Tutors

[lioninwinter]

Dear Access World community: Apologies if this is not the right pace to ask the question; admins please feel free to redirect me. I am based in the UK somewhere between being a beginner and intermediate Access user and use the program for developing a database for a history project for a PhD. The database is getting quite complex and sort of works but I find myself asking all kinds of questions about structure and how to build functionality like for example updating keys which change throughout the different linked tables. I would really like to find someone who has time and patience to be a sort of mentor/tutor who can help me take things forward. I realize time is not free and would be prepared to do this commercially. My specific question is whether there is anyone in the community with experience of historical databases who could help and also if anyone knows sites intended for this sort of inquiry. Any thoughts, suggestions or proposals would be most gratefully received. David

 

[CarlettoFed]

Meanwhile, to start you could attach an example file, even without data to be able to see at least the database structure.

 

[Minty]

I suspect that most commercial developers would probably be pretty expensive from a tutoring perspective, and, in the UK at least, the training courses I have seen don't seem very good, or are aimed at absolute beginners.

There are however quite a lot of excellent on-line resources available, and as has been pointed out people here are certainly happy to provide advice, which might steer you in the right direction.

Have a read of this thread as well https://www.access-programmers.co.uk/forums/threads/anyone-willing-to-tutor-one-on-one.305310/

 

[theDBguy]

Hi David. You might try contacting @strive4peace because tutoring is her specialty.

 

[strive4peace]

hi David,

I'd be happy to tutor you! Have a look at http://msaccessgurus.com/training.htm and send me an email if you want to connect, training@msaccessgurus.com

 

[lioninwinter]

I suspect that most commercial developers would probably be pretty expensive from a tutoring perspective, and, in the UK at least, the training courses I have seen don't seem very good, or are aimed at absolute beginners.

There are however quite a lot of excellent on-line resources available, and as has been pointed out people here are certainly happy to provide advice, which might steer you in the right direction.

Have a read of this thread as well https://www.access-programmers.co.uk/forums/threads/anyone-willing-to-tutor-one-on-one.305310/

Thank you Minty - I read the thread and it was actually inspiring as well as being helpful.

 

[lioninwinter]

Meanwhile, to start you could attach an example file, even without data to be able to see at least the database structure.

Thank you Carletto (I hope that is the right name). I am not sure if there was an earlier post or if you were picking up the thread from other comments. In any event I'll get my database cleaned up and post it. Comments would be much appreciated. David

 

[Pat Hartman]

Access is more widely used in universities in the UK than it is in the US. Maybe you could find an Access student at your own university willing to collaborate.

 

[Minty]

Access is more widely used in universities in the UK than it is in the US. Maybe you could find an Access student at your own university willing to collaborate.

This is true, we support a number of Access systems in various Universities in the UK. Unusually they have often been initially developed in the University IT departments.

 

[Isaac]

how to build functionality like for example updating keys which change throughout the different linked tables

Hopefully, "updating keys" is one of the things you learn not to do in your travels

 

[namliam]

updating keys which change throughout the different linked tables.

This is why your primary keys in tables are always hidden from the user and always are auto-increment numbers and always are in their nature meaningless to anything but your database.

At anytime you find yourself using a PK or FK for anything but this.... adding meaning to these numbers, step back and prevent it from happening because you are leading yourself down the wrong path which will cause you major headaches in the future....
It could be tomorrow, next year or a decade from now ... no matter the "meaningfull primary key" that will accoording to users "will NEVER EVER change" ... it will, some day it will.