How to study MS Access Tool (1 Viewer)

[SachAccess]

Hi Experts,
Could you please help me in below.
I have an MS Access Tool. Am supposed to edit it as per the requirement.
At the moment am blank about requirements.
The tool has, queries, forms, reports, tables, macros and VBA code.
How do I study this tool on own so that I will be bit familiar when the actual work starts.
What are the things that I should check, note-down, study from the tool.
Please advise.

 

[arnelgp]

How do I study this tool on own so that I will be bit familiar when the actual work starts.

doesn't it go with technical/user manual?

 

[SachAccess]

Hi @arnelgp , thanks for the help. At the moment, nothing apart from the tool.

 

[Cotswold]

This is bit of a mystery, for want of an explanation.

I don't know about anyone else but I haven't a clue what it is you are talking about. It has requirements but you don't know what they are. So maybe start by finding out what they are would be stage1?

It has Queries, Forms, Reports, Tables, Macros and code. So presumably it does something when you double-click it?

I would guess as a starting point, the things you should study are the Queries, Forms, Reports, Tables, Macros and code. Then see where you go from there.

 

[Pat Hartman]

If the tool didn't come to you zipped, make your own zip copy of the tool before you start poking around. Otherwise, if you break the tool, you have no recovery point.

What does the tool do? Is it something that is supposed to be imported into your existing database or is it something that is just meant to teach you something?

I make many sample databases. Some, like my switchboards are intended to be imported into your application. Others, like the one that generates a custom user-friendly ID, are meant to be templates. You learn the concept and implement it with changes to suit your needs.

 

[GPGeorge]

Hi Experts,
Could you please help me in below.
I have an MS Access Tool. Am supposed to edit it as per the requirement.
At the moment am blank about requirements.
The tool has, queries, forms, reports, tables, macros and VBA code.
How do I study this tool on own so that I will be bit familiar when the actual work starts.
What are the things that I should check, note-down, study from the tool.
Please advise.

Hm. This isn't part of a training process, is it? Or maybe a part of an interview for a job, or something along those lines?

If you are starting a new job and someone said, "here, get familiar with this", perhaps they expect you to know more than you do?

Working only on the backup, as Pat recommended, "try it out and see what happens" That should, at least, raise questions for you as you try to make this tool "do something".

 

[NauticalGent]

doesn't it go with technical/user manual?

Taking Arnel's question a step further, if it isnt broke and time is not of the essence, perhaps you should make one? Doing so will get you familiar with it and I know those who told you to learn it will LOVE it...

 

[SunnyJamshedji]

I think, when he says MS Access Tool , he means the whole of Access as an app, rather than another tool written in MS Access.

OP, Access isn't a tool per say, but a DB with built-in customizable programming environment. Maybe, there are more elaborate definitions out there.

Question would be: "Why did you open Access in the first place? What problem are you trying to solve with Access? Why Access?"

 

[SachAccess]

I think, when he says MS Access Tool , he means the whole of Access as an app, rather than another tool written in MS Access.

OP, Access isn't a tool per say, but a DB with built-in customizable programming environment. Maybe, there are more elaborate definitions out there.

Question would be: "Why did you open Access in the first place? What problem are you trying to solve with Access? Why Access?"

Hi @SunnyJamshedji , my bad, I did not make it clear.
I meant, a tool designed in MS Access.

 

[SachAccess]

Hm. This isn't part of a training process, is it? Or maybe a part of an interview for a job, or something along those lines?

If you are starting a new job and someone said, "here, get familiar with this", perhaps they expect you to know more than you do?

Working only on the backup, as Pat recommended, "try it out and see what happens" That should, at least, raise questions for you as you try to make this tool "do something".

Hi @GPGeorge thanks for the help. It is an existing MS Access based tool.
There are some changes required in it. At the moment I do not know what the changes will be.
I also do not know, what does that tool perform actually. Just have the tool with me.
So till the time I get more details, I was thinking how should I use the time to learn the tool.

