Question Should I learn Access?

realtorDC

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Okay, the question is basically if it would make sense for me to learn access. If you are a fanatic and believe Access is the best thing ever and everyone should learn it, please refrain from answering.

I am a Realtor, I like to manage contacts, properties, etc. I use Gmail, Outlook, and Outlook Web Access to communicate with clients and colleagues, manage my schedule, set reminders, etc.

I use Word for letters, Excel for spreadsheets, Powerpoint for presentations. I am fairly MS Office savvy, except for, I have no idea how to use Access.

I an amateur programmer, html, css, javascript, and php savvy. I run a static html site and a Wordpress blog, and am expirementing with Joomla. Really, tech is not that essential to my job, but when used effectively it makes me more effective, and I am somewhat of a hobbyist as far as technology.

My question is, why should I enter anything into Access, when I can put my contacts straight into Outlook? What would be my benefit? I would like to learn MySQL but would knowing Access increase my ability/functionality if I learn MySQL? Or would it make more sense if I were going to learn how to code ASP? Databases are one area I've never spent any time in, would Access be beneficial for me or is it too much for my uses?
 
depends on the number of contacts and clients you have i'd say you may wanna learn access...possibilities are endless with it...if you are satisfied with what you have then dont learn it...but as your business grows and you don't deal with the contracts directly...you have individuals handling them for you...access can be quite useful...
 
My best advice is to stay away from Access until you realize that what you are using is not going to work for you. With all of the other things you can do, there is no doubt in my mind that you CAN understand Access, but there is a mind-set difference between Excel and Access that can be painfully unsettling.

Having said that, I can tell you that it is possible to do a lot in Access very effectively and very efficiently. But there are, for lack of a better term, "breakpoints" where there is a quantum leap in your time and involvement.

The first breakpoint is the difference between flat-file thinking (Excel) and multi-level, multi-dimensional thinking (Access). The idea of relationships between table elements is difficult to grasp until suddenly there is a blinding flash of insight and <boom> you see it.

The next breakpoint is when you have to design things using other than the wizards. There, it is not so much a mindset of relationships as it is a mindset of a certain type of organization. "Rolling your own" in Access can be a chore.

Then there is the breakpoint for when you need to start working behind the scenes in forms and reports because the front-panel controls just don't cut it. Again, for a while the business of mucking properties during event code can be a royal mass of spaghetti.

Finally, there is the full-blown recordset oriented VBA code that completely takes over for you vs. what the forms would do on their own. Each of these steps occur because you do the previous step and realize you wanted more.

I'm telling you this not to discourage you but to advise you that the investment is quite high and the return on investment depends on you. If some sort of commercial package was available that did what you wanted already, that might be a better investment based on the cost of the package vs. the cost of your time.

I will also add that I do not regret having learned Access so many years ago. It has helped me in more ways than I can count, not even considering the Access MVP status from 2008 (now expired). It was a mind-stretching, gratifying experience, and besides, my hair was falling out anyway, so I just helped it a little. ;)
 
I would say that for anyone that really wants to understand or control large amounts of information thoroughly then knowledge of A database package would be highly useful.

This may not necessarily be Access however Access has the advantage that it is often on many machines but not in use and to that extent you can often develop and implement things on computers essentially for free.

Its primarily useful for me in the bigger projects - when I am trying to do tasks for which there is no set software - and projects which are complicated. I find it particularly useful for complicated project management. Others do not use Access and do not consider learning any sort of database necessary. If there is no set software it really gives you a chance to get ahead of the game which I really enjoy. Personally I would say that people do not concentrate on the practical skills. Database design and development is very much a practical learnt skill - slow to learn but highly useful and slow to lose.

If you are wanting to get into any database I would suggest.
Choose a high value almost repetitive task for which there are no off the shelf software that doesn't quite do what you want (or costs too much money) and which you believe will be a continuing ongoing task - gradually try and make something that gives you some dividends quite quick.

I have three databases that I constantly tick over on.
Planning Gain Database - simple accounting database tracking developer moneys but no applications out there at present so has £32 million in it.
Fixed asset Database - links to digital mapping tracks land
CRM - your classic CRM Database
Timing Database - athletics company asked me to put it together can be used to calculate times for competitors doing 5ks / 10ks well any race really.
Planning Application Database - helps a friend keep track of the land bank information and state of planning applications - again most off the shelf software is in the tens of thousands for this - I windsurf with him so built it for him for the price of a holiday and a couple of meals.

One thing that is interesting about knowing a bit about databases. You realise how easy and yet difficult at the same time it is to put together a database.
(easy because it is useful for you) hard because its very difficult to get others to understand how useful it could be to them. Once you get good you can see how to put a database almost instantly. Quite often still take you 6 months to actually implement it though! Putting together your own databases that you regularly use can be really powerful because you have the twin benefit of deeply understanding the information and arranging it just how you want it. I feel very in control of that information and confident in making any decisions based on that information I try to avoid making decisions on information on some systems I do not feel confident in..

In Doc Man's list above I am somewhere in the recordset area. (certainly not beyond it though)
 
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