Building Microsoft Access Applications [With CDROM]

The book is well written with real world application samples and practical tips for how to design a database that works instead of trying to mimic a template sample that could be missing key elements needed to run a functioning program.

Easy to read first few chapters with basic design info, remainder of the book focuses on complete applications that can serve as a template/best practice for almost any other MS Access application. Viescas clearly understands/communicates an in depth knowledge of Access Applications that I have not seen anywhere else.

As a self-taught Access developer for the past eight years, I have an extensive library of books dealing with beginneing to advanced areas of Access. I bought this book to add to my library, figuring it to be another reference item. However, in a casual browsing of the content, I discovered this book has much more to offer. I was pleasantly surprised to see information on levels of magnitude for linked tables, never having known that the number of sub folders for linked tables can affect the speed of reading from them. Each of the sample databases has more than enough explanation and code to fully understand the how and why of the application. After reading only the first three chapters, I have learned much that I was never aware of. I thought I understood Single and Double number types, but was re-educated by the information on page 18. Pages 32 and 33 taught me some new things about the difference between format and input mask. I am now much better at my development, and I haven't yet finished the book. Excellent work, Mr. Viescas!

This book has 4 complete database applications done in a manner which Codd and Date would be proud of. It's not another book of code or a book of dry procedural language. It's more than that. It takes the reader through the steps required to build a credible application. As a Microsoft MVP, it has been my pleasure to have known John personally for 5 years. He continues to impress me with his knowledge of databases and SQL. His books are required reading for new Access users and certain to teach even this old dog some new tricks. -- Arvin Meyer, MVP Microsoft Access

Microsoft Access is of course a database. But it's really much more than that. With its front end forms design capability and the integral report generating system, it is well suited for quite a number of small applications. I say small, because you aren't going to use Access to handle the operations of a Fortune 500 company. There are a lot of books that teach about the basics of Access. They however tend to talk strictly about how to do the programming portion only. They do not go into the practical aspects of database, forms, or report design. This book takes you deeply into the design of four small and rather simple applications. This way you can see what is needed to actually make an application that is really useful. It is unlikely that you'd actually run one of these applications as is, even if they were applicable to your business, you or your boss would want something changed. But with the knowledge you would get from the rest of the book, this should be a doable task. There is one combined plus and minus about this book. The plus, it has an excellent introduction to SQL programming, one of the best I've ever seen. The minus is that the SQL is based on the JET engine database. Access now ships with both JET and MSDE which is a much better engine. I suspect that Microsoft will make MSDE the standard engine in the future. Even with this negative, this is an excellent book.