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    <title><![CDATA[Discussion on 10 things I don't miss about Access ]]></title>
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        <title><![CDATA[I think you may have misunderstood me...]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-349147-3510046]]></link>
        <description><![CDATA[Hi Sean,  if you're referring to my comments regarding IT supporting Access, what I mean is that if folks are having issues and they go to IT, they should be able to schedule time with an IT Access Dev and go over the application and what might be done to improve performance.   I did not mean that the Dept would go to IT with, &quot;We wrote a crummpy app, it's up to you to make it work....&quot;.  My idea is that IT would not &quot;own&quot; any of these apps but just offer different level of technical advice &amp; support, up to &amp; including migrating off of Access to another platform is that is what makes sense. ]]></description>
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        <dc:creator><![CDATA[jdowski@...]]></dc:creator>
        <pubDate>Wed, 12 Oct 2011 06:56:25 -0700</pubDate>
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        <title><![CDATA[IT Bans]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-349147-3509875]]></link>
        <description><![CDATA[As an IT Director for a Biotech company, I think I can clarify as to why IT generally bans the use of (and occassionally hates) MS Access.It has been my experience that many &quot;in-house&quot; staff who build a database system are not trained dba's so they usually take a lot of shortcuts. They often fail to collect user needs. They often negelect to document how the database was built or how it is supposed to function. They often do not follow any standard naming conventions.  They often release it before it is fully tested. They often keep IT out of the discussion until after something is released. They often do not justify why they chose to build a relational database when a simple flat file could have worked just as well. Some of the &quot;Access solutions&quot; I have seen would make Rube Goldberg jealous. That is why Access is not routinely installed on our company computers.]]></description>
        <guid><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-349147-3509875]]></guid>
        <dc:creator><![CDATA[JJFitz]]></dc:creator>
        <pubDate>Tue, 11 Oct 2011 13:55:50 -0700</pubDate>
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        <title><![CDATA[I'm just the opposite]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-349147-3509628]]></link>
        <description><![CDATA[I sometimes find it easier to write the SQL and of course, there are times when you have no choice. But I find the GUI intuitive and helpful. I think most end users need that GUI. And, I often start in the SQL window when writing code because those error messages are so much better than VBA's (which are mostly, atrocious).]]></description>
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        <dc:creator><![CDATA[ssharkins@...]]></dc:creator>
        <pubDate>Tue, 11 Oct 2011 05:56:12 -0700</pubDate>
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    <item>
        <title><![CDATA[There isn't a one-size fits all IT template]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-349147-3509640]]></link>
        <description><![CDATA[They're all different, with different priorities and rules. Many companies have a total ban on Access -- end users can't use it period, with or without IT support. An awful lot of companies don't have a support/help desk position.]]></description>
        <guid><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-349147-3509640]]></guid>
        <dc:creator><![CDATA[ssharkins@...]]></dc:creator>
        <pubDate>Tue, 11 Oct 2011 05:52:23 -0700</pubDate>
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    <item>
        <title><![CDATA[Indeed, pass the Chianti]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-349147-3509568]]></link>
        <description><![CDATA[Nom, nom , nom nom, NOM...]]></description>
        <guid><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-349147-3509568]]></guid>
        <dc:creator><![CDATA[Tony Hopkinson]]></dc:creator>
        <pubDate>Tue, 11 Oct 2011 03:39:23 -0700</pubDate>
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        <title><![CDATA[&amp;quot;Serve the end user&amp;quot;]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-349147-3509505]]></link>
        <description><![CDATA[My God it's a COOKBOOK!]]></description>
        <guid><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-349147-3509505]]></guid>
        <dc:creator><![CDATA[Charles Bundy]]></dc:creator>
        <pubDate>Mon, 10 Oct 2011 18:52:10 -0700</pubDate>
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        <title><![CDATA[I don't believe in unenforceable]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-349147-3509485]]></link>
        <description><![CDATA[Rules or laws. I could see a tightly stretched IT dept. saying &quot;we won't support yer Access database.&quot; From your text it sounds like Access is available on the desktop. Short of not installing it how would they prevent development?BTW if they are working their arse off maintaining the infrastructure you won't see them &quot;doing a lot.&quot; That is a good thing .]]></description>
        <guid><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-349147-3509485]]></guid>
        <dc:creator><![CDATA[Charles Bundy]]></dc:creator>
        <pubDate>Mon, 10 Oct 2011 18:46:15 -0700</pubDate>
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        <title><![CDATA[How is that an IT matter?]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-349147-3509436]]></link>
        <description><![CDATA[It's a managerial matter whether or not you get tasks that require a tool like Access. It's a managerial matter to select the brand of tool. It's a managerial matter to allot resources for training and user-support (as opposed to software support, which is something else entirely).So go talk to your boss, and don't let him push the monkey over on IT's shoulder.]]></description>
        <guid><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-349147-3509436]]></guid>
        <dc:creator><![CDATA[AnsuGisalas]]></dc:creator>
