CH said:
Can someone give me a high-level overview of some of the benefits of
Access
'07 (when compared with '03).
here is some:
Database Templates. You can "save" an invoice application , or whatever as a
template. So, just like in word you have templates, you can now do the same
in 2007.
Tabbed Document Mode (SDI) - This just means your windows are all behind a
tabs just like in new browsers like FireFox and IE8
Navigation Pane - this replaces the database window and allows you to search
by typing in a few characters. for example, in an application where I have a
over twelve to 500 objects, and a lot of work on the invoicing part of that
application, I simply type in "invo". you can see the resulting screen shot\
here: (you have to scroll down
http://www.kallal.ca/test/accessv1.html
Custom Groups in the Navigation Pane
Tables & Related Views, Modified Date, Created Date and Modes
Ribbon
New color pickers
PDF and XPF export
Saved Imports & Exports. - This simply means that after you run the wizard
to do a whole bunch of steps for you, you can save those steps and even
execute them from code.
Create outlook task that provides reminders for executing saved imports and
exports
Create Data Collection E-mail - this allows you to create a simple form in
access and have a it sent out by e-mail to people and they can respond and
fill out the form data. That data then comes back into access for you
automatically instead of re typing the data
Manage Data Collection Replies
Filtering and Sorting Improvements
Date Picker - for any date the new place in a form, we now have a little
date picker that pops up for its automatically without having to write
additional code or use third party controls or activeX stuff.
Save Database As
Improved Accessibility (especially with the datasheet)
Office Center for Options
Editable Value Lists
Edit List Items command for Combo Boxes & List Boxes - this means that you
can actually specify the property sheet of form that will maintain the list
of values that drives the combo box for you, this can someone eliminate the
need to write a bunch of code for the not in list event to add and maintain
the values in this table.
Search box in Record Navigation UI
Customizable caption for the Record Navigation UI
Field Templates - is simply allows you to export a xml file with some field
definitions. These fields are then available from a pick list of fields you
have during creation of a table. this can be useful for setting up
particular different default such as allow zero length setting etc.
New column field in tables with data type guessing
Ribbon controls for changing data types and setting formatting in layout
Filter on open, sort on open properties
Better clipboard support for copy and paste from Excel
Create new schema via paste from Excel
Massive visual change-
New default font of Calibri 11
Forms and Reports
Gridlines and Padding on Layouts
Control Layouts (Stacked & Tabular) - this one's really bed, I think this is
the biggest and most productive change "if" the Span of time playing around
and learn this new feature. Here is a video of this:
Automatically align controls on a report
http://office.microsoft.com/en-ca/access/HA102374121033.aspx
Of course if you have a set of Group controls a can of two be very
frustrating to figure it out on Group, if you're new to 2007.
so one important thing to learn is the following to un-group:
Add or remove controls from a layout
http://office.microsoft.com/en-ca/access/HA102765511033.aspx
Macros Embedded in Event Properties - This simply means instead of having to
create a macro in the global macros windows like before, you can embed
Maco's into each event and they stay with a form or report (very much like
code does). this makes it easy to move the forms and reports from
application to application and the macros will travel with uptick reform or
report.
Control Auto-Resize and Anchoring - this is another fairly big feature if
you need it, it simply means that your controls can resize when you resize
the form.
Alternating Row Color (Alternate Back Color Property)
Report Browse Mode
Design in Browse Mode for Forms and Reports - this is really cool, it means
you can make layout changes to your report why you're viewing the report
with data. This saves you having to flip back and forth to hundreds of times
in a day when you try to move things and change the layout of your report.
New Sorting, Grouping, and totals task pane
Property Sheet Task Pane
Data Source Task Pane
Split Views
Datasheet UI Enhancements
Support for new image types - this is a really nice feature. for the first
time now we can actually have different images display in a continuous form,
and also using images in our applications means that the application will
not bloat, or increase excessively in size. not only can you and then
images, but the new control as you to place a pass named to an external
image and it'll display without having to write code, again this even works
for continuous forms. in fact this opens up the whole ability for new class
of applications under access which had to deal with a lot of images, and
before this most developers avoided MS access because of such limitations in
terms of dealing with images. this new image control cells most of these
problems very nicely.
Support for new Access theme colors
Tansparent buttons - this is really nice, it means I can place a button on a
form what's behind it can show through in a transparent way. This is what
most of the VB..net and other developers have had for a long time now. This
also means that if we place a row buttons on a form, we can make this look
very much like a custom menu bar. you can see this example idea used a lot
in the sample templates available for download for 2007
Transparency on tab backgrounds
Caption for datasheet headers
Error trapping for macros
Offline support for Linked Tables to Windows SharePoint Services - this
simply means that you can link your tables to share point, and click a
button and not be connected to those tables (the Internet). When you get
back to the office to reconnect, you can now sync with those linked tables
on share point . This is basically a form of replication without having to
do any work to set up a replication except link your tables to share point.
Share Database on SharePoint
Move to SharePoint
Complex Data - this is a fancy term for multi value fields, it simply means
that you can put onto a form a controlled that allows to check off the
person's favorite colors or whatever, and not have to use a sub form nor
have to write any code. among experienced developers, this is a
controversial feature as the underlying table is not exposed in the UI (it
is however exposed in available to code that you right underneath the form).
Rich Text - Finally! this a rich text control which we can display different
kinds of text and fonts etc. in a text box on a form (say perhaps a memo
field). This is a long overdue feature.
Scroll wheel works in VBA
Rename a file to ACCDR makes it always run as a runtime file
Create template files with developer extensions
Upsize to SQL now defaults to mdb instead of ADP
ADPs support design of SQL Server 2005 objects
DAPs are deprecated
buttons allow both graphics and text - this simply means that you can
specify the graphic for a button, and also have the tech show for that
button at the same time, this was always a pain before we can't do this,
again it's about time.
