiley — Bob, Rosemarie, Mary Beth, Nancy, and so many more. Plus a very spe- cial thank you to Chris Haviland for her remarkable skills, attitude, and encouragement while guiding us through months of reviews and production. Hmm, we’ve lost track of all the IOUs, but suffi ce it to say they should include a spa day, margaritas, chocolate dipped strawberries, and many massages!
—The Authors
FIRST AND FOREMOST, I WANT TO EXPRESS heartfelt appreciation to my family and dearest friends. I
am immensely grateful for the opportunities, encouragement, and support that you continue to give me — personally, professionally, and for so many charitable endeavors. From the summit of Mt. Rainier to Uganda, and from fundraisers to books, you help me to stay focused, energized, and positive. Life can take us on quite a roller coaster ride fi lled with excitement, challenges, accomplishments, and les- sons. People and life have so many facets to relish and cherish; thank you for sharing the adventures. I also want to thank my colleagues, especially my MVP family, and everyone working on this book.
This project has been like no other. When we started planning over 12 months ago, no one could have foreseen the amount of time and effort, or the extensive and ongoing changes, that would be involved. On behalf of myself and the entire Access community, I want to thank Ben and George for their vision, perseverance, and dedication to not only proving that an Access 2013 web app can be a robust business solution, but also providing a model and guide for others to follow. At critical moments, we also gained the invaluable expertise of Greg, Rik, and Jonathan. And to ensure that the traditional Access solutions demonstrate multiple perspectives and signifi cant new approaches, Doug and I incorporated content and tips from several of our MVP colleagues. Their involvement was also instrumental in completing a second round of technical reviews and testing; with many thanks to the Herculean efforts by Leo, who reviewed nearly all of the web chapters! Over the months, the team has undergone major transitions. Starting with a team of four authors, we added more than a dozen experts with a seeming exponential increase in coordination tasks. (Talk about lessons in project management!) Fortunately, those challenges also enriched my life with new friends as they joined our team. In working countless hours with Leo, Glen, Jack, and Pat, I gained the utmost respect for their expertise and dedication. Similarly, it is always a pleasure to work with my treasured colleagues, Tom, Peter, Jerry, and Scott. Your contributions helped make our book a truly remarkable and invaluable resource for all Access users. I am grateful for being able to share both the opportunity and the credits with so many. In recognition of the invaluable part that they played, we have designated a new role, Technical Contributor. These are remarkable people, so please take a moment to read their bios. This is truly a team effort and it epitomizes the spirit of the MVP community. With all of the turmoil on the book, I essentially took a 4+ month hiatus from consulting to support the team. So I also want to thank my clients for understanding the delays and for working with me to prioritize and schedule tasks so that we could meet their immediate needs and defer others. THANK YOU! I must also express very special, heartfelt appreciation to Christina Haviland — for her patience, guidance, humor, and compassionate understanding. Thank you for doing whatever it took to pull all of the pieces together to get everything to production and print! Your entryway should be over- fl owing with gift baskets, massage certifi cates, and a lifetime of gratitude.
This project has tested and strengthened us individually and collectively. We did this for you, the Access community. Our greatest reward is helping you to help others, so it is with great pride that we present this book. As you benefi t from this compilation of resources, we hope that you too will realize that it is indeed priceless.
This demonstrates yet again that life is fi lled with opportunities — celebrate them all!
—Teresa Hennig
WITHOUT THE HELP OF MANY WONDERFUL PEOPLE, this book would not have happened. Thank
you, Greg Lindhorst, for helping us to set the parameters and providing guidance. Thank you, Rik Hepworth and Jonathan Sampson, for your excellent contribution when we found ourselves deep in the new and brave world of SharePoint and web development. I’m indebted to Jerry Dennison, Patrick Wood, and Leo theDBGuy™ for their meticulous diligence. Thank you, Christina Haviland and Teresa Hennig, for your guidance in the project. And most importantly, thank you, George Hepworth, for putting up with me!
