Access 2007 (FE) against SQL Server (BE)

[J.A. García Barceló]

We are testing Office 2007 beta2, mainly for seeing the changes and new
functionalities required/available for our corporate application. Right now,
it is an Access project (.adp) against SQL Server 2000 (we are already
upgrading to 2005).

The main problem I can see right from the begining when using Access 2007 is
that I cannot find the way to create .adp files, only .accdb (new format) is
available. Besides, I cannot find the way to connect the Access file to SQL
Server database. I can see in the ribbon (new bar) the title 'External data'
and there are Access, Excel, SharePoint list, Text file, XML file and More,
and under More the only option that could be used is ODBC for linking
tables.

This looks like a step backwards (IMHO). Where is ADO or any equivalent?
Using ODBC against SQL Server is highly inefficient, or at least it was.
That was the idea that guided us years ago to change .mdb files with linked
tables (odbc) to the new format (.adp) introduced by Access 2000 (or was it
2003, I can't remember now, it does not matter).

What are the new guidelines that Microsoft suggest from now on for
implementing front end / back end applications with Access and SQL Server?
Falling back again to ODBC? I hope not.

Waiting for your comments. Thaks and regards.

 

[Brendan Reynolds]

To create an ADP in Access 2007 ...

From the 'Getting Started' screen, click the 'Blank Database' icon.

Over to the right of the screen, beside the 'File Name' text box, click the
open folder icon.

In the 'File New Database' dialog box, from the 'Save as Type' list, choose
'Microsoft Office Access Projects (*.adp)'.

The recommendation is to use ODBC for new Access apps, yes.

 

[Norman Yuan]

Although Access2007 still supports ADP, but no improvement effort was made
to it and it is phasing out (I doubt it will be there for the next version
of Access). Access development team recommend use *mdb FE through ODBC
against SQL Server BE. I'd only maintain existing ADP apps with existing
Access installations and think again to develop new ones, unless they are
small/quick solutions.

 

[Spyros]

We are testing Office 2007 beta2, mainly for seeing the changes and new
functionalities required/available for our corporate application. Right
now, it is an Access project (.adp) against SQL Server 2000 (we are
already upgrading to 2005).

The main problem I can see right from the begining when using Access 2007
is that I cannot find the way to create .adp files, only .accdb (new
format) is available. Besides, I cannot find the way to connect the Access
file to SQL Server database. I can see in the ribbon (new bar) the title
'External data' and there are Access, Excel, SharePoint list, Text file,
XML file and More, and under More the only option that could be used is
ODBC for linking tables.

This looks like a step backwards (IMHO). Where is ADO or any equivalent?
Using ODBC against SQL Server is highly inefficient, or at least it was.
That was the idea that guided us years ago to change .mdb files with
linked tables (odbc) to the new format (.adp) introduced by Access 2000
(or was it 2003, I can't remember now, it does not matter).

What are the new guidelines that Microsoft suggest from now on for
implementing front end / back end applications with Access and SQL Server?
Falling back again to ODBC? I hope not.

Waiting for your comments. Thaks and regards.