        <pubDate>Mon, 10 Oct 2011 12:17:13 -0700</pubDate>
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        <title><![CDATA[IT SAVED US]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-349147-3509424]]></link>
        <description><![CDATA[Many years before I was in charge of a project to build a new hospital. I asked one of the members of my team to ask IT for help to create and depurate a database with information we needed for population measuments. He came back and said to me, 'They promised to do something within a month from now'. I looked up to him and said, 'Please, see your watch and measure how much time I need'. Fourty five minutes after I had a reasonable instrument to get the results we wanted, in DBase! Then, I developed many applications in Access as head of Human Resources at an international bank. Without them, I would have never a full employee database, an employees' financial risk control mechanism, vacational monitoring, hiring and replacement follow-up, and so on; unless on paper of course. I left the organization four years ago, and the applications are still running, because our needs were - and are - at second place, after commercial, financial, operational and other urgent requests. In fact, they think our job can be fulfilled through writing on a notebook ... and good memorizing!  So, we end-users will always need a good companion whatever the IT professionals think. Good article!]]></description>
        <guid><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-349147-3509424]]></guid>
        <dc:creator><![CDATA[joanarbo]]></dc:creator>
        <pubDate>Mon, 10 Oct 2011 10:50:03 -0700</pubDate>
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        <title><![CDATA[2.0]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-349147-3509388]]></link>
        <description><![CDATA[My first experience with Access was 2.0 -- was totally amazing back then and there was no VBE! ]]></description>
        <guid><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-349147-3509388]]></guid>
        <dc:creator><![CDATA[ssharkins@...]]></dc:creator>
        <pubDate>Mon, 10 Oct 2011 10:38:27 -0700</pubDate>
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    <item>
        <title><![CDATA[Long history]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-349147-3509407]]></link>
        <description><![CDATA[I started with Access 1.0 WAAY back in the mid 90's when Windows 95 was all the rage. My buddy and I got called into an Orthotics company who had an access DB (1.0 version). The Developer had also set up their Windows for Workgroups network so badly it was an abortion. We completely rebuilt their network (with a switch instead of hub) to a 100MPBS instead of a 10mbps with coax (rg58 &amp; BNC connectors).. Lastly we tackled the huge database which even did their billing besides creating build orders for orthotics. We TRIED converting it to 2.0 with the conversion utility.. almost crashed everything. Nope.. the entire DB had to completely rebuilt MANUALLY (offsite) by us converting all the modules to the newer format. It took 6 months of work with BOTH of us after hours. In the end, we had a VERY happy customer.. I love access.. guess I'm just sentimental.]]></description>
        <guid><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-349147-3509407]]></guid>
        <dc:creator><![CDATA[TheSwabbie]]></dc:creator>
        <pubDate>Mon, 10 Oct 2011 09:44:19 -0700</pubDate>
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    <item>
        <title><![CDATA[Hmm most of my paradox stuff was done]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-349147-3509358]]></link>
        <description><![CDATA[when my job title was Junior IT support assistant. Don't mean squat. If you are writing any thing from a query, to macros to a full on application with it you are developing. Whether access is suitable in this case depends on the development not the developer. Anyone who's decent in acess, could reasonably easily become proficient in .net and a DBMS and vice versa, if that was where their interest lied. It might not , but they opened up access to find out how frequently they ran out of stock of purple lipstick, not how to optimise a database and application to store stocking data...]]></description>
        <guid><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-349147-3509358]]></guid>
        <dc:creator><![CDATA[Tony Hopkinson]]></dc:creator>
        <pubDate>Mon, 10 Oct 2011 08:45:46 -0700</pubDate>
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    <item>
        <title><![CDATA[Well there you go]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-349147-3509372]]></link>
        <description><![CDATA[I mean there's always one.]]></description>
        <guid><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-349147-3509372]]></guid>
        <dc:creator><![CDATA[Tony Hopkinson]]></dc:creator>
        <pubDate>Mon, 10 Oct 2011 08:33:12 -0700</pubDate>
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        <title><![CDATA[No it isn't for that.]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-349147-3509356]]></link>
        <description><![CDATA[It's for storing and managing data, it's not for presenting it.Presentation is down to whatever front end you use which of course includes access. I doubt I'd even try to do a pivot in SQL, (look at how crap sp_crosstab is  ). If I wanted one to call from the server, (damned unlikely), I'd write a .net object I could call from a  sql server function.One of the key factors for efficient transmission of data between server and client is the size of a record / page. Kiss any chance of any sort of optimisation good bye on the spot if you are sending pivots, it's a variable structure, so you are stuffed. Not so much couldn't as should n't so didn't.]]></description>
        <guid><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-349147-3509356]]></guid>
        <dc:creator><![CDATA[Tony Hopkinson]]></dc:creator>
        <pubDate>Mon, 10 Oct 2011 08:23:56 -0700</pubDate>
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    <item>
        <title><![CDATA[Ah, Lotus Approach]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-349147-3509328]]></link>
        <description><![CDATA[Remember it? I know of a business still relying on it for a mission-critical app!]]></description>
