Getting Started with a Membership database

J

James Ivey

Hello Everyone,

Access newbie here. We've got a calligraphy organization with app. 450
members. All the data (for the last several decades) is living in a
handwritten, spiral-bound notebook, about 6 inches thick <g>

We figure its time to get a grip on things and get our membership data into
some kind of software program, and I'm thinking Access is the way to go.

First question: What can we do in Access that we can't do in Excel? I know
thats a big question, so I'm looking for some general answers that would
apply to membership information.

Is there a sample database somewhere that would get me started?

Good beginner books perhaps that would help me get started?

Thanks in advance,

James Ivey
Dallas, TX
 
R

richard

Hi

Also fairly new to Access myself

have found this forum excellent for questions both big and small.
Basically the data would be much more flexible in the long run in Access
than in Excel, much easier to manipulate, however the most importan thing you
need to consider before jumping into access would be

What and how do you want to get out of the database(ie reports and forms for
viewing data stored.
This will lead you down the road of how the data needs to be entered and
stored for the point above to be achieved.
Another thing I have learned with access, is the naming of your objects
within access, ie tables preceed with tbl, queries with qry etc. Avoid spaces
within object and field names as this only causes you grief later on when you
try and decide whether the _ is needed to represent the space.
Regarding books, I have just bought Access for Dummies and this is really
apt for me. Seems to be a good book for beginners, although others may
disagree

Good luck and remember the people on this forum are great, but do tell them
at the start you are a beginner otherwise they may treat you as an equal and
they may as well be speaking French

Richard
 
U

UpRider

James, ahhhh, where do we start??
Access will allow you to:
Keep track of individuals if you have 'family' memberships
Keep track of dues paid
Allow you to enter a zipcode and automatically fill in city and state on the
form
Allow you to have a table that tracks the source of new members
Allow you to have membership 'types' such as courtesy or honorary as well as
individual and family
Allow you to keep a history of membership volunteer efforts
Allow you to work with Word to generate membership renewal notices via
mailmerge
Allow you to email selected members
Allow you to generate attractive reports for any conceivable need
Allow you to print membership cards
Labels?
Labels for new members
Labels for about to expire members
Labels for members that expired in the first quarter of 2004
Labels for members that expired in the last quarter of 2005, whose
original membership came from an application blank cut from
Calligraphy World magazine.

There is really no end to the list. With a properly designed database, as
time goes by, you can easily expand the functionality to meet practically
any need.
Go for it. You won't be sorry.

UpRider
 
J

James Ivey

Thanks a lot for the tips Richard. "Access for Dummies" sounds like a good
place to start.

Best regards,
James
 
J

James Ivey

Wow. Thanks a bunch UpRider. I really appreciate your reply.

Yes, all the things in your list sound like things we would like to do.

And yes, I understand the importance of doing a good job at the beginning.
So I really want to do my homework and avoid as many pitfalls as possible.

Thanks again.

James
 
J

John W. Vinson

Is there a sample database somewhere that would get me started?

Good beginner books perhaps that would help me get started?
Click to expand...

Check the resources at:

Jeff Conrad's resources page:
http://www.accessmvp.com/JConrad/accessjunkie/resources.html

The Access Web resources page:
http://www.mvps.org/access/resources/index.html

A free tutorial written by Crystal (MS Access MVP):
http://allenbrowne.com/casu-22.html

MVP Allen Browne's tutorials:
http://allenbrowne.com/links.html#Tutorials

John W. Vinson [MVP]
 
T

Tony Toews [MVP]

richard said:
Another thing I have learned with access, is the naming of your objects
within access, ie tables preceed with tbl, queries with qry etc.
Click to expand...

Don't bother with prefixing the objects names with tbl, qry, frm, rpt,
etc. It's a complete waste of time. It also slows you down. When
you have a large number of objects and you want to get somewhere in a
hurry, for example the PO objects, you can click on the database
container window and hit P on the keyboard.

Tony's Table and Field Naming Conventions
http://www.granite.ab.ca/access/tablefieldnaming.htm
Avoid spaces
within object and field names as this only causes you grief later on when you
try and decide whether the _ is needed to represent the space.
Click to expand...

Agreed. At least as far as table and field names. Queries, forms and
reports are usually no big deal to have spaces in them so I do that a
lot.

Tony
--
Tony Toews, Microsoft Access MVP
Please respond only in the newsgroups so that others can
read the entire thread of messages.
Microsoft Access Links, Hints, Tips & Accounting Systems at
http://www.granite.ab.ca/accsmstr.htm
Tony's Microsoft Access Blog - http://msmvps.com/blogs/access/
 
J

James Ivey

Thank you very much for your reply David. Especially the part about Excel
vs. Access.

I appreciate it.

James
 
J

Joan Wild

You might find 'Building Access Applications' (MS Press), a book authored by John Viescas just what you need. It includes a membership application on the CD and the book goes into detail explaining the application.
 
J

James Ivey

Thank you Joan, for your suggestion. I will certainly look into it.

Best regards,
James


You might find 'Building Access Applications' (MS Press), a book authored by
John Viescas just what you need. It includes a membership application on
the CD and the book goes into detail explaining the application.
 

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