Reviews (1)

Simple
The Dummies series lives on and this small desktop companion is a handy reference. If you're a Dummies series fan, you may benefit more by spending a little extra on this book's big brother "Access 2002 for Dummies" because it goes into more depth than the brief introductions in the "Quick Reference" version. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Computer Books: Database    2. Computers    3. Computers - Data Base Management    4. Database Management - General    5. Database management    6. Desktop Applications - MS Access    7. Microcomputer Database Management Software    8. Microsoft Access    9. Access    10. Computers / Database Management / General    11. Integrated software packages    12. Microsoft Windows   

Reviews (4)

Alison's a gifted teacher
I've personally known Alison for many years, and I've always thought of her as a gifted teacher. I recently bought this book to see what she's been up to lately, and was pleased to see how well she's covered a very difficult subject. From personal experience I can tell you it's very hard to explain database development. Microsoft Access is one of those subjects that initially seems so simple but quickly beomes quite difficult to learn. It seems as though you have to know everything before you can learn anything. The "24 Hours" book design really didn't permit Alison to go into lots of detail on every subject, but every topic she covers is done well. I'm very sure she carefully chose which topics to cover, and had to be selective in the amount of detail she provided.Really, given only 24 hours to learn Microsoft Access, no one should expect to learn all there is to know about such a complex topic. I highly recommend the 24 Hours book to anyone just starting with Access, or anyone who has a very limited time to get up to speed with this terrific database development system.
Good Reference
I have used the "Teach Yourself" series to help me learn the basics of a number of Office products. This work by Alison Balter is one of the better offerings.In particular it gave a good explanation of some of the basics needed to develop a good solid database and sometimes difficult subjects like normalization.I will be using this book as part of a class I will teaching.

Confusing for the Beginner
Having absolutely no experience with Access or database programs, I thought this book would give me a good basis to work from.Unfortunately, the book seems to assume that you have used a previous version of Access or that you understand the lingo related to databases.There is no glossary of terms, which would be helpful.The book also glosses over many areas with little explaination or detail. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Computer Books: General    2. Computers    3. Computers - Data Base Management    4. Database Management - General    5. Database management    6. Desktop Applications - MS Access    7. Microcomputer Database Management Software    8. Microsoft Access    9. Microsoft Access (Computer sof    10. Access    11. Computers / Database Management / General   

Editorial Review

Whether you're upgrading to Office 2000 or using the application suite for the first time, odds are that you'll need some help getting up to speed. Microsoft Press covers all of the bases with Read more

Reviews (4)

Big Disappointment
This one should be left on the writing room floor.Has some information in it but not nearly enough for the price.

Step By Step
I ordered the book and it came propmptly.More promptly than getting Office 2000 loaded on my machine.It looks a bit more simplistic than what I was looking for but it looks like a great book for someone just getting started.

Great initial investment pursuant to MOUS certification
My goal for 2001 is to obtain the MOUS certificate at the Master level.I have used MS products with the concentration of my experience centering on Word and Excel.I have used Access sporadically and with intermediate level performance.My experience with PowerPoint leaves much to be desired since I mainly use the wizards.My funds are limited so I wanted an all-inclusive reference (with CD Rom for practice) which would provide a basis for my study.I bought the book from another source (please forgive me oh mighty Amazon) and in terms of area concentration I would say it is intense concentration on beginning information, greater than average concentration on intermediate knowledge and average concentration on advanced applications.This is not a problem - I plan to buy books which center completely on each package as I master the foundation of each package.I would disagree with anyone who states that this is not for the advanced user, with constant upgrades and education there is no way anyone can ever retain each ounce of minutiae that can be acquired; this book is an excellent refresher.For the beginning or intermediate it is an excellent basis for further study. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Business    2. Business Software - General    3. Business Software - MSOffice    4. Computer Books And Software    5. Computer programs    6. Computers    7. Computers - Integrated Software    8. Electronic spreadsheets    9. Microcomputer Integrated Application Software    10. Microsoft Access    11. Microsoft Excel (Computer file    12. Microsoft Office    13. Microsoft PowerPoint (Computer    14. Microsoft Word    15. Word processing    16. Computer Software Packages    17. Computers / General    18. PCs (IBM-compatible personal computers)   

