RE: What Book?
AT @comcastdotnet Tom Wickerath
Here is a link with lots of book recommendations:
http://home.bendbroadband.com/conradsystems/accessjunkie/resources.html#Books
A good book to get started with would be Building Microsoft Access
Applications, by John Viescas: http://www.viescas.com/Info/books.htm#Access
Spend lots of time pouring over all the links at MVP Jeff Conrad's site.
You'll discover lots of other web sites worth bookmarking by starting at
Jeff's Table of Contents:
http://home.bendbroadband.com/conradsystems/accessjunkie/resources.html
Take the time to learn database design, naming conventions and reserved
words as starters. Make sure that your PC is properly updated with service
packs for the operating system, Office, and the JET database engine:
How to keep a Jet 4.0 database in top working condition
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=303528
Read the 10 Commandments at the MVPS site, and bookmark this site as well
(link provided on Jeff's site). Read everything you can on the following
MVP's web sites, and bookmark these as well:
Allen Browne
Tony Toews
Doug Steele
You should be able to find links to each of these sites at Jeff's site.
Doing these things will serve you well, because you'll avoid many problems
that other's routinely run into.
Good Luck!
Tom
http://www.access.qbuilt.com/html/expert_contributors.html
__________________________________________
"bxyle" wrote:
I am new in the access world and even in my little stint I found it to be
challenging and interesting.
I want to study access on my own (with your help of course), Is there a book
that you can recommend for a beginner like me?
ty......from .ph
Arvin Meyer [MVP]
Office Access 2003" is an outstanding source for the beginner to
intermediate user/developer. The books resource pages at the MVPS site are
also good:
http://www.mvps.org/access/resources/books.htm
--
Arvin Meyer, MCP, MVP
Microsoft Access
Free Access downloads:
http://www.datastrat.com
http://www.mvps.org/access
"bxyle" <bx...@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:129474C8-5484-4F0F...@microsoft.com...
> I am new in the access world and even in my little stint I found it to be
> chanllenging and interesting.
Jo...@smith.com
<bx...@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote:
>I am new in the access world and even in my little stint I found it to be
>chanllenging and interesting.
>
>I want to study access on my own (with your help of course), Is there a book
>that you can recommend for a beginner like me?
>
>ty......from .ph
Im doing that now. I started a few days ago but was used to really old
xbase programming which I learned on my own ages ago and havent done
in a long while.
I dived into Access a few days ago thinking it was easy. Hmmmm. The
one thing is , its really automated with lots of wizards etc but you
can really take control by writing VBA code.
The big problem for me is , there are so many freaking options on all
the objects etc and so many objects - its hard getting a clear view of
whats going on and all the options you have with events, features you
can set.
The other is the way its broken down like that into objects. For
people sitll not used to objects --- its easier to see whats going on
if you had one long code sheet with a main program body that called
various things in a certain order.
In one sense its easy to bungle your way through setting various
options in the properties boxes and dropping controls onto forms etc
but Im getting a real murky view of whats going on.
Ive also looked at some books and many leave this or that out. Im
still getting used to it so I may radically change my opinion in a few
weeks but its kind of a pain right now though Ive already created the
databases and made all the rough input screens bungling my way through
so far.
AT @comcastdotnet Tom Wickerath
My advice is to divide your learning sequence into three general phases:
Database Design
Access Interface
SQL & VBA Programming
Leave the SQL & VBA programming until you have learned some database design
and are fairly comfortable using the Access interface. For the present time,
don't concern yourself with all the events that are available for each
control type. Here are two documents on database design that you'll want to
make sure to read:
http://www.datatexcg.com/Downloads/DatabaseDesignTips1997.pdf
http://www.datadynamicsnw.com/accesssig/downloads.htm
(See the last download titled "Understanding Normalization")
The first one is a very easy read--it's only 4 pages. The second one is more
in-depth. Given that you have past XBase experience, you might find the
second paper to be an easy read as well. Michael Hernandez encourages people
to plan their designs on paper first, before starting to implement in any
RDBMS. The knowledge you gain by studying database design will transfer to
other relational database programs equally well.
My definition of learning the Access Interface simply means learning how to
create tables, create queries using the QBE (Query by Example) grid, create
simple forms and reports using the wizards and starting from scratch. Also,
learning how to add controls to forms and reports using the toolbox, both
with and without the wizards activated. I wouldn't spend any time attempting
to create tables by entering data--this is known euphamistically as the
denormalization wizard! I'd limit the time spent learning macros and data
access pages. Make sure to explore all of the menus available, including
Tools > Options...
After you are fairly comfortable with database design and using the Access
Interface to create simple database, then it's time to start digging into SQL
and VBA programming. You're very correct in the statement "you can really
take control by writing VBA code", but you need to learn to walk before you
can learn to run.
Good Luck!
Tom
http://www.access.qbuilt.com/html/expert_contributors.html
__________________________________________
Arvin Meyer [MVP]
news:upevk1t7gjqqk8i66...@4ax.com...
> The big problem for me is , there are so many freaking options on all
> the objects etc and so many objects - its hard getting a clear view of
> whats going on and all the options you have with events, features you
> can set.
>
> The other is the way its broken down like that into objects. For
> people sitll not used to objects --- its easier to see whats going on
> if you had one long code sheet with a main program body that called
> various things in a certain order.
You are in luck <g> Access has a hidden method called SaveAsText that gives
you 1 long code sheet in the same manner as a VB.frx sheet. Have a look on
my website at:
http://www.datastrat.com/Code/DocDatabase.txt
Running that code will approximate what you are looking for.