Alison Balter's Mastering Access 97 Development, Premier Edition, Second Edition (2nd Edition) [Paperback]

Alison Balter (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 15, 1997

One of the premier corporate database applications, Access, is a powerful application that can be programmed and customized. But to do that, readers need information. And this book provides that knowledge by showing users how to develop simple and complex applications for Access.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Microsoft's Access 97 database offers tremendous power and flexibility, and Alison Balter's Mastering Access 97 Development can show you exactly how to take advantage of its capabilities to build robust and professional database applications. Balter covers the basics of effective database design, introduces the VBA programming language for writing Access applications, and discusses performance optimization and advanced querying techniques. Numerous chapters on the complexities of building multi-user applications are particularly valuable.

From the Back Cover

One of the premier corporate database applications, Access, is a powerful application that can be programmed and customized. But to do that, readers need information. And this book provides that knowledge by showing users how to develop simple and complex applications for Access.

Product Details

• Paperback: 1112 pages
• Publisher: Sams; 2nd edition (January 15, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0672309998
• ISBN-13: 978-0672309991
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 8.5 x 2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (33 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,480,452 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Alison Balter is the founder of InfoTechnology Partners, Inc., a computer consulting firm in California. She is a highly experienced trainer and consultant, specializing in Windows applications. During her 17 years in the computer industry, she has helped many Fortune 500 corporations as well as government agencies. The author of over 300 internationally-marketed computer training videos for KeyStone Learning Systems Corporation, Alison has also written several bestselling books for Sams Publishing.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good book for the Beginner to Intermediate Access Developer, April 27, 2000

By 

Michael J Webb - See all my reviews

This review is from: Alison Balter's Mastering Access 97 Development, Premier Edition, Second Edition (2nd Edition) (Paperback)

I don't know whether or not I would agree with the title "Mastering Access 97 Development". Really "Introducing Access Development" would be more appropriate. I don't quite agree with the User Level of Accomplished stated on the back of the book.

With that said, however, this really is a comprehensive book that covers basically everything one needs to know in developing an MS Access97 database application (again, at a beginner to intermediate user level). If you are an accomplished developer this book wouldn't be as useful. Too much time is dedicated to the basics such as how to build tables, types of relationships, query basics, form basics and even VBA basics. This book approaches you as if you know nothing about relational databases, MS Access or VBA. Anyone who has developed DB applications before will find these explinations a bit tedius. If you have never developed a DB application or never really thought about the details of what makes up a DB application then this book really is an invaluable resource.

As with most of the Sams publishing series this book is very comprehensive and yet detailed enough to get you on your way. You will gain a workable knowledge of everything you need to build an Access97 DB application. Includes lots of examples and Tryit samples.

I would have given it 5 stars but since it didn't fulfill its own title, I dropped it one star.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

PART I: Building a Foundation for Your Access Applications. 1. Introduction to Access Development. 2. A Strategy to Developing Access Applications. 3. What Every Developer Needs to Know About Tables. 4. Relationships: You Key to Data Integrity. 5. What Every Developer Needs to Know About Query Basics. 6. What Every Developer Needs to Know About Form Basics. 7. What Every Developer Needs to Know About Report Basics. 8. VBA 101: The Basics of VBA. 9. Advanced VBA Topics. 10. The Real Scoop on Objects, Properties and Events. 11. What Are Macros and When Do You Need Them? 12. Advanced Query Concepts. 13. Let's Get More Intimate with Forms: Advanced Techniques. 14. Let's Get More Intimate with Reports: Advanced Techniques. 15. What Are Data Access Objects and Why Are They Important?

PART II: When Things Don't Go As Planned. 16. Debugging: Your Key to Successful Development. 17. Handling Those Dreaded Runtime Errors.

PART III: Preparing Your Applications for a Multiuser Environment. 18. Developing for a Multiuser Environment. 19. Using External Data. 20. Client/Server Techniques. 21. Client/Server Strategies. 22. Transaction Processing. 23. Optimizing Your Application. 24. Replication Made Easy.

PART IV: Extending the Power of Access. 25. Automation: Communicating with Other Applications. 26. Using ActiveX Controls. 27. Access and the Internet. 28. Managing Application Development with Visual SourceSafe. 29. Leveraging Your Application: Creating Your Own Libraries.

30. Using Builders, Wizards, and Menu Add-Ins.

PART V: Putting the Final Polish on Your Application. 31. Using External Functions: The Windows API. 32. Database Security Made Easy. 33. Complex Security Issues. 34. Documenting Your System. 35. Database Maintenance Techniques. 36. Developing a Help File. 37. Distributing Your Application with ODE.

PART VI: Appendixes. A. Table Structures. B. Naming Conventions.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The database developer's Bible, February 10, 2000

By 

Carl Feyh (Los Angles) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Alison Balter's Mastering Access 97 Development, Premier Edition, Second Edition (2nd Edition) (Paperback)

Alison Balter has provided the reader with a book that provides in-depth technical principles in the design and implementation of database solutions that will assist the reader in all aspects of database development. The book is easy to read, provided in depth information about the processes used to develop database applications, and great code examples that can be used directly in a reader's application or modified as needed to support your needs.

Alison has provided a great tool for all developer's from the beginner to the expert, this book and her new book for Access 2000 are a must for any serious database developer. I find that her development principles apply to all fazes of database development, weather the engine is Oracle, SQL Server or Access.

My biggest problem (working for a major corporation) has been to keep everyone else from "borrowing" my book. If you want to learn database theory, development and implementation, this is the Bible of all Bibles.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This is the best book for *developing* Access applications, June 9, 1999

By 

D. Read "Maximumdread" (GA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Alison Balter's Mastering Access 97 Development, Premier Edition, Second Edition (2nd Edition) (Paperback)

If you need or want to learn how to actually *develop* applications using MS Access, then this is your book. Most Access books teach you how to *use* Access, but there are only a few a books for developers (or would-be developers). This is the best one if you do not already have VB experience or experience in some other RAD Windows development tool like Delphi or Powerbuilder, or in another desktop database tool like Borland Paradox. If you already have this type of experience, I recommend the Access Developers Handbook. Otherwise, Alison Balter is the ticket.