Editorial Review

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Reviews (53)

Beginner finds good book
As a beginning programmer with MS Access, I've found Alison Balter's Access 2000 Development book to be very good. It provides enough background information to help understand what's going on, good examples both in the book and on the CD.
Very good overall reference
I am not an Access expert, but not a novice either.My background is as a senior mainframe developer and system analyst.This book was perfect for my middle of the road skills.It has well written outlines on all the major Access topics, and has follow up chapters for more advanced users and applications.
One of the Best Access Books
I have to say that this book presents the subject matter in a clear manner.I've been working in Access 97 for several years and needed to get up to speed on Access 2000 and 2003.This book fit the bill nicely.It does have a relatively small section on ado but then again this is not a book on ADO but on Access.I would strongly recommend this book to developers who have had some workin g experience with access.This book has something for everyone, from novice to advanced programmer.I heartily recommend this book. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Computer Books: Database    2. Computers    3. Computers - Data Base Management    4. Database Management - General    5. Database management    6. Desktop Applications - MS Access    7. Microsoft Access    8. Access    9. Computers / Database Management / General   

Reviews (5)

Good intro from XS to SQL but outdated!
The book deals mostly with SQL Server 6.5 and 7.0 and two chapters are dedicated solely for running these two systems. If you're interested in SQL Server 2000 and MS Access 2000 I recommend SAMS MS Access Developer's Guide to SQL Server or a similar book.

Very Good Start
This book is a good starting point as it is fairly small and provides relevent information about almost all aspects of upgrading an Access database to SQL server.I would recommend the book by Rick Dobson - Professional SQL server development with Access 2000 as a supplement to this book because the two books cover some different topics and the two perspectives are invaluable.

Gets You Up to Speed with Access Data Projects & SQL Server!
If you're trying to get into using Access Data Projects (.adp files) with Access 2000 and SQL Server data, this book is great in that most of the information you need is right here in one place. Russel has done us a great service, in that there is very little written about .adp's anywhere - for some reason Microsoft has kept it a "stealth" technology. I had to spend dozens of hours searching the web to come up with what's in Russell's book. Read more

Subjects:  1. Computer Books: Desktop Publish    2. Computers    3. Computers - Data Base Management    4. Database Management - General    5. Database Management - SQL Server    6. Desktop Applications - MS Access    7. Microcomputer Database Management Software    8. Programming Languages - General    9. Relational Databases   

Reviews (1)

Stay away from the 'Go' texts!!
After purchasing 'Shelley Gaskin' "GO" text in business grammar and MS Access I strongly encourage you to Buy Used!! The instructors never buy her a second time!
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Subjects:  1. Computer Books: General    2. Computers    3. Computers - Data Base Management    4. Database Management - General    5. Database management    6. Microcomputer Database Management Software    7. Microsoft Access    8. Access    9. Computers / Database Management / General   

Reviews (10)

Microsoft Office @2000 -ShellyCashman Series Book
The book itself is very good. I would recommend it to those who are just starting to learn and for those who need to brush up on their skills or use as a desk reference. I did not like the "ring -binder" form as it seems flimsy and already was looking used when I got it due to shipping. I would suggest the other form for future reference.

Great Book just skip the first chapters about computers!!!
The book is great but it is written for people who never had experience with computers.So I would advise anyone to skip those intial chapters. I highly recommend getting the spiral bound edition because the book is about the size of a major city's Yellow Pages and it is easier to handle.
Microsoft Office 2000
This book is quite useful especially for those who is self-directed. You will find it informative and put you at ease. You can follow step-by-step instructions and learn a lot from this book. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Business    2. Business Software - MSOffice    3. Computer Books: Integrated Systems    4. Computer programs    5. Computers - Integrated Software    6. Microsoft Office    7. Integrated software packages   

Reviews (1)

filemaker pro design/scripting for dummies
In the aptly titled "foolish assumptions" on page 2, he states "I assume you're fairly comfortable with the basics of FM...". If I knew the basics why would I need a dummies book? This is not my first dummies book, but it may be my last. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Computer Books: Database    2. Computers    3. Computers - Data Base Management    4. Database Management - General    5. Desktop Applications - FileMaker Pro    6. Computers / Database Management / General    7. Database software    8. Databases & data structures   

