Microsoft Access 2010 Technical Beta . . .

. . . New Features And Functionality For Access

Refinements And Additions Give Access More Power

Microsoft Access is a relational database management system (RDMS) that combines a relational database with a user interface. For a number of years, Access has been Microsoft's database solution for small and medium sized businesses. Microsoft designed Access with a feature-rich user interface (UI) for speed and ease of use. In order to assist developer programmers, MS Access ships with a full slate of internal designer, development, and database deployment tools. Access capably handles a large number of database functions and, with its robust database engine, is well suited complex database management. The new version of, just out in Technical Beta release, is now named Microsoft Access 2010. With this version, Microsoft will expand the usability Access as a member of the Microsoft Office suite, with tighter alignment to the other Office products, like Word and Excel. Additionally, there is a new web publishing feature, as well as more support for the SQL Server (and other databases) data types.

2 Major Updates

Microsoft has officially announced two major changes to Access 2010 and a new features common to all Office applications globally.

Office Themes Replace AutoFormat In The User Interface
For Microsoft Access 2010, this new feature is operational for both form and report "layout views." The layout view is a graphical designer first introduced to Access 2007. This gives Access a more graphical interface similar to "Design View" in Visual Studio and popular web development programs. In the past Access used a format approach to assign forms and reports with the same color and/or styles. While this technique was workable, any formatting stayed with Access and was not shared with other Office products. Now, the Access themes are shared with the other Office programs, like Word, PowerPoint, and InfoPath.

Access Data Type Gallery Replaces The Add Add Field Task Pane
You can add fields that have been defined in other tables, like Email or Phone Number, while retaining all assigned field properties. The Data Type Gallery will allow developers to add several fields in one operation. To add Street, City, State, Zip and Country to an Address field, just click on the Address field and all the list of fields.

Changes To All Office 2010 Applications, Including Access

A very nice improvement for all of Office 2010 is the refinement to the most recently used (MRU) files list. Simply right click an entry on the MRU list to pin it so it stays a permanent addition or you can remove an item from the list.

The Access 2010 Menu And Ribbon

The "Office Button" in the upper left corner has undergone a big improvement. In Access 2007 it opened a drop down a menu; now it loads a new screen that features many more functionality that is designed to be more intuitive, as well as improving ease of use.

The new Access 2010 default page, is called Backstage View, replacing the "File" menu. The Backstage View allows you to:

• Open the Application Log
• Check for web compatibility
• Publish the database
• Compact the database
• Analyze the database
• Perform database encryption
• Open the table relationships

Table Macros . . . Similar To SQL Server Triggers

A popular enhancement for developers will be the addition of macros that are like SQL server triggers to local Access tables. This can be very important if you plan on publishing your site as a web application. See more about this below. The development environment is very nice, allowing for a right-click copy and paste, so some or all of the macro can be used in another section of the database. Additionally, after copying, you can paste the macro into other programs, including Notepad or Outlook or web page text boxes.

Here are some examples of possible uses for the new Macro functionality:

• Create, delete, or edit a record
• Set a field or variable value
• Send an Email
• Raise an error
• Log an event

MS Access Macros . . . General Features

All macros in Access 2010 will have feature the improved functionality like the Table Macros. Microsoft Access 2010 macros are much more powerful and use a new Macro builder interface as well, taking advantage of Visual Basic for Application (VBA) code that was not previously available. Macros can now also represented with XML . . . this new power is all intended to assist the use of Access on the web with SharePoint.

SharePoint Integration With New Web Database Files

Microsoft has a video about this new feature, however, it has not released the interface for publication (Non-Disclosure rules apply here). The "publish to web" function will apply to SharePoint sites, so this is not a standalone web page/site development environment, like Dreamweaver or Visual Studio. If you are looking for a "web ready" solution for Access 2010, you will need to use a SharePoint server. Many companies are now on board with SharePoint, so this new feature leverages Access 2010 in the large corporate environment and reduces need to convert your Access database to SQL Server. Yes, Access 2007 did have this feature, but it is now far more robust and easier to apply.

Application Parts

The Application Parts menu option exposes a list of templates that may be inserted into a database application. This feature needs some work; there have been program failures in Beta 1. Look for additional information on this topic.

The Technical Preview Beta has only been available for about a week, but the future for Microsoft Access 2010 looks bright. The promise of SharePoint usability and tighter integration with the other Office products indicates Microsoft's intention to keep Access alive and active for the future.