Advice on learning Access/SQL

[Mike]

Hi folks,

I have Access 2003 and we run SBS 2003, so we have SQL server installed as
well. Just a general question. I'm working on my first database for our
office, a customer tracking database, and I downloaded a template from Office
online that kind of does what I need, and I have the Access 2003 Bible, and
am getting on my feet with creating and working on databases.
My question is this, as a newbie to database design, any advice on where to
learn, is it best through book like the access bible, are there recommended
web sites, what advice do you have for me?
I see lots of things we could use a DB to do to make our office more
efficient, but I'm not sure where to go from here.

Thanks for any advice.

Mike

 

[Golfinray]

Start with functionx.com/access. Good tutorial that I use quite a bit.

 

[vbasean]

when I started, I realized I needed to learn VBA to really do anything
productive with Access but most of the books on VBA for Access didn't
seem to help me. I ended up getting a book on VBA for Word called
"Writing Word Macros" by Steve Roman
http://www.amazon.com/Writing-Word-...bs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1207834236&sr=8-1

this book helped me understand VBA and then I was able to move into
VBA for Access.

Another book that people I know recommend is "Databases for Mere
Mortals"
http://www.amazon.com/Database-Desi...=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1207834377&sr=1-1

here's one on SQL
http://www.amazon.com/SQL-Queries-M...=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1207834377&sr=1-7

 

[Ken Sheridan]

Mike:

Being a bit of a Luddite I like books; you can take them anywhere and the
batteries never run out! They do get out of date though. Here are a few
thoughts on some I've got on my bookshelf:

Of the general purpose primers on Access I particularly like John L
Viescas's 'Running Microsoft Access' (Microsoft Press).

For an introduction to VBA programming in Access Evan Callahan's 'Microsoft
Access/Visual Basic Step by Step' (Microsoft Press) is easy to follow and,
while not taking things to a very high level, provides a solid basis on which
to build.

At a more advanced level the 'Access Developer's Handbook' by Paul
Litwin,Ken Getz and Mike Gunderloy (Sybex) covers the subject in great
detail, and contains a vast amount of useable code.

A useful and easy to read little book on the theoretical basis of the
database relational model is Mark Whitehorn and Bill Marklyn's 'Inside
Relational Databases With Examples in Access' (Springer).

For a highly authoritative but quite abstract explanation of the relational
model Chris Date's 'An Introduction to Database Systems' (Addison Wesley) has
for many years been regarded as a definitive work on the subject. Its by no
means an easy read, however.

For SQL Joe Celko's 'SQL for Smarties' (Morgan Kaufmann) is a wealth of
information on how to write queries. It deals with standard SQL, however,
and is not Access oriented. In fact Joe's views on Access do not bear
repetition where they might be read by people of a sensitive disposition.
Even so it is worth its weight in gold.

Ken Sheridan
Stafford, England

 

[vbasean]

I've also found that if you like someone walking you through a
tutorial this site is great

www.vtc.com

the only drawback to this site is that after the first three chapters
you have to subscribe, it's $30 a month

 

[Mike]

Great advice, if you have any more, let me know.

Mike