Editorial Review

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Reviews (8)

Outstanding resource for making the transition to SQL Server
By far the best book I have seen regarding the difficulties encountered when moving an Access application to SQL Server.Until reading this book, I couldn't figure out why my Access queries that were 'converted' into Stored Procedures could not reference each other, why my forms would not work, why the tables weren't updateable (primary keys weren't copied during conversion), etc. An invaluable guide to Access Projects
Having spent a number of years using Access to develop commercial solutions I recently moved on to Access projects and found this book a real find in getting up and running in a short space of time.Covering each topic in logical chunks I found it to be more than a good grounding in the subject.It is also well written in plain English and avoids the unnecessary complications that are often found in such books and I would thoroughly recommend it to anyone who is considering developing Access projects.

A professional "getting started" book
I have years of experience in programming but knew nothing about Access, SQL or VBA when I got my latest assignment.I can't stand those 1000 page books that want to hold me by the hand while I build some simple-minded application through eight chapters.I just need to know the basics quick and then see a few examples of some typical tasks.This book is just what I needed to quickly get me up to speed and working on my own application.There are a few minor differences with Access XP (like changed menus) so you'll need a good XP reference also.I recommend this book to any developer that needs to come up to speed quickly on either SQL or Access. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Computer Books: Operating Systems    2. Computers    3. Computers - Data Base Management    4. Database Management - General    5. Database Management - MSAccess    6. Database Management - SQL Server    7. Desktop Applications - MS Access    8. General    9. Programming - General    10. Access    11. SQL    12. Internet   

Reviews (3)

An "okay" book but it has numerous errors
The pace is very slow for the really basic stuff while more sophisticated techniques, such as correlated sub-queries, are not explained well enough.
Excellent book to use to TEACH SQL (using Access)
This is an excellent book to use to teach students SQL in a very inexpensive way -- using Access. Although the book may not be in-depth enough for professionals, the authors do a great job of presenting the material in a very user friendly and systematic way for beginner students.

Use only if desperate to find an SQL book for Access
I know the pickings are slim for finding a book to learn SQL using Access, but PLEASE can't someone who knows how to teach and cares about getting their information correct write one?First off, this book has many errors including some statements that work OPPOSITE to the statements.Ex:On page 105 the description for "Nested LEFT and RIGHT OUTER JOINs" reads "In Access, A LEFT JOIN or a RIGHT JOIN can be nested inside an INNER JOIN, but an INNER JOIN cannot be nested inside a LEFT JOIN or a RIGHT JOIN."NO. NO. NO.It works in the opposite way.Read more

Subjects:  1. Computer Books: General    2. Computers    3. Computers - Data Base Management    4. Database Management - General    5. Database Management - SQL Server    6. Database management    7. Microcomputer Database Management Software    8. Microsoft Access    9. Programming Languages - SQL    10. SQL (Computer program language    11. SQL (Computer program language)    12. Sql (Programming Language)    13. Access    14. Computers / Programming Languages / SQL    15. Databases & data structures    16. SQL   

Reviews (8)

Much better than what I expected
I am no database novice. I'm one of the first (and few) MySQL Certified Professionals in the country. Dismayed at the inadequacies (and "un-robustness") of Microsoft Access, I wanted to delve into FileMaker as fast as possible.
Great coverage!
I looked into several books on FileMaker before purchasing this one. The combination of accessible writing, and clear instruction, make this book a winner. Particularly helpful was an early "quick-start" session, which takes the reader through the building of a contacts database that utilizes all of the most commonly used features of the software to create a working database in a little over an hour. This section alone is worth the price of the book, and provides such clear instruction that other, more advanced concepts are much clearer for having read it. I'm surprised at the relatively weak reviews for this book -- I've turned to it time and again over the course of my FileMaker education. For my money, it's the best thing out there, especially for someone brand new to database design and creation.

