Hi

[prashant57]

Hi i am new to access , can any one please tell me how to start and learn and which books i do refer

Thanks,
Prashant

 

[Pat Hartman]

For a rank beginner, one of the learn Access visually books would be good. They walk you through the GUI and show you with pictures how to do things. Once you are comfortable with the interface, you can move on to books that will teach you database design and visual basic.

 

[boblarson]

Don't know which version of Access you have, but if you have Access 2007, the new book by John Viescas and Jeff Conrad (Access Junkie on this forum) called "Microsoft Office Access 2007 - Inside Out"
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0735623252/104-1090813-8998308
is a great book. They have covered almost everything that can be covered and with plenty of screenshots, AND they go into database design and all. There are also some really good reference materials included. I bought it and I just love it.

 

[AccessJunkie]

Hi Prashant,

You have lots of resources at your disposal to learn about Access. I would start by looking at my Resources page here:
http://www.accessmvp.com/JConrad/accessjunkie/resources.html

You'll find links to hundreds of free resources concerning Access. Start there and see if you can find all the information you need. There's no clear consensus on what is "best" because everyone learns differently.

These and other online newsgroups and forums are great for helping you learn about Access, but they're best geared towards asking specific questions and much less towards very vague, open-ended questions. I personally learned a great deal of my knowledge about Access right here in these groups. Don't forget to search these groups because chances are, someone else has had the same issue as well.

Here are some other possible avenues of training besides looking at the links I mentioned:

1. See if there are any local Access user groups in your area and if there are, attend the meetings and try to ask questions whenever possible.

2. You might check to see if your employer will pay for some in-class Access training courses. These could be at a local college or a specific training service.

3. Access books are always a good resource. If you want to go this route, go down to your local bookstore and spend some time thumbing through the various titles. Remember to try and match the version to what you're using because there are differences. There are a broad range of styles, topics, and knowledge levels so grab what seems "best for you" and feels right.

I have a large list of book resources here:
http://www.accessmvp.com/JConrad/accessjunkie/resources.html#Books

4. There is also the possibility of CD/DVD training. If you want to go this route, make sure you look around with different companies (just like with the books) and see what feels right. Most of these companies have samples you can look at before buying.

5. The local Help files, Office Online, and MSDN can also provide good reference material for learning about Access.

6. You might also consider hiring a personal tutor to do some one-on-one training.

Good luck and have fun with Access!
(you'll be hooked in no time....<sinister laugh>....)


--------------------
Jeff Conrad - Access Junkie - MVP Alumni
SDET - XAS Services - Microsoft Corporation

Co-author - Microsoft Office Access 2007 Inside Out
Presenter - Microsoft Access 2007 Essentials
http://www.accessmvp.com/JConrad/accessjunkie.html
Access 2007 Info: http://www.AccessJunkie.com

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[The_Doc_Man]

I would add that the Internet is a good source on its own.

The topic of "Database Normalization" is something you should research before you try to design any substantial databases. (Trivial ones for learning, who cares if they are ugly?)

You can Google search for database normalization, but if you do, limit your articles to reputable .EDU domain sites and the few .COM sites of reputable database vendors. Access Help also discusses the topic, as does Wikipedia.ORG, not to mention searching this forum for issues concerning normalization. But understand, this is not the first thing you research. You read up on normalization only after you have made a few throw-away databases to try some principles in the "Visual" books.

Don't be surprise if, some time in the not so distant future, you realize that you have outgrown the books. They are fairly elementary for a reason. It is hard to make a good book that is simultaneously relevant to real-world problems and readable at the same time. So you will reach a point where you wish to make a quantum leap only to find there is no OBVIOUS place to go. Come back here and ask for more suggested books and topics for research.

Don't be surprised if, when you reach that quantum leap stage, you have some questions that totally perplex you. Access is a simple-appearing introduction to a world that is not so simple at all. Database design is a topic that is covered by entire sequences of classes at universities these days. I.e. not just an elective but an entire subject track. Just don't rush things. You can learn pretty much anything you need to know using Access as the starting point. Though after a while it gets cranky when you are starting to push the envelope.

By the way, your question is very proper and not at all presumptive. Thank you for not asking the impossible like some incredibly pushy new users often try to do.

 

[Banana]

The_Doc_Man,

While I agree with you that lot of books lose their usability by time you are comfortable enough with Access/VBA/Database Normalization/Whatever, it doesn't detract from the fact that you can't benefit from a good reference book.

I know that I always consult Alison Baltier's book on Access development when I am exploring something that is not totally familiar and need more specifications. Combine that with the built-in help documentations, then anything in VBA becomes doable even if it wasn't specifically covered in either for your specific needs. The other book on Access I have, is collecting dust because it's just a "how-to", with no information about how things behave and why.

Just my two cents.

 

[olorin]

I didn't know a thing about database design. I bought "Grover Park George on Access".
Brilliant book, I now run and manage a shipping and stocks database at work. (even though it took a year of my spare time to get it to the point where everyone could use it). Also hours and hours of searching this forum helped oodles.

 

[Ron_dK]

Strange as it may sound, but Youtube does has some nice tutorials.

http://nl.youtube.com/results?search_query=ms+access&search=Zoeken

Just type ms access and you'll find a couple of instruction movies.

Hth