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Microsoft Access
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Microsoft Access

Microsoft Office Access 2013 running on Windows 8

Developer(s) Microsoft Corporation

Initial release November 1992; 24 years ago

Stable release 2016 (16.0.4229.1024) / September 22, 2015; 16

months ago

Development status Active

Written in C#[citation needed]

 Operating system Microsoft Windows

Type DBMS

License Trialware

Website office.microsoft.com/access

Microsoft Access is a database management system (DBMS) from Microsoft that combines
the relational Microsoft Jet Database Engine with a graphical user interface and software-
development tools. It is a member of the Microsoft Office suite of applications, included in the
Professional and higher editions or sold separately.
Microsoft Access stores data in its own format based on the Access Jet Database Engine. It can also
import or link directly to data stored in other applications and databases.[1]
Software developers, data architects and power users can use Microsoft Access to
develop application software. Like other Microsoft Office applications, Access is supported by Visual
Basic for Applications (VBA), an object-based programming language that can reference a variety of
objects including DAO (Data Access Objects), ActiveX Data Objects, and many other ActiveX
components. Visual objects used in forms and reports expose their methods and properties in the
VBA programming environment, and VBA code modules may declare and call Windows operating
system operations.

Contents
[hide]

1History

o 1.1Project Omega

o 1.2Project Cirrus

o 1.3Timeline

2Uses

3Features

o 3.1Access Services and Web database

o 3.2Import or Link sources

4Microsoft Access Runtime

5Development

o 5.1Split database architecture

 o 5.2Migration to SQL Server

6Protection

7File extensions

8Versions

9See also

10References

11External links

History[edit]
Project Omega[edit]
Microsoft's first attempt to sell a relational database product was during the mid 1980s, when
Microsoft obtained the license to sell R:Base.[2] In the late 1980s Microsoft developed its own solution
codenamed Omega.[3] It was confirmed in 1988 that a database product for Windows and OS/2 was
in development.[4][5] It was going to include the "EB" Embedded Basic language, [3] which was going to
be the language for writing macros in all Microsoft applications,[6] but the unification of macro
languages did not happen until the introduction of Visual Basic for Applications (VBA). Omega was
also expected to provide a front end to the Microsoft SQL Server.[7] The application was very
resource-hungry, and there were reports that it was working slowly on the 386 processors that were
available at the time.[8] It was scheduled to be released in the 1st quarter of 1990,[9] but in 1989 the
development of the product was reset[2][10] and it was rescheduled to be delivered no sooner than in
January 1991.[11] Parts of the project were later used for other Microsoft projects: Cirrus (codename
for Access) and Thunder (codename for Visual Basic, where the Embedded Basic engine was used).
[2][3]
After Access's premiere, the Omega project was demonstrated in 1992 to several journalists and
included features that were not available in Access.[12]
Project Cirrus[edit]
After the Omega project was scrapped, some of its developers were assigned to the Cirrus project
(most were assigned to the team which created Visual Basic).[2] Its goal was to create a competitor
for applications like Paradox or dBase that would work on Windows.[13] After Microsoft
acquired FoxPro, there were rumors that the Microsoft project might get replaced with it, [14] but the
company decided to develop them in parallel. It was assumed that the project would make use
of Extensible Storage Engine (Jet Blue)[15] but, in the end, only support for Microsoft Jet Database
Engine (Jet Red) was provided. The project used some of the code from both the Omega project
and a pre-release version of Visual Basic.[3] In July 1992, betas of Cirrus shipped to developers[16] and
the name Access became the official name of the product. [17]
Timeline[edit]
1992: Microsoft released Access version 1.0 on 13 November 1992, and an Access 1.1 release in
May 1993 to improve compatibility with other Microsoft products and to include the Access Basic
programming language.
1994: Microsoft specified the minimum hardware requirements for Access v2.0 as: Microsoft
Windows v3.1 with 4 MB of RAM required, 6 MB RAM recommended; 8 MB of available hard
disk space required, 14 MB hard disk space recommended. The product shipped on seven 1.44 MB
diskettes. The manual shows a 1994 copyright date.
Originally, the software worked well with relatively small databases but testing showed that some
circumstances caused data corruption. For example, file sizes over 10 MB proved problematic (note
that most hard disks held less than 500 MB at the time this was in wide use), and the Getting
Started manual warns about a number of circumstances where obsolete device drivers or incorrect
configurations can cause data loss. With the phasing out of Windows 95, 98 and ME, improved
