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 [log in to unmask] -----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 [log in to unmask]