SharePoint and Access 2007

Anthony, a reader wrote "How do you think SharePoint will change the MS Access front?
Do you think that they will stay separate products? do you think that there will be a migration of users and Developers from Access to SharePoint.

The one thing that I always liked about MSAccess is that it created the process of a business, it gave developers, and end users the flexibility to define, and customize their processes into a system. Now that workflow foundation is a product for SharePoint, I personally see that a lot of the prior MS Access technology will eventually head there, maybe not immediately, but I do see it as something that will happen down the road."

Garry thoughts "Whilst I have only a bit to do with SharePoint, it is very important to understand that Microsoft put a lot of effort into making Access the primary Office 2007 vehicle for interfacing and programming SharePoint. I believe that Access will loose a few customers to SharePoint lists but will make up the same and maybe more by the ability to link to SharePoint lists. So I don't think we should be to concerned because in we now have a way of using a rich development tool (Access 07) with SharePoint thru linked tables. i.e. we now can reach a wider audience. Trust me, Access forms with tabs and subforms and the new interactive '07 reports are still way more flexible than similar offerings in SharePoint"

Highlighting Text In A Field

Thanks to Kath for bringing this simple tip to my attention.

If you want to ensure that the text in a field is easy for the data entry person to overwrite, use the following code (for a field named txtName).


txtName.SetFocus
txtName.SelStart = 0
txtName.SelLength = 10

SharePoint Server and Workflows and Access

Andy Baron describes how Access and SharePoint server work together to produce a Workflow solution.

Switchboard Alternative

A possible alternative to the Access switchboard.

I asked Brandon the developer "Do you need to install something on each computer or is it all internal access forms?" He replied "It's all internal access forms. No install necessary, no ActiveX required (just ADO). Users just create their own forms and/or assign existing ones to menu buttons.
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