network reliability, and Microsoft having released 8 service packs for the Jet Database Engine, the
reliability of Access databases has improved[when?] and it supports both more data and a larger number
of users.
With Office 95, Microsoft Access 7.0 (a.k.a. "Access 95") became part of the Microsoft Office
Professional Suite, joining Microsoft Excel, Word, and PowerPoint and transitioning from Access
Basic to VBA. Since then, Microsoft has released new versions of Microsoft Access with each
release of Microsoft Office. This includes Access 97 (version 8.0), Access 2000 (version 9.0), Access
2002 (version 10.0), Access 2003 (version 11.5), Access 2007 (version 12.0), Access 2010 (version
14.0), and Access 2013 (version 15.0).
Versions 3.0 and 3.5 of Microsoft Jet database engine (used by Access 7.0 and the later-released
Access 97 respectively) had a critical issue which made these versions of Access unusable on a
computer with more than 1 GB of memory.[18] While Microsoft fixed this problem for Jet 3.5/Access 97
post-release, it never fixed the issue with Jet 3.0/Access 95.
The native Access database format (the Jet MDB Database) has also evolved over the years.
Formats include Access 1.0, 1.1, 2.0, 7.0, 97, 2000, 2002, 2007, and 2010. The most significant
transition was from the Access 97 to the Access 2000 format; which is not backward compatible with
earlier versions of Access. As of 2011 all newer versions of Access support the Access 2000 format.
New features were added to the Access 2002 format which can be used by Access 2002, 2003,
2007, and 2010.
Microsoft Access 2000 increased the maximum database size to 2GB from 1GB in Access 97.
Microsoft Access 2007 introduced a new database format: ACCDB. It supports links to SharePoint
lists and complex data types such as multivalue and attachment fields. These new field types are
essentially recordsets in fields and allow the storage of multiple values or files in one field. Microsoft
Access 2007 also introduced File Attachment field, which stored data more efficiently than the OLE
(Object Linking and Embedding) field.
Microsoft Access 2010 introduced a new version of the ACCDB format supported hosting Access
Web solutions on a SharePoint 2010 server. For the first time, this allowed Access solutions to be
run without having to install Access on their PC and was the first support of Mac users. Any user on
the SharePoint site with sufficient rights could use the Access Web solution. A copy of Access was
still required for the developer to create the Access Web solution, and the desktop version of Access
remained part of Access 2010. The Access Web solutions were not the same as the desktop
solutions. Automation was only through the macro language (not VBA) which Access automatically
converted to JavaScript. The data was no longer in an Access database but SharePoint lists. An
Access desktop database could link to the SharePoint data, so hybrid applications were possible so
that SharePoint users needing basic views and edits could be supported while the more
sophisticated, traditional solutions could remain in the desktop Access database.
Microsoft Access 2013 offers traditional Access desktop solutions plus a significantly updated
SharePoint 2013 web solution.[19] The Access Web model in Access 2010 was replaced by a new
architecture that stores its data in actual SQL Server databases. Unlike SharePoint lists, this offers
true relational database design with referential integrity, scalability, extensibility and performance one
would expect from SQL Server.[20] The database solutions that can be created on SharePoint 2013
offer a modern user interface designed to display multiple levels of relationships that can be viewed
and edited, along with resizing for different devices and support for touch. The Access 2013 desktop
is similar to Access 2010 but several features were discontinued including support for Access Data
Projects (ADPs), pivot tables, pivot charts, Access data collections, source code control, replication,
and other legacy features.[21] Access desktop database maximum size remained 2GB (as it has been
since the 2000 version).
Prior to the introduction of Access, Borland (with Paradox and dBase) and Fox (with FoxPro)
dominated the desktop database market. Microsoft Access was the first mass-market database
program for Windows. With Microsoft's purchase of FoxPro in 1992 and the incorporation of Fox's
Rushmore query optimization routines into Access, Microsoft Access quickly became the dominant
database for Windows - effectively eliminating the competition which failed to transition from the MS-
DOS world.[22]
Access's initial codename was Cirrus; the forms engine was called Ruby. This was before Visual
Basic. Bill Gates saw the prototypes and decided that the BASIC language component should be co-
developed as a separate expandable application, a project called Thunder. The two projects were
developed separately.
Access was also the name of a communications program from Microsoft, meant to compete
with ProComm and other programs. This proved a failure and was dropped.[23] Years later, Microsoft
reused the name for its database software.

