Microsoft Access - Introduction to Programming [antikvár]

Introduction As a serious database development system, Microsoft® Access™ includes a programming language—Access Basic. Derived from the language used in Microsoft Visual Basic™, Access Basic is similar to traditional, block-structured programming languages. If you've programmed in other database languages, you'll probably find Access Basic familiar. However, Access Basic has a somewhat different role in Microsoft Access compared with the programming languages in other database development systems. This is because Microsoft Access, unlike most other database development systems, is designed around database objects. These objects enable you to do most of your work without programming. In fact, Access Basic frequently works by manipulating objects that represent forms, reports, query definitions. and data—the same objects you create and manipulate by hand in Microsoft Access. You manipulate them in similar ways using Access Basic. This simplifies your code, but it alsó means you first need to understand how to create and use these objects in Microsoft Access. Once you've mastered Microsoft Access, you may find you can perform all your database tasks using objects, without needing to use Access Basic at all. For example, it's easy in Microsoft Access to open a form and enter data, set up and run a query, build and use a custom menu, or design and print a report. Microsoft Access automatically maintains table relationships, performs data validation, and handlés the details of printing. You don't have to program to accomplish these tasks as you would in other database development systems. In fact, you'll often be able to build a complete database application without programming at all. But you may want to go beyond what Microsoft Access does automatically, extending and customizing it to fit your needs. Perhaps you want to write custom functions you can use anywhere in your database, or perhaps you need to perform automated updates to your data that you can't express in a query. You can do these things, and more, with Access Basic. This manual shows you how.