Finally a topic I can sink my teeth
into...
The key to a successful, interactive Access
database, as I believe was already pointed out, is planning ahead. Before the
first piece of "live" data gets entered, the database should be tested within an
inch of its life. It will, after all, be relied upon for many years to
come. Access's specialty, related data tables, are a must in order to
streamline the data entry process but to also keep data separate and available
for recall.
The planning should cover more than just how the data
will be stored and subsequently retrieved - but also how can it readily be
shared with other software. Will you need to do some number-crunching in
MS-Excel? Will you need to perform sophisticated mail merges for mailings
and event invitations with MS-Word? Set up your database
accordingly.
Access database designers have two general options -
create a database with other technical users in mind, or create
one for more basic users. The more basic version would make use of forms
and "switchboards" to aid in navigation, while the more advanced would rely on
the user's software knowledge to interpret structure and purpose.
The bottom line is that Access is more than capable
enough to handle membership, mailing lists, even collections (I have my own
2,500+ item personal collection in a detailed, illustrated Access database)
but pre-planning is absolutely essential. Take a course or two, buy a Que book,
but seek to boost your skills since many will not find Access user friendly.
A thorough understanding of why data are stored in
related tables and what data settings are appropriate for which kind of data is
also very important. Software is just a tool - our relative success with it is
ultimately dependent on our conceptual understanding of the larger process at
hand.
Paul Barone
Technology Training Manager (on the clock)
Photographic Historian (off the
clock)
University of California, Los Angeles
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