Uses[edit]
In addition to using its own database storage file, Microsoft Access also may be used as the 'front-
end' of a program while other products act as the 'back-end' tables, such as Microsoft SQL
Server and non-Microsoft products such as Oracle and Sybase. Multiple backend sources can be
used by a Microsoft Access Jet Database (ACCDB and MDB formats). Similarly, some applications
such as Visual Basic, ASP.NET, or Visual Studio .NET will use the Microsoft Access database format
for its tables and queries. Microsoft Access may also be part of a more complex solution, where it
may be integrated with other technologies such as Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Outlook, Microsoft
Word, Microsoft PowerPoint and ActiveX controls.
Access tables support a variety of standard field types, indices, and referential
integrity including cascading updates and deletes. Access also includes a query interface, forms to
display and enter data, and reports for printing. The underlying Jet database, which contains these
objects, is multi-user and handles record-locking.
Repetitive tasks can be automated through macros with point-and-click options. It is also easy to
place a database on a network and have multiple users share and update data without overwriting
each other's work. Data is locked at the record level which is significantly different
from Excel which locks the entire spreadsheet.
There are template databases within the program and for download from Microsoft's website. These
options are available upon starting Access and allow users to enhance a database with predefined
tables, queries, forms, reports, and macros. Database templates support VBA code but Microsoft's
templates do not include VBA code.
Programmers can create solutions using VBA, which is similar to Visual Basic 6.0 (VB6) and used
throughout the Microsoft Office programs such as Excel, Word, Outlook and PowerPoint. Most VB6
code, including the use of Windows API calls, can be used in VBA. Power users and developers can
extend basic end-user solutions to a professional solution with advanced automation, data
validation, error trapping, and multi-user support.
The number of simultaneous users that can be supported depends on the amount of data,
the tasks being performed, level of use, and application design. Generally accepted limits are
solutions with 1 GB or less of data (Access supports up to 2 GB) and performs quite well with 100 or
fewer simultaneous connections (255 concurrent users are supported). This capability is often a
good fit for department solutions. If using an Access database solution in a multi-user scenario, the
application should be "split". This means that the tables are in one file called the back end (typically
stored on a shared network folder) and the application components (forms, reports, queries, code,
macros, linked tables) are in another file called the front end. The linked tables in the front end point
to the back end file. Each user of the Access application would then receive his or her own copy of
the front end file.
Applications that run complex queries or analysis across large datasets would naturally require
greater bandwidth and memory. Microsoft Access is designed to scale to support more data and
users by linking to multiple Access databases or using a back-end database like Microsoft SQL
Server. With the latter design, the amount of data and users can scale to enterprise-level solutions.
Microsoft Access's role in web development prior to version 2010 is limited. User interface features
of Access, such as forms and reports, only work in Windows. In versions 2000 through 2003 an
Access object type called Data Access Pages created publishable web pages. Data Access Pages
are no longer supported. The Microsoft Jet Database Engine, core to Access, can be accessed
through technologies such as ODBC or OLE DB. The data (i.e., tables and queries) can be accessed
by web-based applications developed in ASP.NET, PHP, or Java. With the use of Microsoft's
Terminal Services and Remote Desktop Application in Windows Server 2008 R2, organizations can
host Access applications so they can be run over the web.[24] This technique does not scale the way a
web application would but is appropriate for a limited number of users depending on the
configuration of the host.
Access 2010 allows databases to be published to SharePoint 2010 web sites running Access
Services. These web-based forms and reports run in any modern web browser. The resulting web
forms and reports, when accessed via a web browser, don't require any add-ins or extensions (e.g.
ActiveX, Silverlight).
Access 2013 can create web applications directly in SharePoint 2013 sites running Access Services.
Access 2013 web solutions store its data in an underlying SQL Server database which is much more
scalable and robust than the Access 2010 version which used SharePoint lists to store its data.
A compiled version of an Access database (File extensions: .MDE /ACCDE or .ADE; ACCDE only
works with Access 2007 or later) can be created to prevent user from accessing the design surfaces
to modify module code, forms, and reports. An MDE or ADE file is a Microsoft Access database file
with all modules compiled and all editable source code removed. Both the .MDE and .ADE versions
of an Access database are used when end-user modifications are not allowed or when the
applications source code should be kept confidential.
Microsoft also offers developer extensions for download to help distribute Access 2007 applications,
create database templates, and integrate source code control with Microsoft Visual SourceSafe.

