(The following is adapted from a chapter of the upcoming book, Self-Guided SQL: Build Your SQL Skills with SQLite. You can download the sample databases referenced on the Github project page.) Database software often comes with different types of interfaces including graphical, menu-based browsers and text-only console programs. While browser programs are easier to navigate, […]
Excerpt: Self-Guided SQL (Upcoming Book)
If you work with big data, SQL is an essential skill. It’s also a great introductory language for those wanting to learn programming. The good news is that it’s easy to learn and you don’t have to spend big money to do it.
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10 Min
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Editing Excel Worksheets with Microsoft Access
It’s actually possible to populate specific cells in an Excel worksheet with information from your Access database. Here’s how you do it.
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14 Min
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Connecting Microsoft Access to MySQL
In my latest video, I demonstrate how to use Microsoft Access as a front-end for MySQL without having to create a DSN entry on the client machine. Access easily connects to MySQL through an ODBC connection but the standard practice is to create a dedicated data source under the ODBC Data Sources Administration panel in […]
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3 Min
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New Video – Learning SQL with SQLite
An essential skill … If there is one programming language that I would recommend for everyone, it’s Structured Query Language (SQL). SQL (often pronounced “sequel”) is the main language used to communicate with databases including Oracle, SQL Server and Microsoft Access. It’s the set of commands used to write and retrieve data. If you work […]
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1 Min
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Splitting a Database in Microsoft Access
My latest video shows how to split a database in Microsoft Access to separate the data from the user interface and programming elements. Access can link to data from different file formats including Excel, text files and other Access databases. For multi-user applications, you can have an Access file with just the forms, reports, queries […]
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1 Min
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Should You Keep Using Microsoft Access?
Full Disclosure – I Owe My Career to Access I’ve been working with Microsoft Access off and on since 1997, just a few years after it was first introduced in ’92. I can realistically say that learning Access made my career in I.T.. I’d had some previous programming and database experience with Borland Paradox and […]
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2 Min
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How to Shut Down Remote Instances of Microsoft Access
When you’re managing a multi-user Microsoft Access application, there are times when you need all users out of the database so that you can make changes to table structures and other items. Asking everyone to shut down is unreliable and using the Windows Task Manager to forcibly shut down instances of Microsoft Access is risky […]
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3 Min
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Managing Your Organization’s Contacts with CiviCRM
Whether you’re selling products, managing a non-profit or running a political campaign, one of the most important things you do is to manage relationships with other people. Your ability to maintain your organization’s contact database, whether it contains potential customers or donors, is essential to your operations. Many organizations use various types of Contact Relationship […]
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1 Min
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Things I Learned About CiviCRM This Week
I was introduced to CiviCRM a few years ago when a new customer needed a replacement for an old poorly designed database solution and needed it quickly. After getting quotes starting at $10,000 for systems supposedly designed for non-profits, I stumbled on CiviCRM which was free, open source and seemed to have a good community […]
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3 Min
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