Microsoft Office Access 2003 Enhancements

The big improvement in Access is XML support built into the easy import and export capabilities of the program. As explained in Chapter 5, XML support makes it possible for Access to work with virtually any kind of file (given the necessary transforms). The additional enhancements in Access have to do with simplifying complicated tasks and making things easier for users and developers. This section gives you a quick look at the productivity enhancements in Access.

Smart Tags Identifying Common Errors

Access 2003 puts smart tag technology to work by using it to help let users know about common errors that occur in Access databases. For example, when Access encounters an invalid control source or an unassociated label, a smart tag indicator underlines the item. When the user positions the pointer over the item, the smart tag icon appears; by clicking it, the user will see a list of possible actions for identifying and resolving the error.

Tip 

Access also supports the use of the AutoCorrect smart tag for common data-entry errors, such as incorrect capitalization, and can expedite text entry by replacing the abbreviated text a user types with the longer company or product name, for example.

Creating a Backup Database

Now Access 2003 can easily create a backup copy of important database files by using the Back Up Database command directly from Access's File menu. When you choose the command, Access displays the Save Backup As dialog box and names the database file with the current date so that future backups do not overwrite previous versions. (See Figure 8-13.)

Figure 8-13: The new Back Up Database option enables you to easily create a backup of important files.

Identifying Dependencies

When you rename or revise database objects, it's easy to forget-especially in a complicated database system-the variety of items that depend on that particular item. Access 2003 includes an Object Dependencies command that enables you to find out which other objects (tables, forms, queries, and reports) depend on the item you are modifying. You can evaluate dependencies by right clicking the object and choosing Object Dependencies, as you can see in Figure 8-14. The Object Dependencies task pane shows you the objects that will be affected. When you make the change, the objects are updated automatically for you.

Figure 8-14: Access 2003 shows you the objects that depend on the selected item.

Simplified Copying of Linked Tables

In previous versions of Access, the steps involved in copying a linked table to your local database were complicated; now the process is simplified so that you can copy a linked table to your local database using a simple copy-and-paste procedure. Additionally, a link appears in the Access task pane as a common action under Linked Tables.