Features[edit]
Users can create tables, queries, forms and reports, and connect them together with macros.
Advanced users can use VBA to write rich solutions with advanced data manipulation and user
control. Access also has report creation features that can work with any data source that Access can
access.
The original concept of Access was for end users to be able to access data from any source. Other
features include: the import and export of data to many formats
including Excel, Outlook, ASCII, dBase, Paradox, FoxPro, SQL Server and Oracle. It also has the
ability to link to data in its existing location and use it for viewing, querying, editing, and reporting.
This allows the existing data to change while ensuring that Access uses the latest data. It can
perform heterogeneous joins between data sets stored across different platforms. Access is often
used by people downloading data from enterprise level databases for manipulation, analysis, and
reporting locally.
There is also the Jet Database format (MDB or ACCDB in Access 2007) which can contain the
application and data in one file. This makes it very convenient to distribute the entire application to
another user, who can run it in disconnected environments.
One of the benefits of Access from a programmer's perspective is its relative compatibility
with SQL (structured query language) queries can be viewed graphically or edited as SQL
statements, and SQL statements can be used directly in Macros and VBA Modules to manipulate
Access tables. Users can mix and use both VBA and "Macros" for programming forms and logic and
offers object-oriented possibilities. VBA can also be included in queries.
Microsoft Access offers parameterized queries. These queries and Access tables can be referenced
from other programs like VB6 and .NET through DAO or ADO. From Microsoft Access, VBA can
reference parameterized stored procedures via ADO.
The desktop editions of Microsoft SQL Server can be used with Access as an alternative to the Jet
Database Engine. This support started with MSDE (Microsoft SQL Server Desktop Engine), a scaled
down version of Microsoft SQL Server 2000, and continues with the SQL Server Express versions of
SQL Server 2005 and 2008.
Microsoft Access is a file server-based database. Unlike clientserver relational database
management systems (RDBMS), Microsoft Access does not implement database triggers, stored
procedures, or transaction logging. Access 2010 includes table-level triggers and stored procedures
built into the ACE data engine. Thus a Client-server database system is not a requirement for using
stored procedures or table triggers with Access 2010. Tables, queries, forms, reports and macros
can now be developed specifically for web base application in Access 2010. Integration with
Microsoft SharePoint 2010 is also highly improved.
The 2013 edition of Microsoft Access introduced a mostly flat design and the ability to install apps
from the Office Store, but it did not introduce new features. The theme was partially updated again
for 2016, but no dark theme was created for Access.
Access Services and Web database[edit]
See also: Web form
ASP.NET web forms can query a Microsoft Access database, retrieve records and display them on
the browser.
SharePoint Server 2010 via Access Services allows for Access 2010 databases to be published to
SharePoint, thus enabling multiple users to interact with the database application from any
standards-compliant Web browser. Access Web databases published to SharePoint Server can use
standard objects such as tables, queries, forms, macros, and reports. Access Services stores those
objects in SharePoint.[25]
Access 2013 offers the ability to publish Access web solutions on SharePoint 2013. Rather than
using SharePoint lists as its data source, Access 2013 uses an actual SQL Server database hosted
by SharePoint or SQL Azure. This offers a true relational database with referential integrity,
scalability, maintainability, and extensibility compared to the SharePoint views Access 2010 used.
The macro language is enhanced to support more sophisticated programming logic and database
level automation.[20]
Import or Link sources[edit]
Microsoft Access can also import or link directly to data stored in other applications and databases.
[1]
Microsoft Office Access 2007 and newer can import from or link to:
 Microsoft Access

Excel

SharePoint lists

Plain text

XML

Outlook

HTML

dBase (dropped in Access 2013; restored in Access 2016)

Paradox (with Access 2007; dropped in Access 2010[26])

Lotus 1-2-3 (dropped in Access 2010[26] )

ODBC-compliant data containers, including:

Microsoft SQL Server

Oracle

MySQL

PostgreSQL

IBM Lotus Notes

AS 400 DB2

Microsoft Access Runtime[edit]

Microsoft offers free runtime versions of Microsoft Access which allow users to run an Access
desktop application without needing to purchase or install a retail version of Microsoft Access. This
allows Access developers to create databases that can be freely distributed to an unlimited number
of end-users. These runtime versions of Access 2007 and later can be downloaded for free from
Microsoft.[27] The runtime versions for Access 2003 and earlier were part of the Office Developer
Extensions/Toolkit and required a separate purchase.
The runtime version allows users to view, edit and delete data, along with running queries, forms,
reports, macros and VBA module code. The runtime version does not allow users to change the
design of Microsoft Access tables, queries, forms, reports, macros or module code. The runtime
versions are similar to their corresponding full version of Access and usually compatible with earlier
versions; for example Access Runtime 2010 allows a user to run an Access application made with
the 2010 version as well as 2007 through 2000. Due to deprecated features in Access 2013, its
runtime version is also unable to support those older features. During development one can simulate
the runtime environment from the fully functional version by using the /runtime command line option.
[28]

Development[edit]
Access stores all database tables, queries, forms, reports, macros, and modules in the Access Jet
database as a single file.
For query development, Access offers a "Query Designer", a graphical user interface that allows
users to build queries without knowledge of structured query language. In the Query Designer, users
can "show" the datasources of the query (which can be tables or queries) and select the fields they
want returned by clicking and dragging them into the grid. One can set up joins by clicking and
dragging fields in tables to fields in other tables. Access allows users to view and manipulate the
SQL code if desired. Any Access table, including linked tables from different data sources, can be
used in a query.
Access also supports the creation of "pass-through queries". These snippets of SQL code can
address external data sources through the use of ODBC connections on the local machine. This
enables users to interact with data stored outside the Access program without using linked tables or
Jet.[29] Users construct the pass-through queries using the SQL syntax supported by the external data
source.
When developing reports (in "Design View") additions or changes to controls cause any linked
queries to execute in the background and the designer is forced to wait for records to be returned
before being able to make another change. This feature cannot be turned off.
Non-programmers can use the macro feature to automate simple tasks through a series of drop-
down selections. Macros allow users to easily chain commands together such as running queries,
importing or exporting data, opening and closing forms, previewing and printing reports, etc. Macros
support basic logic (IF-conditions) and the ability to call other macros. Macros can also contain sub-
macros which are similar to subroutines. In Access 2007, enhanced macros included error-handling
and support for temporary variables. Access 2007 also introduced embedded macros that are
essentially properties of an object's event. This eliminated the need to store macros as individual
objects. However, macros were limited in their functionality by a lack of programming loops and
advanced coding logic until Access 2013. With significant further enhancements introduced in
Access 2013, the capabilities of macros became fully comparable to VBA. They made feature rich
web-based application deployments practical, via a greatly enhanced Microsoft SharePoint interface
and tools, as well as on traditional Windows desktops.
In common with other products in the Microsoft Office suite, the other programming language used
in Access is Microsoft VBA. It is similar to Visual Basic 6.0 (VB6) and code can be stored in modules,
classes, and code behind forms and reports. To create a richer, more efficient and maintainable
finished product with good error handling, most professional Access applications are developed
using the VBA programming language rather than macros, except where web deployment is a
business requirement.
To manipulate data in tables and queries in VBA or macros, Microsoft provides two database access
libraries of COM components:

