Access™ 2007 VBA Programmer's Reference

1.3. Developing Databases Without VBA Code

This book is about automating Access with VBA code, but not everything you need to do with a database solution should be accomplished via code. Part of being a good developer is knowing how to develop an application with the most features, stability, and flexibility at the least possible cost. Access provides a powerful development environment that includes a variety of wizards and built-in tools to help improve efficiency in developing your application.

As soon as you start Access 2007, you will see immediate enhancements when compared to previous versions. Instead of a blank window, you are presented with the new Getting Started interface. It enables you to quickly open an existing database, create a new blank database, or even create a fully functional database application using the new database template feature. If the computer has an Internet connection and is online, links to Office online and its content are also present to help keep you connected to the latest resources available. You may also notice that the old Windows-style menus have been replaced by the new Ribbon user interface—the Office button, which replaces the File menu, exposes the Access Options dialog box for database and applications settings, as well as other common file options.

1.3.1. Access 2007 Database Templates

New to Access 2007, database templates are a great starting point for a simple database solution. Several different types of business and personal ...