| OverviewAs the most popular database management program on the
market, Microsoft Access didn't need much improvement. But
with the release of Access 2003, Microsoft managed to
further enhance the way people organize, access, and share
information.
In this new version, Access is more capable than ever,
thanks to additional features like automatic error checking,
automatic property updating, and the expanded ability to
import, export, and work with Extensible Markup Language
(XML) data files. The number of features it offers is truly
impressive--and potentially daunting.
Anyone baffled by the multitude of features and
functionality in Microsoft Access can get up to speed
quickly with the help of Access 2003 Personal
Trainer. Part of our new Personal Trainer
Series, this book lets people of any technical level learn
exactly what they need to know at their own pace. Unlike
many consumer software tutorials that dumb down the material
or present it in a confusing fashion, this book is written
in a non-technical and engaging style that readers find fun,
easy, and informative.
This book will not only help existing users, but those who
received Access as part of Microsoft Office and are now
ready to dip their toe in the water. It starts with Access
fundamentals and then moves on to tables, fields, queries,
forms, reports, macros, and advanced topics like linking
information from an external source. Access 2003
Personal Trainer explains how you can
easily:
Access information from
multiple sources
Link business
systems
Create powerful database
solutions
Share information more
efficiently
To best guide learning, Access 2003 Personal
Trainer includes detailed diagrams, dozens of
task-oriented lessons, and a fully interactive training
simulation CD--everything you need to become an Access pro.
Editorial ReviewsProduct DescriptionAs the most popular database management program on the market, Microsoft Access didn't need much improvement. But with the release of Access 2003, Microsoft managed to further enhance the way people organize, access, and share information. In this new version, Access is more capable than ever, thanks to additional features like automatic error checking, automatic property updating, and the expanded ability to import, export, and work with Extensible Markup Language (XML) data files. The number of features it offers is truly impressive--and potentially daunting. Anyone baffled by the multitude of features and functionality in Microsoft Access can get up to speed quickly with the help of Access 2003 Personal Trainer. Part of our new Personal Trainer Series, this book lets people of any technical level learn exactly what they need to know at their own pace. Unlike many consumer software tutorials that dumb down the material or present it in a confusing fashion, this book is written in a non-technical and engaging style that readers find fun, easy, and informative. This book will not only help existing users, but those who received Access as part of Microsoft Office and are now ready to dip their toe in the water. It starts with Access fundamentals and then moves on to tables, fields, queries, forms, reports, macros, and advanced topics like linking information from an external source. Access 2003 Personal Trainer explains how you can easily: - Access information from multiple sources
- Link business systems
- Create powerful database solutions
- Share information more efficiently
To best guide learning, Access 2003 Personal Trainer includes detailed diagrams, dozens of task-oriented lessons, and a fully interactive training simulation CD--everything you need to become an Access pro. |
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Reader Reviews From Amazon (Ranked by 'Helpfulness') Average Customer Rating: based on 9 reviews. Access 2003 Personal Trainer (Personal Trainer (O'Reilly)) , 2008-02-09 Reviewer rating: I have bought the whold set of these book for my library and they are great reference. Access can be mastered with this help. Recommend | excellent book!, 2007-03-10 Reviewer rating: I love the book! help me to pass the exam and got a certificate | Didn't teach what I needed, 2006-11-10 Reviewer rating: I do like the format of the lessons and how easy they are to get through. In my opinion, however, the most difficult part of learning Access is to understand the concept of building working relationships between databases. The few lessons addressing this topic were very brief and I feel basically chalked it up to being "a difficult concept to master" and left it at that. I would've preferred more instruction in this area, and less in how to enter data into a table.
I will say, though, if you're just looking for a broad overview in how a database like Access functions, and how to work an already functional database, this is a good resource. | A Lightweight but Effective Primer for the Basics, 2006-02-08 Reviewer rating: This book grew on me. It is woefully inadequate when it comes to teaching the real use of databases. The ideas and concepts are presented in a very superficial manner. Still, as I plugged on through it, I came to have much more respect for it.
It does not teach the use of databases. Instead, it teaches the Access 2003 interface. In doing that, it does a very good job. I would even venture to say it does a better job at teaching the interface than many larger and more comprehensive books.
The book comes with a CD loaded with projects to accompany the tutorial. In general, the program behaved as described and there was really only one place where my screen would not show what the text said it would show. The illustrations are a bit on the small side but that seems to be normal. They are just big enough to be useful.
The lessons are broken up into individual themes and further broken into very short segments. These short segments may cover only a single command and can be completed in just a few minutes. I found this useful in that I seldom have a long stretch of time I can devote to a protracted lesson. Upon reflection, I think this short subject approach helped in retention as well.
It is a good program to teach the interface but much more is needed to learn how to properly use a database.
| Good primer that comes up a little bit short, 2005-09-09 Reviewer rating: Like the other reviewers, I like this book. I find, however, that it comes up a little short in few areas.
On the good side, the lessons are concise and focused. They concentrate on just what they are trying to illustrate and they are organized in a logical, step-by-step sequence with full detail - click this, drag this, type this, etc. Each one ends with a summary of numbered steps for quick reference. You can learn a lot of basics from this book and it can literally put you into development mode very, very quickly. But...
On the down side, you will only be able to develop simple applications. To do anything beyond the basic, you need to have an understanding of relational database structure and you are not going to get it from this book. "File Normalization" is one of those buzz terms that can make your eyes roll back in your head. Unfortunately, you really need to understand this concept to create even slightly sophisticated databases, and this book does not even include that term in the index (and, therefore, it is nowhere in the book.) Neither does it address Visual Basic for Applications (VBA), the programming language for Access and all MS desktop applications. This is not as big a deal, because there is plenty of power built into the core Access functionality and you might create a number of applications without ever needing VBA. But I did want to mention that deficit.
Considering this book is really for beginners, one issue in particular merits mention. Only in the chapter on Queries is there any treatment of input from multiple tables. This issue is not addressed in the chapters on Forms or Reports. I consider this a major negative and the main reason for rating the book only 3 stars.
The author seems to have a preference for the Autoformat tool over the form and report wizards. That may be a personal preference or simply a necessity since he does not address the multi-table source issue which is a key consideration in using the wizards.
As I said, I like this book for what it is. It has few, if any, typos, and if your are a beginner it will likely be a valuable reference for the price. It is likely one of the very best "first books" to buy to learn this application. You will learn a whole lot, very quickly, but it will not turn you into an advanced Access developer.
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