1. Data Access Objects (DAO) (32-bit only), which is included in

Access and Windows and evolved to ACE in Microsoft Access
2007 for the ACCDE database format

2. ActiveX Data Objects ActiveX Data Objects (ADO) (both 32-bit

and 64-bit versions)
As well as DAO and ADO, developers can also use OLE DB and ODBC for developing native C/C++
programs for Access.[30] For ADPs and the direct manipulation of SQL Server data, ADO is required.
DAO is most appropriate for managing data in Access/Jet databases, and the only way to
manipulate the complex field types in ACCDB tables.
In the database container or navigation pane in Access 2007 and later versions, the system
automatically categorizes each object by type (e.g., table, query, macro). Many Access developers
use the Leszynski naming convention, though this is not universal; it is a programming convention,
not a DBMS-enforced rule.[31][32] It is particularly helpful in VBA where references to object names may
not indicate its data type (e.g. tbl for tables, qry for queries).
Developers deploy Microsoft Access most often for individual and workgroup projects (the Access 97
speed characterization was done for 32 users).[33] Since Access 97, and with Access 2003 and 2007,
Microsoft Access and hardware have evolved significantly. Databases under 1 GB in size (which can
now fit entirely in RAM) and 200 simultaneous users are well within the capabilities of Microsoft
Access.[34] Of course, performance depends on the database design and tasks. Disk-intensive work
such as complex searching and querying take the most time.
As data from a Microsoft Access database can be cached in RAM, processing speed may
substantially improve when there is only a single user or if the data is not changing. In the past, the
effect of packet latency on the record-locking system caused Access databases to run slowly on
a Virtual Private Network (VPN) or a Wide Area Network (WAN) against a Jet database. As of
2010 broadband connections have mitigated this issue. Performance can also be enhanced if
a continuous connection is maintained to the back-end database throughout the session rather than
opening and closing it for each table access. If Access database performance over VPN or WAN
suffers, then a client using Remote Desktop Protocol (such as Microsoft Terminal Services) can
provide an effective solution. Access databases linked to SQL Server or to Access Data Projects
work well[citation needed] over VPNs and WANs.
In July 2011, Microsoft acknowledged an intermittent query performance problem with all versions of
Access and Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 due to the nature of resource management
being vastly different in newer operating systems.[35] This issue severely affects query performance
on both Access 2003 and earlier with the Jet Database Engine code, as well as Access 2007 and
later with the Access Database Engine (ACE).[35] Microsoft has issued hotfixes KB2553029 for
Access 2007 and KB2553116 for Access 2010, but will not fix the issue with Jet 4.0 as it is out of
mainstream support.[35]
In earlier versions of Microsoft Access, the ability to distribute applications required the purchase of
the Developer Toolkit; in Access 2007, 2010 and Access 2013 the "Runtime Only" version is offered
as a free download,[36] making the distribution of royalty-free applications possible on Windows XP,
Vista, 7 and Windows 8.x.[37]
Split database architecture[edit]
Microsoft Access applications can adopt a split-database architecture. The single database can be
divided into a separate "back-end" file that contains the data tables (shared on a file server) and a
"front-end" (containing the application's objects such as queries, forms, reports, macros, and
modules). The "front-end" Access application is distributed to each user's desktop and linked to the
shared database. Using this approach, each user has a copy of Microsoft Access (or the runtime
version) installed on their machine along with their application database. This reduces network traffic
since the application is not retrieved for each use. The "front-end" database can still contain local
tables for storing a user's settings or temporary data. This split-database design also allows
development of the application independent of the data. One disadvantage is that users may make
various changes to their own local copy of the application and this makes it hard to manage version
control. When a new version is ready, the front-end database is replaced without impacting the data
database. Microsoft Access has two built-in utilities, Database Splitter[38] and Linked Table Manager,
to facilitate this architecture.
Linked tables in Access use absolute paths rather than relative paths, so the development
environment either has to have the same path as the production environment or a "dynamic-linker"
routine can be written in VBA.
For very large Access databases, this may have performance issues and a SQL backend should be
considered in these circumstances. This is less of an issue if the entire database can fit in the PC's
RAM since Access caches data and indexes.
Migration to SQL Server[edit]
The neutrality of this article is disputed. Relevant discussion may be found on the talk page.
Please do not remove this message until conditions to do so are met. (August 2016) (Learn how and
when to remove this template message)
Main article: Upsizing (database)
To scale Access applications to enterprise or web solutions, one possible technique involves
migrating to Microsoft SQL Server or equivalent server database. A clientserver design significantly
reduces maintenance and increases security, availability, stability, and transaction logging.
Access 2010 included a feature called the Upsizing Wizard that allowed users to upgrade their
databases to Microsoft SQL Server, an ODBC clientserver database. This feature was removed
from Access 2013. An additional solution, the SQL Server Migration Assistant for Access (SSMA),
continues to be available for free download from Microsoft. [39]
A variety of upgrading options are available.[40] After migrating the data and queries to SQL Server,
the Access database can be linked to the SQL database. However, certain data types are
problematic, most notably "Yes/No". In Microsoft Access there are three states for the Yes/No
(True/False) data type: empty, no/false (zero) and yes/true (-1). The corresponding SQL Server data
type is binary, with only two states, permissible values, zero and 1. Regardless, SQL Server is still
the easiest migration, and most appropriate especially if the user does not have rights to create
objects such as stored procedures on SQL Server. Retrieving data from linked tables is optimized to
just the records needed, but this scenario may operate less efficiently than what would otherwise be
optimal for SQL Server. For example, in instances where multi-table joins still require copying the
whole table across the network.
In previous versions of Access, including Access 2010, databases can also be converted to Access
Data Projects (ADP) which are tied directly to one SQL Server database. This feature was removed
from Access 2013. ADP's support the ability to directly create and modify SQL Server objects such
as tables, views, stored procedures, and SQL Server constraints. The views and stored procedures
can significantly reduce the network traffic for multi-table joins. Fortunately, SQL Server supports
temporary tables and links to other data sources beyond the single SQL Server database.
Finally, some Access databases are completely replaced by another technology such as ASP.NET or
Java once the data is converted. However any migration may dictate major effort since the Access
SQL language is a more powerful superset of standard SQL. Further, Access application procedures,
whether VBA and macros, are written at a relatively higher level versus the currently available
alternatives that are both robust and comprehensive. Note that the Access macro language, allowing
an even higher level of abstraction than VBA, was significantly enhanced in Access 2010 and again
in Access 2013.
In many cases, developers build direct web-to-data interfaces using ASP.NET, while keeping major
business automation processes, administrative and reporting functions that don't need to be
distributed to everyone in Access for information workers to maintain.
While all Access data can migrate to SQL Server directly, some queries cannot migrate successfully.
In some situations, you may need to translate VBA functions and user defined functions into TSQL
or .NET functions / procedures. Crosstab queries can be migrated to SQL Server using the PIVOT
command.

