Exercises

1.	What is the difference between a standard Access database (ACCDB file) and an Access Project (ADP file)?
2.	What are some advantages of using SQL Server for your applications now instead of waiting to migrate later?
3.	What are stored procedures, views, and functions? How do you view them from Access Projects?

Answers

1.	A standard Access database (ACCDB file) contains the database tables and queries within the ACCDB file itself. An Access Project is a special type of Access file that uses SQL Server as the database. The database tables, queries (stored procedures, views, and functions), and database diagrams are physically stored on the SQL Server itself, although you can view them from Access.
2.	If you use SQL Server as the database for your applications now, you will not have to go through the hassle of upgrading to SQL Server at a later date. If you anticipate that there is a good chance you will need to migrate to SQL Server in the future, you may be better served by using the free, but limited functionality, version of SQL Server now - the SQL Server Express Edition. If you need to migrate to SQL Server later, you will need to make changes to your database and/or code in order to work with SQL Server. In some cases, these changes are minimal, whereas in other cases the changes are substantial.
3.	Stored procedures are procedures that are stored in the SQL Server database. They allow you to take frequently used SQL statements and save them in a procedure for reuse. Views are also stored in SQL Server and allow you to store frequently used SQL statements and can later be referenced just as you reference tables. Views are helpful for row- and column-level security, for example. Functions are also SQL statements stored in the SQL Server database and can be called from inline from another SQL statement. In many cases, the same functionality can be accomplished using any of these three.