Customer Reviews:
Showing reviews 1-5 of 30
 My Favorite Intermediate Access Reference August 28, 2003
Margaret Magnus (Francestown, NH USA)
19 out of 19 found this review helpful
I figured out the basic structure of Access (basic Tables, Queries, Forms, Macros) from the online Help files (not including the VBA and ActiveX and linking to outside data sources and stuff). Then I went to Amazon and looked for another text and bought Getz, Litwin and Gilbert. When I first got it, I didn't understand it. So I went to a local store and browsed through the books on the shelf and decided on this one. It seemed to be at about my level -- 1/3 to 1/2 of it I already knew. And having now worked with it for a few weeks, I find it to be quite good. Two other people in the office started by borrowing my Getz, and then borrowed Balter instead for the same reason. Things are pretty easy to look up in it if you're not the type to read these things cover to cover. She covers everything clearly once (not 47 times), and you can find where that place is. She doesn't assume you know what ActiveX and ADO vs. DAO are. And there are a fair number of solutions to common needs which don't have obvious solutions...
I recommend it.
BTW, for you others who are new to VBA through Access, one things she doesn't say loud and clear is to avoid Access specific stuff where possible, and revert to good ole SQL. Go to the underlying table and do an update query with DoCmd.RunSQL query_name.
The best for beginning-intermediate developers...... December 16, 2002
Bob Stayton (Pinehurst, NC)
16 out of 16 found this review helpful
While the Getz books may be for advanced developers, Alison's books are by far the best for beginning to intermediate developers. I found her explanations and sample code to be much more appropriate for me as an intermediate developer. If you consider yourself an advanced VBA developer then maybe some of this material is too basic. BUT if you're not, you owe it to yourself to look at Alison's books. They're great! This book is actually fun to read and it has served as an excellent reference for the Access applications that I continue to create. If you use SQL Server, you also look at her Enterprise book, the companion to this one. Don't change your style, Alison! I look forward to your future works!
Going to the next level December 10, 2002
Tommy Christopherson (Dallas, TX USA)
13 out of 13 found this review helpful
I am a programming consultant in the Dallas area and have programmed in MS Access since 1995 when it was a Windows 3.1 product at version 2.0. I have purchased 3 MS Access books since that time and all claimed that they were for the beginner all the way up to the advanced in skill level. The first two were helpful if you were brand new to Access, but sometimes you want to accomplish certain tasks for which there is no wizard. Looking on MSDN is, at times, a shot in the dark. I found Alison's book - "Mastering Access 2002 Desktop Development" to be a perfect training guide for all and an excellent reference manual as well. I sometimes carry it to a client's office instead of my MSDN CDs. If you want to learn how to make your Access DB more professional-looking, then you should get your hands on this book.
A great book for those who want to learn! December 7, 2001
Craig Toth (Lakeland, FL United States)
9 out of 9 found this review helpful
I want to thank Alison Balter for publishing the book Mastering Access 2002 Desktop Development. As a network manager/teacher, I am using concepts that I glean from this book to help instruct students and other teachers to become more knowledgeable and proficient in good database design. Mastering Access 2002 Desktop Development is a substantial book (over 1300 pages). Yet readers who want to understand WHY something should be done in Access will appreciate the numerous explanations contained within its pages. This book does a great job of covering the fundamentals of Access, as well as provide ample explanations and examples dealing with advanced topics, such as ADO, VBA, and database security. As a "network person," I especially like the chapters on "Developing Multiuser and Enterprise Applications." This is a superior book for those who truly plan to develop quality applications using Access 2002.
Great Examples! March 11, 2002
Sam Leventhal (Irvine, CA United States)
7 out of 7 found this review helpful
I've followed Allison's books on Microsoft Access ever since Version 1.0. Alison, Getz, and Dobson are in my opinion, the 3 top Microsoft Access authors. No one else comes close. I particularly like her excellent VBA presentation / review. Allison reviews Visual Basic by coding specific examples for every concept. As the student steps through code, they really learn to understand what is going on. The clarity of her writing inspires the self-learning to feel they can go on and get it! A great teacher! I'll be using her book for the summer class I'm teaching at U C Irvine Extension - Access - II. And if I get a chance to write a level III class, I'd use her Enterprise book.
Showing reviews 1-5 of 30
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