Microsoft Access for Beginners
- Additional Information
"Where do I go from here?"
I probably wouldn't have been inspired to write this series if I hadn't talked to
a number of people over the years who were just starting out with Access.
Since starting the series, I've received many e-mails from beginners who have discovered
just how much fun Access can be. Some want to become experts and design professional
applications that will help them to earn a bit more acknowledgement and respect
at work. Maybe they just want to program for the fun of it or make their own
work a little easier.
Whatever you get from your database work, it's important to realize that the ability
to design normalized tables and a user-friendly interface is only the beginning
of application design and programming. Access itself, despite being the leader
in desktop database software and a great tool, is only one of many applications
that you need to be familiar with if you truly want to become a database administrator
or programmer of one type or another. There are people who assume these titles
when they only know Access (and maybe not very well at that) but they're quickly
exposed when the serious problems arise that require a perspective that only experience
can bring.
So I decided to add a few notes here on some of the things you need to think about
learning if you really want to become expert with Access and perhaps move beyond
Access into the field of database administration.
Start by paying particular attention to the resources I recommend in the
intro to this series and the
recommended reading page. These
will help take you from beginner through developer level and lead you to other products
you need to be familiar with. I'd also suggest the newsgroup comp.databases.ms-access
as a reference whenever you get stuck on a particular point. Very often, it's not
even necessary to ask a question. Just plug a few keywords into Google's search
box for the group and you'll find the issue already dealt with in the archives.
The archives of this group contain a wide range of advice, both practical and otherwise,
on the different aspects of development.
A few other suggestions:
- Pay special attention to concepts like data normalization and others
that work not only with Access but with databases in general. While Access
is only a starting point, it does serve as a great introduction to database concepts
in general and you can transfer a lot of the knowledge you gain from it to other
software.
- Learn how to work with macros but don't come to depend on them. Learn VBA (Visual
Basic for Applications) coding as soon as you can and start designing modules. I
rarely use macros anymore as it's so easy for me to do it in code. Once you have
a solid grasp on VBA, it's a great way to get started with more advanced environments
like the languages of Visual Studio.NET.
- Learn how to write SQL code so you're not completely dependent on the query builder
in Access. There are some queries that must be written manually. This is related
to the advice I give elsewhere against using wizards. The query builder is
nice and it's okay to use when necessary but you won't truly understand queries
until you know how to write them yourself.
- After you become an expert with Access, look into more advanced databases like Microsoft
SQL Server. This is Microsoft's network database system that offers tighter security
and better handling of large systems than Access. You can download a free version
of the product from Microsoft along with free versions of Visual Basic.NET and other
programming tools.
- Remember that no matter how much you know, there is always more to learn.
The technology is always changing and if you want to stay current, you have to keep
up with it. If you want to provide the best solutions to your employer, your
clients or whatever problems you encounter yourself, you need to have a wide base
of knowledge in order to make the best recommendations. There is no one tool
that is appropriate in every situation.
- Remember that there will always be people who know more than you. Seek these
people out and learn from them whether it's through participation in Internet forums,
local user groups or even a new job that stretches your abilities. Being the
most computer-literate person in the office can be fun but it can also lead to complacency.
As long as you're willing to learn, you never have to be afraid to admit what you
don't know.
- In their book,
The Pragmatic Programmer , Andrew Hunt and
David Thomas use the investment portfolio as a metaphor a person's collection of
knowledge and experience. The development of your 'knowledge portfolio' is
essential to your success as a programmer or DBA. Adding to your portfolio
can be relatively cheap, often requiring little more than an investment of your
time. The state of your portfolio will affect such things as your salary,
the respect your get at work and even where you are able to live.
- In your spare time, don't forget to learn what you can about networking and hardware.
It's another part of the perspective that you need to be a true expert.
A final piece of advice: Every day that you put off learning increases the
chance that the knowledge won't be there when you need it. That time might
come when you have to admit to not knowing something that you realize you should
have taken the time to learn a year ago or when you don't meet the requirements
for that great job you really want and you know you could have if you'd been more
attentive. This is a lesson I've learned the hard way more than once.
Once you get a good perspective on database operations and administration and have
a decent knowledge of programming concepts, you'll have a foundation for building
a rewarding I.T. career.
Have fun learning!
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