 

[SachAccess]

If the tool didn't come to you zipped, make your own zip copy of the tool before you start poking around. Otherwise, if you break the tool, you have no recovery point.

What does the tool do? Is it something that is supposed to be imported into your existing database or is it something that is just meant to teach you something?

I make many sample databases. Some, like my switchboards are intended to be imported into your application. Others, like the one that generates a custom user-friendly ID, are meant to be templates. You learn the concept and implement it with changes to suit your needs.

Hi @Pat Hartman thanks for the help. I have back-up ready for the tool.

 

[jdraw]

@SachAccess,

I have an MS Access Tool. Am supposed to edit it as per the requirement.
At the moment am blank about requirements.

I think the first step is to determine what this "TOOL" is. Somebody must have acquired it. For what purpose? From whom? As others have asked, where is the supporting documentation? Who is the patron of this project -he is spending money, so has some focused interest?
Again as others have advised, NEVER work with the original. Make a copy, make a second backup and store it safely.

 

[GPGeorge]

Hi @GPGeorge thanks for the help. It is an existing MS Access based tool.
There are some changes required in it. At the moment I do not know what the changes will be.
I also do not know, what does that tool perform actually. Just have the tool with me.
So till the time I get more details, I was thinking how should I use the time to learn the tool.

Perhaps the vagueness of the description raises undue concerns about what really is involved here:

• You don't know what the tool is supposed to do.
• You don't know what changes will be made.

You have "the tool", which apparently is an Access accdb, or a split accdb. Probably the former given the circumstances.

Make some guesses, try them out. What business is your organization in? Does the tool have any relevance to that business? What is it called? Does it have descriptive name that can clue you in? Has someone been using it in your organization? If not, why did the sponsor of this project acquire it? Why would they give you the task of modifying it?

Too many unanswered questions.

Just make yourself a study copy and have at it. You'll learn best, I suspect, by trial and error. At the very least you'll find out what it is supposed to do.

Of course, another approach would be to interview the people in the organization using this tool. They probably know the answers.

 

[CJ_London]

You are in 150 posts so should a some idea about how it works. The name of the tool should give you an idea of what it does, failing that, open it and see what you see

 

[SachAccess]

Hi @CJ_London thanks for the help. At present, am trying to read queries, there are more than 80.
Trying to read code written behind a form, normal VBA code, which code is associated with which button.
Bit overwhelmed by this, not sure if am going in correct direction, that is why am seeking help here.

 

[Pat Hartman]

Am supposed to edit it as per the requirement.

What does that mean? Are you supposed to modify a database built by someone else? What change are you supposed to make?

 

[SachAccess]

Hi @Pat Hartman , thanks for the help, am supposed to edit the MS Access Tool as per the requirement. This tool has several tables in-built and few of files are linked. I do not have idea about the changes required it. Yes, this is not built by me.

 

[CJ_London]

Suggest you need to look at the flow of the form- you open it, what happens? Check the form open, load and current events if they exist. Some events only occur once when you open the form, others occur when something changes.

but start with the form that opens when the app opens, understand what it does, put company in the code about what each bit does if not already done

then choose one of the options on the form which will no doubt open another form - repeat the documentation process then move on to the next form.

a good reference is to print out the relationships, assuming they have been done so you can see how each form/subform relate to each other

 

[Pat Hartman]

Apparently the changes you have been directed to make are a deep dark secret.

 

[SunnyJamshedji]

Couple of things I'd do.

First, relax, you don't need to know what the tool does.

If ur fixing a problem, then u just need to learn how to use Shift+ F8. Run the code till u see the problem. Stop the debugger and step one less until u get to where ur problem is upstream. At some point ur going to understand how it's all put together.

If they want you to add functionality, then create the forms, queries, reports n code you need to get the job done. And, a button/menu where it is initiated. Later on when u get familiar with the layout you may find that u have duplicated something. U can make different decisions then.