Access Database Project

Access, you are a pain in the butt.

Access looked so easy to use during the lecture, but I found it a little difficult to use. Thankfully the project was straightforward and matched the lectures. I had trouble going back and forth going between Design and Table views because I kept getting error messages about my validation criteria. When I tried to go to Table view to check the data, it wouldn't allow me to leave Design view without deleting my validations or deleting the actual data. Aside from pesky issues like that, the project went smoothly. I learned how to create reports, forms, and queries. I think the tool I would get the most use out of is the form tool, its a quick and easy way to store and add information that can be easily read and/or retrieved even by someone who is not familiar with Access.

For the first part of the project, I tried to add a lot of validation data and text, exploring different criteria options that were explained in the lectures. To make the database less prone to mistakes in data entry, I'd suggest using those tools through the various projects like the forms or reports. I definitely liked how easy it is to design reports, not many programs offer that kind of layout flexibility. Overall, Access is worth learning in conjunction with Excel, it just takes a little patience.

Week 10: Clear on Access

I have never had any experience with Microsoft Access before, except occasionally scrolling past it to get to other programs like Word or PowerPoint. In fact, I thought it was one of those annoying, rarely-used programs like Outlook (yes, I just called it outdated. I might be wrong, but I'm strictly working off first impressions here.)

Anyways, I expected to watch this week's lectures in a state of sad confusion. I was pleasantly surprised to see that this wasn't a scary program at all, and it was probably even more intuitive that Excel. Granted, there is a bit of a learning curve with the interface, but I found a variety of features that just seemed to make perfect sense for usability. For example, in Excel, if you want to make a slew of tests, limits, exceptions, etc., you've got to come up with the perfect formula and proceed to stick it in a cell. With Access, fields come with nifty things like property boxes and result sets which allow you to sort information with a super easy-to-use drop down box. No more trying to figure out long equations, just tell Access what you want it to do.

So far, Access seems pretty easy to use as far as creating forms and reports, much easier than Excel's pivot graphs. However, the actual Access project has yet to be started, so I could be singing a different tune come next blog post. But we'll see, maybe I found my new best friend.

Graphic Source: Flickr user Tillwe