Microsoft Office Access 2003 Inside Track [With CDROM]

by Paul Pardi and John Pierce

Advance your database expertise--your way and as far as you want to go--with learn-by-doing training for Access 2003. With INSIDE TRACK, you choose exactly how and what you learn: Use the book's... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 073561976X
• ISBN13: 9780735619760
• Release Date: February 2004
• Publisher: Microsoft Press
• Length: 736 Pages
• Weight: 3.45 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.3" x 8.0" x 10.0"

Customer Reviews

Good way to move up to the next level

This book has some characteristics that target beginners, and in theory it could be used by anybody. I think this is partially correct. A few chapters are actually very succinct introductions to Access fundamentals (ch. 2, database design; ch. 3 managing data; ch. 5 form design). However, the tone of the book is clear in chapter 1 where the author introduces command buttons and Visual Basic code -- usually a topic found in the final chapters of books for beginners. Inside Track is really a great book for an strong beginner or intermediate Access user who wants to explore the next level in Access databases. I like this book for several reasons. First, it has a great chapter on introducing Visual Basic code in Access applications. If you've worked at trying to understand VBA you will appreciate this clear presentation of the basic concepts of how to work with this code in Access. Second, it takes the design of forms to a level more advanced than is usual for books like this. For instance, Inside Track gets you using list box input values as criteria in subform queries -- whereas in most Access-for-the-brainless type books you will not even cover using list boxes for collecting variable data in forms at all. Third, Inside Track introduces capabilites of Access not usually mentioned in beginners' books, such as linking an Access project to SQL server database tables, integrating Access with Office 2003, and linking to sharepoint data. It also introduces Access and XML, which is an important technology for data storage and transfer. All in all, I think a real beginner will want to use another book to work on the basics of table design, queries, and reports and forms. But if you are interested in the the next level, this book is a good way to get your feet wet. The territory is advanced, but there is generous explanation as you go. I don't think intermediate is easy to do with Access so I give it lots of credit for filling this important stage in learning Access.

Intermidiate learners, this is for you...

I found this book to be excellent for the levelI'm in. I bought MS Access 2003 Step-by-Step and this is the level right next to it. Very well written and extremelly well organized, this is definitely a work of reference.

Buy Microsoft Office Access 2003 Step by Step + this book

In my life I never touched Access until few months ago. Although I have a degree in Computer Science, the database I used before are Oracle, and MS SQL at all. Access is a wonderful tool for SMBs, only need few hours to write (in fact, should be click, drag and drop) the applications. and also easy to convert to .sql files.I bought the Microsoft Office Access 2003 Step by Step first. this book is very good for people never touched Access before. I define this book is a higher level dummy book. you just follow the book. But some time sentence on the books may too considerated for the readers like ask readers to insert the CD-rom. After I finish this book, you can almost work out most simple database applications. then if you really want to imporve to be professional in Access. then this book is your best choice. it will introduce most of the special function like Macro and Modules + all the report formats.Access has its limitation like does not support multiple users. data lenth is only 250 and file size must be less than 1G.but it is a very simple tools can do some simple professional works. I like it very much, SMBs need it. my suggestion is for newbie of Access, buy the step by step first. then move to this book if you want to improve yourself.After both of 2 book, that is already enough for you to self study Access. no need other books.