—Ben Clothier
THE CONTRIBUTIONS OF VARIOUS PEOPLE have been of great help in this journey. Greg Lindhorst,
Access Program Manager at Microsoft, was an early and on-going source of key information about Access web apps. His help was invaluable. Later, when it became clear we had ventured some dis- tance into the SharePoint realm, we were fortunate to obtain the assistance of Rik Hepworth in shoring up that part of the narrative. We also appreciate Jonathan Sampson for his important con- tributions in reviewing some of the JavaScript code. I also want to thank the partners at Data & Domains, Eric Change and Frank Wilson, for their generosity in allowing me time off to work on this book. We also want to acknowledge the contributions of Leo “theDBGuy” and Jerry Dennison for their excellent reviews and comments that helped make the book better.
—George Hepworth
SPECIAL THANKS to my coauthors — Teresa, Ben, and George. It’s been a wild ride, but riding along
with you made it all worthwhile. Your support during the project was nothing short of amazing.Extra thanks to Teresa for leading the project with an unlimited amount of energy and enthusiasm. To my fellow MVPs and friends, Tom van Stiphout and Peter Doering — thank you for your help, insight, and input. Your knowledge seems boundless, and I’ve learned a lot from you. I’d also like to thank Pat Wood for taking the time to solve the puzzle after fi nding a missing piece. To Chris, our project editor, thank you for your patience and guidance throughout the project and for being a calm port in the storm. To the technical editors, technical advisors, and anyone else who helped iron out the wrinkles — thank you.
—Dagi Yudovich
CONTENTS
CONTENTS
xvi
xvii CONTENTS
CONTENTS
xviii
CONTENTS
xix
CONTENTS
xx
CONTENTS
xxi
CONTENTS
xxii
CONTENTS
xxiii
CONTENTS
xxiv
CONTENTS
xxv
CONTENTS
xxvi
INTRODUCTION THANK YOU FOR BUYING THIS BOOK. We wrote it with you (the developer, the manager, the busi-
ness owner) in mind to provide valuable tips, techniques, and tools applicable to a wide spectrum of experience, expertise, and industries. Each time you use one of the tools that we’ve provided, you’ve more than recouped the price of the book. As the most popular database system in the world, Microsoft Access keeps getting better with each new version. The new Access 2013 provides signifi cant new features that will enhance your experi- ence of building web-based and traditional database applications. This book shows you everything you need to get started immediately, and it guides you through exploring a multitude of program- ming tools and techniques for building Access 2013 solutions. Written by a team of Microsoft Access MVPs, this book leverages our expertise and passion for Access. In expanding the reach of Access, we incorporated the knowledge and experience of over a dozen experts to consult, test, and provide examples working with SharePoint, SQL Server, .NET, and web development. And to make sure that we could provide a model for a robust business solu- tion, we worked closely with the Microsoft Access team to be at the forefront of defi ning, testing, and implementing the new features for Access 2013 web apps. In creating the demo apps and writing this book, our team pushed the limits of what was provided and helped to delineate the required functionality. We not only blazed the way into a new frontier, but we also expanded the horizon. In doing so, we created an application that will guide you on a successful journey to create and deploy your own Access web apps. With the countless variations of platforms and confi gurations, there are unprecedented opportunities for security and other issues that you might encounter. To help you avoid and resolve such challenges, we have also provided a list of some of the potential issues you may encounter. The chapters in Part II, “Client Server Design and Development,” draw from resources far beyond the author team. We wanted to ensure that we addressed the needs of developers from a wide spec- trum of expertise and industries. To that end, we enlisted the contributions of fellow MVPs from around the world. That culminated in providing you with tools, tips, techniques, and examples that incorporate the experience, style, and perspective of more than a dozen developers. The emphasis is on creating cost-effective solutions based on real-world scenarios. The techniques in this book focus on rapid development, stability, and automation. They will help you to work more effectively with multiple data sources and integrate with other programs, leverage SQL Server, and deploy polished, professional solutions.
In addition to demonstrating how to enhance and work with Access’s built-in features, we also dis- cuss critical changes that may affect legacy programs — such as the deprecation of ADPs. Our book clearly communicates these changes and future alternatives so that developers and businesses can make informed decisions about how to move forward and how to maintain their applications when incorporating the new features.
INTRODUCTION
This book encompasses thousands of hours of development, testing, writing, and reviews. We designed it to serve as a learning manual, a reference, and a means to expand your expertise that will pave the way to new opportunities. The more you use it, the greater your rewards.
