Now this is more like it

Course Outline: Advanced Access

This hands-on course is designed to build on a good knowledge of the product, and teach you to how to perform many complex and advanced database operations and solve technical problems. Create complex queries, and look at how the query engine actually works. Build complex forms and reports, and create Macros and Visual basic for Application modules to automate them into a single application. Discuss and understand the limitations of Access.

Course Prerequisites for Students

A solid working knowledge of Access is essential. Attendance at the Intermediate Access course is only acceptable if you have been regularly working with Access and building your own databases since doing the Intermediate course. Students will get more out of this course if they come with questions from their own use of Access that need answers.

As usual, a demonstrated knowledge and understanding of Microsoft Windows is required. Basic Windows features (use of menus, use of mouse) will not be covered.

Learning Outcomes

This course builds on a solid working knowledge of the product, and teaches you to how to perform many complex and advanced database operations and solve technical problems.

At the completion of this course, participants will be able to:

• Build complex queries that link multiple tables and perform calculations
• Create Macros and forms for automating operations, and build a fully automated application
• Have a better understanding of how Forms and controls operate in Access
• Look at the advanced features of Access
• Create Visual basic for Applications modules.
• Understand where Macros and VBA programs should be used, and the requirements/limitations of each.
• A Brief look at Access in context: Development in Microsoft Office vs Visual Basic.

A hands-on approach is used in this course. Exercises are provided, but attendees are reminded that they will get more out of the course if they ask questions and discuss the problems they are currently trying to solve.

Course Topics

The following topics are covered by exercises:

• Building Forms from Scratch
• Expressions
• Querying Techniques
• Cross Tabulation
• Database Security
• Creating an Application (macros)
• Visual Basic for Applications (an extremely brief introduction only)

The following topics are discussed during lectures:

• Security Issues in depth
• Limits of Access
• Naming Conventions
• Grouping and Expressions in Queries and Reports
• Application Design – The Switchboard
• Auto-linking Access Application MDB to Data MDB files
• Issues for development. What the documentation does not tell you.
• Demonstrations of Access Database Systems are provided

Course Duration

This course can be run as: 3 x 3-hour sessions scheduled when convenient, or as a 2 Day course, with the extra time given to working through extra problems and examples that the students ask to be solved.

Course Materials:

A comprehensive course manual is provided which includes many exercises. Course participants should bring several blank floppy disks onto which class exercises and other files will be copied. Participants should also bring pens and paper for additional notes.