        <guid><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-349147-3509328]]></guid>
        <dc:creator><![CDATA[beck.joycem@...]]></dc:creator>
        <pubDate>Mon, 10 Oct 2011 07:06:54 -0700</pubDate>
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        <title><![CDATA[Non-developer]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-349147-3509321]]></link>
        <description><![CDATA[As I read the comments, I keep running into the term developer.  While Access may not be appropriate for developers, it is difficult to name another GUI end user product which allows relationships to be set up.  With the demise of dBase and Foxpro there is nothing an end user can use to go beyond Excel.  And there is a lot of non-technical help for Access users.  When I worked in IT, we always encouraged end users to consult with our people before developing an Access database so it would be &quot;kind of&quot; right. It got the user's problem solved quickly and it got a lot of these little &quot;projects&quot; off the IT schedule so our developers could work in mission critical issues.]]></description>
        <guid><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-349147-3509321]]></guid>
        <dc:creator><![CDATA[DonG43]]></dc:creator>
        <pubDate>Mon, 10 Oct 2011 06:12:02 -0700</pubDate>
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    <item>
        <title><![CDATA[... SQL is not the &amp;quot;Mecca&amp;quot; of solutions]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-349147-3509308]]></link>
        <description><![CDATA[From a strictly database standpoint, I'm sure that's true - SQL Server will do it.  That's the beauty of Access, it is not limited to strictly &quot;database&quot; tools and that is why it appeals to those who need something a) small, b) quick, c) very functional for a desktop app.I had an app in which we needed to dynamically pivot data to feed flex grids in .NET - something that worked relatively easily in Access, which was the &quot;prototype&quot; of the app before it was moved to SQL.  Turns out that although SQL does do pivot tables (extremely clunky compared to Access which lets you cross-tab in the QBE) it does not let you do it dynamically.  I was actually told on one of the forums &quot;that function should be app level, not DB level&quot;.  Funny, I always thought data handling was a DB function ...So now, the .NET app not only had the flex grids dynamically responding to the dataset, which is clearly an app side function, we had to pivot the data (a database function) through code , and a lot less efficient than having the database do that and simply send the data through an sp call.  By the way, this wasn't for reporting, it was for data entry and ensuring the right data get's put in the right place in a way the user can easily follow and understand.  The situation was an input set that required two &quot;one to many&quot; relationships that vary by week and by user.  So, the user ID was selected by the login credential, the week was selected from a combo (defaulting to the current week) and the &quot;grid&quot; then cross tabbed the remaining 2 relationships (type of work and project).  The user could add projects (rows) to the grid for specific weeks, remove projects if there were no entries and we ultimately had to establish different sets of inputs (types of work) based on department (a nice little nugget added by management after the app was developed).  The data structure was very elegant in that it was very simple - each entry was a single row composed of 4 keys and the actual data entered.  The whole thing is driven by stored procedures, except of course the heavy lifting - the dynamic pivot, which had to be done app side since apparently that's not what SQL Server is for.]]></description>
        <guid><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-349147-3509308]]></guid>
        <dc:creator><![CDATA[tsutay]]></dc:creator>
        <pubDate>Mon, 10 Oct 2011 05:49:01 -0700</pubDate>
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        <title><![CDATA[Why MS based solutions?]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-349147-3509268]]></link>
        <description><![CDATA[Basically, MS based solutions are what I have to work with.  Our IT department makes that call.  Our work group has to use the tools we are given.  I can guarantee they aren't going to allow the tools you describe.]]></description>
        <guid><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-349147-3509268]]></guid>
        <dc:creator><![CDATA[stevethehawk]]></dc:creator>
        <pubDate>Mon, 10 Oct 2011 03:42:13 -0700</pubDate>
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        <title><![CDATA[Why MS based solutions?]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-349147-3509179]]></link>
        <description><![CDATA[If you're going the web way, why MS based solutions?  I use Grails,  which is Groovy and Spring based which in turn are Java based.  IDE's, like Netbeans, are free.  PostgreSQL or MySQL are free, too.  All these will run on any platform, even MS.  With all the money you will save you can buy a computer, install Debain Server, also free, on it, integrate it into your network and have at least that bit of functionality working well in your Windows network.  It always amazes me that small concerns use MS and big concerns, where the demand is really heavy, use Linux.  The public sector, which uses taxpayer money, also often uses MS.]]></description>
        <guid><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-349147-3509179]]></guid>
        <dc:creator><![CDATA[itadmin@...]]></dc:creator>
        <pubDate>Sun, 09 Oct 2011 15:45:47 -0700</pubDate>
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        <title><![CDATA[I once saw a manager using Lotus 123]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-349147-3509174]]></link>
        <description><![CDATA[to do word processing. He was chuffed with the result. Sort of like a dancing bear isn't it. Okay It's not Valentino, but what do expect from a bear.Anybody remember Lotus Approach. Runs off screaming...]]></description>
        <guid><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-349147-3509174]]></guid>
        <dc:creator><![CDATA[Tony Hopkinson]]></dc:creator>
        <pubDate>Sun, 09 Oct 2011 13:56:23 -0700</pubDate>
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