WHO THIS BOOK IS FOR
Professional Access 2013 Programming is a complete guide to the latest tools and techniques for
building Access 2013 applications for both the web and the desktop. The information and examples are structured so that developers and businesses can make decisions and move forward with confi - dence. Whether you want to expand your expertise with client-server deployments or start develop- ing web apps, you will fi nd this book to be an invaluable manual, companion, and reference.
Access 2013 web applications are completely new, so the material is new to everyone. The web sec- tion starts with the basic fundamentals and lays a strong foundation. The subsequent chapters then provide a step-by-step process to build the structure resulting in a robust web application. In the client-server section, the premise is that readers have been using Access and have some famil- iarity with VBA, so we breeze through the fundamentals to provide a foundation and then quickly dig into features, development techniques, and examples that you can relate to. The emphasis is on cost-effective solutions that address rapid development, stability, working with multiple data sources, integration with other programs, automation, and leveraging SQL Server. The book is also an informative guide for decision makers who are seeking to identify and evaluate available options to make informed decisions and invest in solutions that will support their current and anticipated needs. You will see solutions to real-world scenarios that have strong correlations to your activities and needs.
WHAT THIS BOOK COVERS
This book is the professional developer’s resource for Access 2013 web apps and traditional client solutions. As the training manual and proving ground for Access 2013 web apps, this book shows you everything you need to immediately start developing new solutions, upgrading existing projects, and planning future enhancements. It uses real-world scenarios to demonstrate how to use Access to provide custom solutions — whether you are working with a traditional client-server, web, or hybrid application.
The book is structured to support the two major deployment environments for Access 2013: Web applications and the traditional client-server (desktop) solutions. But regardless of your current needs or focus, you will fi nd invaluable tips and techniques in both sections. In a nutshell, this book:
➤
Explores the new development environment for Access web apps
➤
Focuses on the tools and techniques for developing robust web applications
xxviii
INTRODUCTION ➤
Explains how to use macros to create solutions that will run in a web browser and perform tasks on SQL Server
➤
Discusses the Offi ce Store and using it to monetize your apps
➤
Demonstrates how to use SQL Server effectively to support both web and client solutions and to synchronize data across multiple SQL Servers.
➤ Provides examples for adding professional polish to traditional desktop application
development
➤
Shows you how to automate other programs using macros, VBA, API calls, and more
➤ Illustrates how to use data macros to simplify enforcement of business rules and automate
data processing tasks. And it provides a tool for managing data macros
➤
Demonstrates features and techniques using real-world examples that can easily be modifi ed and incorporated into your custom solutions
➤
Provides several full featured examples and databases that can easily be incorporated into your solutions
Part I: Access Web Application Design and Development With Access 2013, Microsoft introduced a new architecture for authoring database applications
that can be provisioned to the web. One major feature of the new architecture is that it’s now based on SQL Server. This opens up many opportunities for developing robust, full-featured web applica- tions, as well as a means of quickly creating prototypes that can easily become the foundation for the fi nal solution.
The web section is targeted toward the professional developers and content experts who want to cre- ate a rich application that is focused on solving business problems. But at the same time, you want to avoid getting lost in the tedious plumbing that is typically involved in the traditional web develop- ment process.
A major challenge for people who are experienced with building powerful Access solutions is tran- sitioning their current database design skills over to the web. The structure and code is just one aspect. Web apps also require a new approach to designing the user interface. This book facilitates the mental transition from traditional client development to web development. It focuses on building the conceptual foundation and points out the differences between the two approaches. To help reinforce the concepts, the book incorporates a running example throughout the web sec- tion. The example uses a hypothetical professional maid services company that needs to effi ciently manage the maids, customers, and jobs. As one of their tools, the maids use their tablets to record the progress and status of their jobs.
As you follow along, you will progressively build a full-featured application, adding ever richer functionalities. In addition to creating a functional solution, the example will help you envision the power of the Access web app and how it can be used to solve common business problems. For
xxix
INTRODUCTION
instance, you can make the application accessible to more than just internal users, such as a remote data entry operator or external partners.
