Access update required

[DesCF]

I am a former Access developer that been away for a few years. The last
version I have been using is 2002 XP. From the point of view of obtaining
work, what is a short-list of things that I should really know my stuff on
in relation to where Access stands today (including anything that relates
to SQL Server & the internet) ?

 

[Guest]

Hi DesCF,

If your XP skills are good, you will be right in the market still - Access
2003 isn't that much different. 2007 will be a quantum leap for us though...

A lot of my clients are still on Access 2000 anyway.

Damian.

 

[Brendan Reynolds]

As has been said elsewhere in this thread, there were not a lot of changes
between Access 2002 and Access 2003. But for more information on what new
and enhanced features there are, see the following URL ...

http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/assistance/HA010714971033.aspx

 

[DesCF]

Why will Access 2007 be a quantum leap ?

Hi DesCF,

If your XP skills are good, you will be right in the market still -
Access
2003 isn't that much different. 2007 will be a quantum leap for us
though...

A lot of my clients are still on Access 2000 anyway.

Damian.

 

[DesCF]

I've downloaded a copy of 2005 Express Visual Web Developer & SQL Server 8
- there seems to be more going on here in relation to database
development. Someone told me DAP has been scrapped in Access 2007 ADP's
in preference for using Visual Web Developer to create web forms. Is this
true ?

 

[Brendan Reynolds]

You can no longer create new DAPs in Access 2007, or make design changes to
existing DAPs. DAPs created in earlier versions can be opened from within
Access 2007, but they do not open in Access, but in the user's Web browser.

In my view, it is not a question of 'Access or Visual Web Developer'. They
are very different tools used for very different tasks. If you want to
develop data-centric Web apps, use VWD. If you want to develop data-centric
desktop apps, then there are many scenarios in which Access will be the
optimal choice.

Re Access 2007, Microsoft have an on-line preview that you can check out at
the following URL ...

http://www.microsoft.com/office/preview/beta/testdrive.mspx?showIntro=n

 

[Larry Linson]

Why will Access 2007 be a quantum leap ?

All Microsoft Office will have major changes, primarily aimed at simplifying
life for the end user -- starting with a new user interface ("The Ribbon")
but with many, many changes... including, if you can believe it, an end to
database bloat from keeping pictures in OLE Objects, and some
(not-really-relational-but-they-tell-me-handy) complex data types.

Larry Linson
Microsoft Access MVP