Protection[edit]
Microsoft Access applications can be made secure by various methods, the most basic being
password access control; this is a relatively weak form of protection.
A higher level of protection is the use of workgroup security requiring a user name and password.
Users and groups can be specified along with their rights at the object type or individual object level.
This can be used to specify people with read-only or data entry rights but may be challenging to
specify. A separate workgroup security file contains the settings which can be used to manage
multiple databases. Workgroup security is not supported in the Access 2007 and Access 2010
ACCDB database format, although Access 2007 and Access 2010 still support it for MDB databases.
Databases can also be encrypted. The ACCDB format offers significantly advanced encryption from
previous versions.[41]
Additionally, if the database design needs to be secured to prevent changes, Access databases can
be locked/protected (and the source code compiled) by converting the database to a .MDE file. All
changes to the VBA project (modules, forms, or reports) need to be made to the original MDB and
then reconverted to MDE. In Access 2007 and Access 2010, the ACCDB database is converted to
an ACCDE file. Some tools are available for unlocking and "decompiling", although certain elements
including original VBA comments and formatting are normally irretrievable.

File extensions[edit]
Microsoft Access saves information under the following file formats:

Current formats

File format Extension

Access Blank Project Template .adn

Access Database (2007 and later) .accdb

Access Database Runtime (2007 and later) .accdr

Access Database Template (2007 and later) .accdt

Access Add-In (2007 and later) .accda

Access Workgroup, database for user-level security. .mdw

Protected Access Database, with compiled VBA andr macros (2007 and later) .accde

Windows Shortcut: Access Macro .mam

Windows Shortcut: Access Query .maq

Windows Shortcut: Access Report .mar

Windows Shortcut: Access Table .mat

Windows Shortcut: Access Form .maf

Access lock files (associated with .accdb) .laccdb

Legacy formats

File format Extension

Protected Access Data Project (not supported in 2013) .ade

Access Data Project (not supported in 2013) .adp

Access Database (2003 and earlier) .mdb

Access Database (Pocket Access for Windows CE) .cdb

Access Database, used for addins (Access 2, 95, 97),

.mda
previously used for workgroups (Access 2)
Access Blank Database Template (2003 and earlier) .mdn

Access Add-in Data (2003 and earlier) .mdt

Access (SQL Server) detached database (2000) .mdf

Protected Access Database, with compiled VBA and macros (2003 and earlier) .mde

Access lock files (associated with .mdb) .ldb

Versions[edit]