Terrible!
Don't waste your money.The book has very few examples and is horribly written. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Computer Books: Database    2. Computer Graphics - General    3. Computers    4. Computers - Data Base Management    5. Database Engineering    6. Database Management - Filemaker Pro    7. Database Management - General    8. Database management    9. Desktop Applications - FileMaker Pro    10. FileMaker pro    11. Computers / Database Management / General    12. Database software   

Reviews (5)

Great Book!
Had everything I needed to get going, even the obscure stuff. DAO and ADO
Love this book.This is the only book I know that does not abandon DAO.I like DAO.All other post Access 97 book abandons DAO. Terrific ADVANCED book
This book is not for the faint of heart in Access 2000 coding but it is invaluable to the advanced programmer.I refer to this book almost daily in developing our in-house applications.The real strength of this book is in developing code that is more portable or reusable.I have gone from writing sloppy code that is application (or even form) specific to writing completly reusable (and of course fully documented) code.Excellent reference for the power VBA programmer! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Computer Books: Database    2. Computers    3. Computers - Data Base Management    4. Database Management - General    5. Database management    6. Desktop Applications - MS Access    7. Microsoft Access    8. Programming - Visual Basic - VBA (Visual Basic for Applicati    9. Access    10. Computers / Database Management / General   

Reviews (1)

Access for those in a hurry to learn it and do it
With the relentless stress that the shrinking workforce faces trying to do more work, anything that makes things simpler is to be welcomed. These stresses have forced many workers to learn new things thoroughly and very quickly. All databases grow larger over time; in particular organizations that have traditionally relied on Excel spreadsheets to store data are finding it necessary to migrate the data to Access. This is only one example where workers experienced in using computers are required to learn Access quickly. That is the stated purpose of this book and the author lands within the winner's circle.
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Subjects:  1. Computer Books: General    2. Computers    3. Computers - Data Base Management    4. Database management    5. Desktop Applications - MS Access    6. General    7. Microcomputer Database Management Software    8. Microsoft Access    9. Access    10. Computers / Database Management / General   

Editorial Review

Rich Coulombre and Jonathan Price, the authors of Read more

Reviews (25)

Priceless treasure in FileMaker world
Although I have been using FMPro 6 for more than a year, and bought this book in the fall of 2000, I still refer to it often. I wish Coulombre and Price (or someone else for that matter) would write the same book for version 6. Nevertheless, this book is full of scripting and coding gems that I'm sure any developer can appreciate. Sometimes just to brush up on my skills if I haven't done any developing for a while, other times to learn a new trick. Not very Special Edition
This book can't be for serious developers. Great guide for overall development
I have a pretty nice library of FileMaker books and this is my favorite. The thoughtful review of how to consider a design on paper before developing, along with hints about how to interact with clients and use diagrams gave a structure to my communications with clients that is professional and powerful. In addition to this there are amazing hints and chapters of information that I (joyfully) continue to refer to in my development practice, though I've had the book for years now. More than any other, it put me in control, and I am grateful. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Computer Books: Database    2. Computers    3. Computers - Data Base Management    4. Database Management - General    5. Database management    6. Desktop Applications - FileMaker Pro    7. FileMaker pro    8. Microcomputer Database Management Software    9. Computers / Business Software / General    10. Database software    11. Databases & data structures   

Reviews (31)

DAO, not ADO
Although the authors were very clear in the beginning that they focused on DAO, it was not until I read 195 pages that I really understood what that meant.For other novices that may be reading this that don't know the difference between DAO and ADO: if you are making an Access (.mdb) file, get this book (because it uses DAO language); if you are making an Access Project (.adp) file, then this book does not emphasize the language you need (which is ADO).

Good intermeditate learning tool
This is a good resource for taking the steps from standard uses of Microsoft Access into allowing the programmer flexibility using VBA. Lots of relevant examples and isa good companion with more technical resources which do not have extensive explanations. A more usable library of functions might be beneficial. Much better than a $1500 Advanced VBA course.

