[mso] Re: Access and web access
- From: "Dian Chapman" <dian@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <mso@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Mon, 8 Sep 2003 22:03:48 -0500
Well, I'm not sure quite sure what you want to do, exactly...but all you
need to do is build yourself a custom front end to an Access DB (which is
what I've been doing all day<g>)...which can be done in Access itself, Excel
or through Word as I'm doing...or using ASP on the web (which is also what I
do all the time).
You toss an Access DB somewhere (network drive, HD or web server) and then
you need to connect to it via ADO (access data object). Then you need to
know either VBA or ASP, depending on how you build your custom front
end...i.e., the customized user interface.
Like what I'm building...it's a custom medical application used through
Word. Open the master template...a dialog pops up for you to search. You
enter info and search the DB through Word. Then you get the search
results...do something with that info and ultimately the info that's
entered into these custom dialog boxes is returned to update the DB, but
also...much of it is used to populate various fields in a medical report.
Saves the user tons of time not having to do duplicate data entry or mail
merges (ewww!<g>) Very cool stuff and you can build it anyway you want to
it's all automated and the user just clicks buttons to do what they want and
it happens.
To do the same on the web, you need to know how to create a web form and
then also how to connect to the DB and set/retrieve the records. I do it
through the raw code using ASP (active server pages) and VB Script (VBA's
little brother<g>). But several web dev apps, like Dreamweaver and
FrontPage, have capabilities to do this stuff without having to know all the
underlying programming codes. Although...I think learning how to use all
those dialogs is harder than just doing the damn connection with
code<eg>...but I know you can do it that way.
The basics are too hard to learn...but it'll also depend on what you want to
do. If it's just passing static info back/forth...that's not too difficult,
but then it depends on what you want/need to do. There CAN be a lot to
learn. If you've never done any programming...there will be a fairly steep
learning curve. If you've written VB/VBA before, it's not THAT difficult,
but there is still a learning curve.
I charge $80 hr for this type of dev work (that's a fair average
charge...many charge $100 hr and some $125...but with this economy...$80 is
pretty reasonable now). As for timing...it would depend on what the user
needs...to do a fair quote. However, most of these type of jobs that I
do...via Word or web, average around $1000-2000 (10-20 hrs???). Note that
those hours would only be for actual coding. If...like today...I burn 2
hours trying to make the damn password code work...I eat that time as my own
education...the client doesn't get billed for my stupidity! ;-)
OR...you can always hire me to teach you how to do it at $50 hr!( See
www.mousetrax.com/consulting for details.)<wink>
Note that I have a free demo how to connect on my web site. Go to
www.mousetrax.com/techpage.html#autoforms and read "Please fill out this
form" # 5...then download the demo. The code is open.
Dian D. Chapman
Technical Consultant,
Microsoft MVP & Instructor
Free Tutorials: www.mousetrax.com/techtrax
Free Word Tips & Tricks eBook: www.mousetrax.com/books.html
Learn VBA the easy way, thru video! www.mousetrax.com/techcourses.html
-----Original Message-----
From: mso-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:mso-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf
Of Katherine Driskell Felts
Sent: Monday, September 08, 2003 7:55 PM
To: mso@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [mso] Access and web access
Dear all,
A client wants to do things the cheap way, which is usually more expensive.
I have recommended a specific database that is designed for the work we need
it to do and more. However, it "looks expensive", so they don't want to go
with it. Information isn't valuable, I guess.
So, I know someone who has programmed an Access database to do similar
functions and I can get it for free. (the template, no a bootleg copy of
the program, hold the dogs back MS) My question is this: how smart would we
all have to be to be able to somehow have remote access to such a database
through the internet? Recognize that I am probably the most tech smart of
the people they have access to. So, what kind of time and what kind of
hourly (or flat rate) do you think this might be? Or is it super simple,
password access to a certain area of the website and then a link straight to
the file on their internal server?
Thanks,
Kathie
--
Katherine Driskell Felts
kdfconsulting
Bringing resources and results together(sm) Sign Up for our email
newsletter, KuDos Files (tm) on our website www.kdfconsulting.com
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