Customer Reviews

Running Microsoft Access 97 (Spanish Edition)

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

If your looking for a way to begin using Microsoft Access 97 this book is not for you. A better route would be Microsoft's Access 97 Step-by-Step. The step-by-step series is a good place to start learning the fundamentals of Access 97. Even though Running Microsoft Access 97 begins with some of the basics, this book is taylored for the individual with more experience. I am a database management major and understand that this book can be a little dry and drag a bit for those who are just beginning. I've been there.

I've started this book many times. It gets you going and then goes off on a tangent. By the time I get back to the subject at hand I have forgotten what I read. It is not a step by step and the examples are off world. All I want is a book that will take me from beginning to end in detail starting small and working up to big with examples that make sense. This book uses examples in the beginning that should be in the end. I know there is something better out there. I am quite computer literate and I've taught myself many programs with books like this, but they were sensible.

In this book (and in Running Access for Windows 95 as well) Viescas did a great job. In a very clear and understandable way he describes the functions of Microsoft Access 97 and how to use all the functions of the program. But that's the one side of the story. Viescas also takes you to a point that is very often forgotten or not mentioned in books about databases: the design of databases, and that is what this book offers more than others. The design of databases is the starting point for every database. It is not an easy thing to do, but Viescas handles it very well. Viescas knows how to teach and stimulate you, and he is able to make even the most dificult things very clear. To me this book has a lot more to offer than most other Access/database books. Besides getting familiar with Microsoft Access, Viescas takes you a step further to the principles of database design. By reading and using this book you could become an expert in Access 97, but also in design of other! databases. By knowing the principles, it's easy to practice.

The first feeling after reading it is that the layout, fonts of the contents are very poor.

Also, the examples are not useful enough and it makes the readers hard to understand the concepts. Most of the graphics do not help the readers know what the author is explaining.

It has too many concepts but do not contain steps for the readers to follow. If you want a book which is user-friendly, look for other books. The publisher should illustrate the steps in points-form, not in big blocks of paragraph. Learning Access should have clear steps to follow, even the advanced skills like the Form, Report or Macro programming.

Don't trust the ad 'Who know more than Microsoft'!

When I picked up this book, I had previous experience with another old DOS database but I didn't know one thing about Access. Now, I am writing some fairly sophisticated business applications using Access. This book was the first stepping stone to getting there. It introduced me to the basic features of the Access program (tables, queries, forms, etc.) and I still refer to this information when I need something more than what is provided by online help within Access. Two of the chapters were, I believe, a little lofty for this book -- one was on SQL, the other on VBA. Someone with no experience in database programming would certainly be clueless, and John should have tried to bring it down to the level of the rest of the book. After consulting other resources and beating my head against a wall for about six months, I now have gone back and actually used these two more advanced sections as reference material. If you are just getting started, I would definitely recommend this book. Another book from Amazon.com that was very valuable to me as a beginner was Microsoft Access 97 Visual Basic Step by Step, by Evan Callahan. I am going to write a separate review of this one -- just get it!

I am new to Access and find this book useless when I want to find out more about "relatively simple procedures i.e Creating a subform using junction tables to break up a many many relationship! I am gonna get Access97 Developers Handbook which i have heard excellent things about!

I'm familiar with many Access books. This book is not meant to be an advanced technical manual. As a solid introduction for Users, it is top-notch. For those programmers just moving to Access, it is also recommended, as it is best to learn the User side well before plunging too deep into the technical side. (Many times there is a simpler non-programmatic solution to a problem.) Great job, John!

He doesn't really explain how things *really* work, just a lot of step-by-step examples, which lack explanations of what's going on. A lot of the basic information is here, but there is so much text and so many words that it's a lot of work to dig it out.

I was reading it while commuting back and forth to work on the train and always felt confused at the end of my commute.

No doubt a reasonable book for people who don't feel guilty saying, "Hey, at least it works."

Well... If you are looking for real answers and usefull examples, if you are looking for code examples on how to solve real, problems concearning MS Jet database engine or, on other words, if you're a programmer... RUN! Don't buy this book unless you want to buy an expensive doorstop. On the other hand, if you're an absolute beginner who wants to learn the basic steps of making a simple database application to solve some domestic problem you may consider to buy it. My 2 stars are for those.

I think the author did a great job in this book. He not only shows the novice how to use Microsoft Access without writing a single line of code, but also guides a programmer into building up an application. This is a book I benefited from immensely. With lots of clear examples of code and an accompanying CD, this volume is a must for all serious Access users.