"Mark Lees" wrote
How does one increase their Access skills?
Self-study, classes, training available on the Internet, reading databases
and examples done by others -- there are many.
I'm creating a basic DB for a non-profit
organization. I would classify myself
as an advanced beginner.
Before you can develop an "appliciation" with Access, you need to be
proficient in using Access as an end-user. You'll find that much of what you
do in creating an application for someone else to use is simply automating
(with macros or VBA code) things that a power-end-user might to manually.
I've got some help books but it seems
they will only take me so far. Some of
the threads I've read here are way over
my head.
A general book that goes deeper than some introductory books that I've liked
in past versions is Roger Jennings' _Special Edition Using Access
<versionnumber>_; in the same series, you may find a book on Using Access
VBA -- I know there is one planned for Access 2003 VBA.
For the power-user wanting to move to developer level, I like Rick Dobson's
_Programming Microsoft Access <versionnumber>_, published by Microsoft
Press.
For a specific, detailed reference for the developer, take a look at Litwin,
Getz, et al's _Access <versionnumber> Developer's Handbook_.
How do I become better?
Study the Northwind Traders example DB that comes with every version of
Access -- you'll find it in the Samples folder, in the Office<number>
folder, in the folder hierarchy where you installed Office. For Access 97
and earlier, in that same Samples folder, you'll find Solutions.MDB, which
leads you through solutions to specific application problems. For Access
2000 and later, you will need to down load the Solutions.MDB from
http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/en...ml/bap2000.exe.
You'll find a lot of good information at The Access Pages at Office Online:
http://office.microsoft.com/home/off...ES790020011033
Access Training at Office Online:
Introduction to Databases:
http://office.microsoft.com/training...1381033&CTT=98
Table that data:
http://office.microsoft.com/training...RC061181381033
Analyzing, viewing, and reporting data
http://office.microsoft.com/training...RC061181381033
You'll find a wealth of information and links at
http://www.mvps.org/access,
the FAQ site for this newsgroup.
You'll find other links to resource sites from my user group site:
http://ntaccess.tripod.com. You'll find copies of some of my presentations,
and presentations of others, at
http://appdevissues.tripod.com/downloads.htm. You'll find some examples that
I've posted at
http://accdevel.tripod.com.
You'll find answers to many specific and not-so-specific Access questions in
the searchable Knowledge Base at
http://support.microsoft.com and in the
Microsoft Developer Network site,
http://msdn.microsoft.com/access.
Well, that's a start that if you read it all, will keep you reading until
you retire, I suspect.
Larry Linson
Microsoft Access MVP