Part II: Client Server Design and Development The second section of the book is devoted to traditional client-server solutions, primarily using Access as the front end with Access or SQL Server as the data source. The emphasis is on providing
you with tools and techniques to add the functionality and professional polish that you expect to fi nd in a really great Access application. Each chapter includes several examples that you can easily incorporate into your existing or new Access solutions. The client-server section is based on the premise that readers have some familiarity with Access and
VBA, so after a brief introduction to build a foundation, each chapter quickly gets into features and development techniques. They introduce and demonstrate how to use the key features, and provide examples and tips that are fundamental to creating and deploying professional-caliber solutions. The emphasis is on helping you to provide cost-effective solutions that leverage Access’s rapid devel- opment environment with multiple data sources, including Access, SQL Server, and other formats.
As you delve into SQL Server, you will learn how to use SQL Server Management Studio and SQL Server Migration Assistant. You will learn how to use T-SQL syntax and other techniques to effec- tively leverage SQL Server’s features.
You will also learn how to integrate with and even automate other programs from Access. As you work through the examples, you will create documents in Word, Excel, Outlook, and PowerPoint. After that, you will use PKZip as a model to demonstrate how to automate non-Offi ce programs. In addition to examples and code in the book, you can download database fi les that contain full-fea- tured forms and reports that provide key functionality to support real-world scenarios. You’ll fi nd intuitive search and fi lter forms that incorporate a variety of techniques and tools to enable users to specify criteria fi elds and grouping to customize reports. Among the standalone tools, you will receive a fully functioning solution that will fi ll in PDF forms with data stored in Access. Another program allows you to tap online resources to display maps and directions in Access forms, and there is a program to help you manage data macros across multiple database fi les.
Online Material
The book also has three “appendixes” available online a that are packed full of tips, functions, tools, and sample fi les as well as lists of time-saving shortcuts. These materials supplement and support the material in the chapters, by covering a wide spectrum of other topics, such as managing data, preventing duplicate records, using alternative approaches to form controls, and much more.
Professional Access 2013 Programming is a complete guide to the latest tools and techniques for
building Access 2013 applications for both the web and desktop. As you will quickly discover, the book more than pays for itself with each use.
xxx
INTRODUCTION
HOW THIS BOOK IS STRUCTURED
The following is a detailed chapter-by-chapter overview of what you can expect to fi nd in this book. It is divided into two main parts, web apps and traditional client-server solutions. Chapters 1 through 14 introduce, explain, and walk through the steps to design and deploy an Access web application. Chapters 15 through 21 and three online “appendixes” delve into traditional client- server solutions. In Chapter 1, you will review what has changed for Access 2013 and new features introduced to Access 2013. In addition, you will get an overview of Offi ce 365 and how it makes SharePoint accessible for small businesses and how they can leverage the power of SharePoint without involving expensive IT resources. You learn how to create an Offi ce 365 account as you follow the example in the web section.
In Chapters 2, 3, 4, and 5, you learn about the fundamental building blocks for creating new web apps. Casual users and professional developers will appreciate comprehensive coverage of the new architecture and information about how it will infl uence the design choices that may be made. You will learn about new paths that lead to successful development experience and identify paths that are fraught with roadblocks. The chapters also provide a good comparison and contrast with client design that may be familiar to you but may not translate to the new web architecture. The chapters are ordered in generally the same workfl ow that you will naturally follow when building new web apps, which differs from the typical order seen in developing client Access solutions.
Access development always starts with tables, so in Chapter 2 you learn about the deep integration of Access with SQL Server and how tables are built and represented in SQL Server. You will see how the new features such as Nouns and Import Data make it easier and faster to design new tables. Once you’ve built the tables, you move to Chapter 3 where you start to explore the new interface. You will become familiar with the new design surface and begin to internalize the differences in designing and working with web apps as compared to the client database. You also learn about Tiles and View Selectors, which represent a new approach to navigation. You will quickly appreciate how Tiles and View Selectors greatly simplify the navigation with minimal effort.
Building on that orientation, Chapter 4 explores the new views, which are web counterparts to a traditional Access form. Once you are familiar with designing views, you will move to Chapter 5, where you will learn about queries and new functions. You will see how to use the expressions that you can now incorporate into your queries, controls, and macros.