Ice Cream Overload
I hate cutsie-pie programming books with cutsie-pie programming examples of cutsie-pie business applications. The ice cream example contributed to this book's ability to provide me with almost 900 pages of non-help. When I write a programming book, I will use sample apps that deal with a firearms dealership or tracking down the world's terrorists. Something more macho.
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Subjects:  1. Computer Books And Software    2. Computers    3. Computers - Languages / Programming    4. Database Management - General    5. Database management    6. Desktop Applications - MS Access    7. Microsoft Access    8. Microsoft Visual Basic for app    9. Microsoft Visual Basic for applications    10. Programming Languages - Visual BASIC    11. Access    12. Computers / Database Management / General   

Editorial Review

Database front ends are the bread and butter of most Visual Basic programmers, so it pays to know how to build them well (and as efficiently as possible). Read more

Reviews (13)

Access 2000 VBA Handbook
Good book. Easy to find the answers to my questions and get back to work.Good examples and written with clear explanations that get to the point.
Thank goodness for Susan Norvalis
This book really stands out from the crowd. Most VBA texts are written by great programmers who are terrible teachers. Not in this case -Using VBA to unlock the power of MS Access is thoroughly and clearly explained - from concepts such as database design and objects to JET, DAO/ADO and beyond.The author shows how to do everything that you can do with Macros, how to do many things that you can't do without VB and then how to most efficiently do all of them!Most useful is the clear way in which the book shows how to perform tasks efficiently in interactive (Forms) and automated (DAO/ADO Recordset manipulation) ways and when to choose each- this book will remain an invaluable tool in my library and be referenced often.

Not useful for developers
I must agree with other reviewers. In spite of a good knowledge of Access the reading of this book does not help to write practical applications, and is very frustrating. The author jumps from topic to topic and gives very little code that can be used in real life situations. I would qualify this book as no more than a broad and theoretical overview. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Basic (Programming Language)    2. Computer Bks - Languages / Programming    3. Computer Books And Software    4. Computers    5. Computers - Languages / Programming    6. Database Management - General    7. Database management    8. Desktop Applications - MS Access    9. Microcomputer Database Management Software    10. Microsoft Access    11. Microsoft Visual Basic for app    12. Microsoft Visual Basic for applications    13. Programming - Software Development    14. Programming Languages - BASIC    15. Access    16. Basic, Visual Basic & QBasic    17. Computers / Database Management / General   

Subjects:  1. Business    2. Business Software - General    3. Computer Books: General    4. Computer programs    5. Computers    6. Computers - Accounting Packages    7. Microsoft Office    8. Computers / Business Software / General   

Reviews (15)

A book that does what it sets out to do.
As I read the review that compained about the heavy use of ADO rather than ADO.net in the first part of the book, it seemed to me that the reviewer missed what Dobson was trying to do. This book really teaches two subjects--VS.Net and ADO.Net as it applies to Access. I appreciated that he used the old familiar ADO while discussing the new, unfamiliar VS.Net, and then, when the reader should be comfortable with the first topic, began to teach the second. I think he did a good job of laying the groudwork for using Visual Studio.net before then introducing the complex topic of switching to ADO.net. I would recommend this book for anyone transitioning from VB or VBA to .net using Access databases.

Decent, but confusing.
I'm a brand new developer using VS.NET, and having never used Visual Studio before I've grown very tired of every single book on .NET
Good transition from VBA to VB.NET
The target audience for the book is, quite simply, Access developers who are accustomed to VBA and/or VB 6. Read more

Subjects:  1. BASIC (Computer program langua    2. BASIC (Computer program language)    3. Basic (Programming Language)    4. Computer Books: Desktop Publish    5. Computers    6. Computers - Languages / Programming    7. Database Management - General    8. Desktop Applications - MS Access    9. Microcomputer Database Management Software    10. Microsoft .NET    11. Microsoft Access    12. Microsoft Visual BASIC    13. Programming Languages - Visual BASIC    14. Computers / General   

Subjects:  1. Computer Books: General    2. Computers    3. Computers - Data Base Management    4. Database Management - General    5. Information Storage & Retrieval    6. Operating Systems - General    7. Access    8. Computers / Database Management / General   

Subjects:  1. Computer Books: Database    2. Computers    3. Computers - Data Base Management    4. Database Management - General    5. Access    6. Computers / Database Management / General