Version Release
Version Jet version Supported OS Office suite version
number Date[42]

Access
1.0 1992 1.1 Windows 3.0[43]
1.1

Access
2.0 1993 2.0 Windows 3.1x[43] Office 4.3 Pro
2.0

Access for
Aug. 24,
Windows 7.0 3.0 Windows 95[43] Office 95 Professional
1995
95

Jan. 16, Windows 95, Windows NT Office 97 Professional

Access 97 8.0 3.5
1997 3.51 SP5, Windows NT 4.0 SP2[44] and Developer

Office
Windows 95, Windows NT
Access June 7, 2000 Professional,
9.0 4.0 SP1 4.0, Windows 98, Windows
2000 1999 Premium and
2000[45]
Developer

Access 10.0 May 31, 4.0 SP1 Windows NT 4.0 SP6, Windows Office XP Professional
2002 2001 98, Windows 2000, Windows
 Me[46] and Developer

Office
Windows 2000 SP3 or
Access Nov. 27, 2003 Professional and
11.0 4.0 SP1 later, Windows XP, Windows
2003 2003 Professional
Vista, Windows 7[47]
Enterprise

Office
Windows XP SP2, Windows 2007 Professional,
Access Jan. 27,
12.0 12 Server 2003 SP1, or newer Professional Plus,
2007 2007
operating system[48] Ultimate and
Enterprise

Windows XP SP3, Windows

Server 2003 SP2, Windows Server
Office
2003 R2, Windows Vista
Access July 15, 2010 Professional,
14.0 14 SP1, Windows Server
2010 2010 Professional Academic
2008, Windows 7, Windows
and Professional Plus
Server 2008 R2, Windows Server
2012, Windows 8[49]

Windows 7, Windows Server 2008

Access Jan. 29,
15.0 15 R2, Windows Server Office 2013
2013 2013
2012, Windows 8[50]

Sept.
Access Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows
16.0 22, 16 Office 2016
2016 8.1, Windows 10[51]
2015

There are no Access versions between 2.0 and 7.0 because the Office 95 version was launched with
Word 7. All of the Office 95 products have OLE 2 capabilities, and Access 7 shows that it was
compatible with Word 7.
Version number 13 was skipped.

See also[edit]
Comparison of relational database management systems

Form (web)

MDB Tools
 Kexi

References[edit]
1. ^ Jump up to:a b "Introduction to importing and exporting data".
Microsoft. Retrieved 15 October 2010.

2. ^ Jump up to:a b c d Goodhew, Tony (1996). "Jet Engine: History".

Retrieved 2011-01-02.

3. ^ Jump up to:a b c d Ferguson, Scott. "The Birth of Visual Basic".

4. Jump up^ Brownstein, Mark; Johnston, Stuart J. (November 14,

1988). "Microsoft Works on SAA Database". InfoWorld. p. .5.

5. Jump up^ Brownstein, Mark (February 13, 1989). "Microsoft Puts

Finishing Touches on Windows Applications". InfoWorld. p. 5.

6. Jump up^ Flynn, Laurie (May 8, 1989). "Microsoft Applications to

Share Macro Language". InfoWorld. p. 1.

7. Jump up^ Flynn, Laurie (August 21, 1989). "Microsoft Waits on SQL
Front Ends". InfoWorld. p. 109.

8. Jump up^ Cringely, Robert X. (September 4, 1989). "Gates Claims

That 80286 Systems Are No Longer His Babies". InfoWorld. p. 82.

9. Jump up^ Cringely, Robert X. (July 31, 1989). "No Way, the PC
Industry Will Always Be Dominated By Doritos". InfoWorld. p. 86.

10. Jump up^ Cringely, Robert X. (October 16, 1989). "Lotus Exec Tells
of Ordeal: "Aliens Force Me to Use MS Windows"". InfoWorld. p. 106.

11. Jump up^ Cringely, Robert X. (November 20, 1989). "Elvis, Now a
Vegas Parking Lot Attendant, Further Delays Intel 486". InfoWorld.
p. 106.

12. Jump up^ Mace, Scott (November 30, 1992). "Microsoft demos its ill-
fated Omega". InfoWorld. p. 16.

13. Jump up^ Picarille, Lisa; Mace, Scott (March 30, 1992). "Microsoft's
Fox purchase stirs up the XBase market". InfoWorld. p. 1. Cirrus (...)
will go head-to-head with Paradox and Metaphor Computer Systems'
Metaphor program.

14. Jump up^ Cringely, Robert X. (November 4, 1991). "Whatever

costume Eckhard wears is likely to scare Silicon Graphics". InfoWorld.
p. 118. (...) rumor (...) that FoxPro might replace Redmond's long-
delayed database, now code-named Cirrus.

15. Jump up^ Mace, Scott (June 29, 1992). "Microsoft creating API to
complement ODBC". InfoWorld. p. 1. Open ISAM support will be in
Microsoft's forthcomming Cirrus DBMS for Windows.
16. Jump up^ "Developers get beta version of Microsoft
DBMS". InfoWorld. July 13, 1992. p. 3.

