I hope i do not offend anyone here but this requires a reply.  First of all,
MS Access is not a spreadsheet.  if the previous builder of this "database"
stopped with the table or query views then that's awful.  This is a good
example of where a proper desktop relational database system can be very
complex.  As for Access itself, many of the operations and tasks involved in
building a database are drag and drop.  and instead of a scripting language,
it provides both macros(which are basically selections from drop down boxes)
as well as the Visual Basic for Applications engine which is under every Ms
Office family application and Visual Basic itself.  this makes much of the
code that you may write useful outside of access.  in fact, now that hundreds
of software companies are licensing the VBA engine,  we can manipulate all
kinds of programs with the same language we're use to from using Access.  I am
very sorry Ian was unable to get out of Access what he wanted and i do hope
the Filemaker Pro is able to stand up to the task.  Indeed Access is not
always the best thing to use for Collections systems, but as far as desktop
database programs go, i think it is.  From there we go toward enterprise wide
systems and i won't get into that.  As a Microsoftee I'll probably just get
slam dunked by all the Oracle fans out here. :)

Gary Acord
Acord Information Management
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-----Original Message-----
From:   Museum discussion list  On Behalf Of Ian McGuire
Sent:   Wednesday, August 20, 1997 8:17 PM
To:     [log in to unmask]
Subject:        Forget MS Access

Hi everyone

I just recently acquired a job as a collections manager in which the
collection catalog was on MS Access in spreadsheet format, making the
catalog difficult to use, at best. I attempted to read the manuals in an
attempt to create a database format (supposedly you can do this in
Access) and got nowhere. I was able to convince the powers that be to
allow me to purchase Claris FilemakerPro. I had a fully functional
database in about 30 min., something that would have taken a minimum of
about two or three hrs using Access. This included creating scripts and
an export document from Access and importing it into Filemaker. FM Pro
is strictly a database program, no spreadsheets or other multiple
functions to confuse the issue. The design and layout are object
oriented (drag and drop) so you put things exactly where you want them.
It can also handle large collections---mine contains almost 20 thousand
objects, and object and file linking (images and other databases). Mac
or pc compatiple, it can even save cross platform documents.

Ian P. McGuire, Collections Manager
Archaeology Dept., Ft. Hood Army Reservation, Killeen, TX
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