Project 3

My third project focused on Microsoft Access and all the ways it can import data and generate a wide variety of document types. The types of activities I created were a table, query, form, and report. The activities take data from a database and manipulate the data in whichever way the user desires. I learned how to import data into Access by a text file, and be able to identify characters that symbolize breaks or new characters in a text file. This is an easy way to identify the layout of the document. There are 2 types of data entry, and I learned the delimited way, which is when a character separates a field, usually by semi-colon, colon, or a vertical bar. The query activity held the greatest challenge for me. I had to learn how to filter using criteria. Criteria would weed out unwanted data by using a formula type expression in the design layout.  It was difficult finding out how to only include the last 6 months of members who had left the gym. I discovered the problem was stemming from the field being a text field instead of a numerical field, and after fixing that minor detail it worked like a charm. The form activity created a form based off fields I needed and I learned how to delete fields off forms, as well as, turn a field into a read only field. The report activity was created off a query I made earlier in the project. It had certain guidelines that wanted the report first, grouped by city in ascending order, and second grouped by recently departed in descending order. The final challenge involved adding a footer to the report. I added my name and it after reviewing it kept getting a parameter value error.  It wasn’t as easy as adding a Microsoft office footer, that are for sure!

One enhancement available through Microsoft Access that I found to be very interesting and useful was the Report Activity and how quickly you could minimize thousands of fields into a report that has just what you want on it in a matter of seconds. The enhancement makes this process fast and less frustrating by taking the criteria you set and developing a report. An example could be an excel database with thousands of entrees of people who attending a weekend workshop. A questionnaire was filled out by everyone who attended and put into a database that included name, address, if they had a current job, Education, and if they owned a laptop.  On Monday, the boss wants you to bring a report of the people who attended the workshop that live within the city and have a master’s degree in Business. In Microsoft Access that report could be created and printed in seconds. I have never used Microsoft Access it is the only Office application I have no experience in at all, but after this project it seems beneficial on my behalf to start learning this application. It has more function ability then the other suites since I love statistics. It creates very cool and designer friendly activities, once you learn the basics.