17. Jump up^ Johnston, Stuart J. (July 20, 1998). "Cirrus dubbed Access;
faster beta released". InfoWorld. p. 1.

18. Jump up^ "Out of memory" error starting Microsoft Access

19. Jump up^ "Changes in Access". Microsoft. Retrieved 13 March 2016.

20. ^ Jump up to:a b "New in Access for developers". Microsoft.

Retrieved 13 March 2016.

21. Jump up^ "Discontinued features and modified functionality in Access

2013". Microsoft. Retrieved 13 March 2016.

22. Jump up^ "Microsoft Access History". Retrieved 13 March 2016.

23. Jump up^ "Where did the name for Microsoft Access come
from?". The Old New Thing. Microsoft. Retrieved 13 March 2016.

24. Jump up^ "Using Terminal Services and RemoteApp to Extend Your
Microsoft Access and other Windows Applications Over the Internet".
Retrieved 13 March 2016.

25. Jump up^ "Creating Web Databases with Access 2010 and Access
Services". Msdn.microsoft.com. 2009-07-22. Retrieved 2013-04-24.

26. ^ Jump up to:a b "Discontinued features and modified functionality in

Access 2010". Office.com. Microsoft. Retrieved 17 January 2014.

27. Jump up^ "Microsoft Access Runtime Distribution and Free

Downloads". Retrieved 2016-06-15.

28. Jump up^ "Simulating the Microsoft Access Runtime during

Development". Retrieved 2016-06-15.

29. Jump up^ Sinclair, Russell (2000). From access to SQL server.
Apress Series. Apress. p. 39. ISBN 978-1-893115-24-8.
Retrieved 2010-07-08. SQL pass-through queries are queries in which
you can enter a statement that is passed directly to the ODBC driver
without the Jet engine validating it or parsing it in any way.

30. Jump up^ Aleksandar Jaki (August 2008). "Developing Access

2007 Solutions with Native C or C++". Microsoft Corporation.
Retrieved 2008-09-22.

31. Jump up^ "Naming Conventions". Microsoft. Retrieved 13

March 2016.

32. Jump up^ Naming Conventions for Visual Basic

33. Jump up^ Kevin Collins (Microsoft Jet Program Management),
"Microsoft Jet 3.5 Performance Overview and Optimization
Techniques", MSDN. Retrieved July 19, 2005.

34. Jump up^ "Microsoft Access Database Scalability: How many users
can it support?". FMS Software Development Team Blog.
Retrieved 13 March 2016.

35. ^ Jump up to:a b c Very slow Access 2002 query with Windows 7

36. Jump up^ "Microsoft Access Runtime Distribution Programs and Free
Downloads". Retrieved 13 March 2016.

37. Jump up^ "Download Microsoft Access 2010 Runtime from Official
Microsoft Download Center". Microsoft. Retrieved 13 March 2016.

38. Jump up^ "Microsoft Access Split Database Architecture to Support

Multiuser Environments, Improve Performance, and Simplify
Maintainability". Fmsinc.com. Retrieved 2013-04-24.

39. Jump up^ "Database Server & Data Management Software | SQL
Server 2012". Microsoft.com. Retrieved 2013-04-24.

40. Jump up^ "When and How to Upsize Microsoft Access Databases to
SQL Server". Retrieved 13 March 2016.

41. Jump up^ "Security Considerations and Guidance for Access 2007".
Microsoft. Retrieved 13 March 2016.

42. Jump up^ "Microsoft Access Life-cycle Information". Retrieved 2011-

10-23.

43. ^ Jump up to:a b c "Microsoft Access Version Releases, Service Packs,

Hotfixes, and Updates History". FMS. Retrieved 20 July 2015.

44. Jump up^ "Chapter 5 - System Requirements for MS Office". Office

97 Resource Kit. Microsoft. Retrieved 2 May 2013.

45. Jump up^ "Office 2000 Systems Requirements". Microsoft Office

website. Microsoft. Retrieved 2 May 2013.

46. Jump up^ "Office XP System Requirements". Microsoft Office

website. Microsoft. Retrieved 2 May 2013.

47. Jump up^ "Office 2003 Licensing and System

Requirements". Microsoft Office website. Microsoft. Retrieved 2
May 2013.

48. Jump up^ "Getting started with the 2007 Office system". Microsoft
TechNet. Microsoft. 28 April 2009. Retrieved 2 May 2013.

49. Jump up^ "System requirements for Office 2010". Microsoft TechNet.
Microsoft. 19 February 2013. Retrieved 2 May 2013.
 50. Jump up^ "System requirements for Office 2013". Microsoft TechNet.
Microsoft. 12 February 2013. Retrieved 2 May 2013.

51. Jump up^ "Microsoft Access 2016". Microsoft. Microsoft.

This article is based on material taken from the Free On-line Dictionary of Computing prior to 1 November 2008 and
incorporated under the "relicensing" terms of the GFDL, version 1.3 or later.

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