[AccessD] Using the Report Writer Features of Access 2007 againstSQL Server Database Tables

Steve Turner sturner at mseco.com
Tue Apr 6 09:07:20 CDT 2010


Brad,
You certainly can use Access reports to get what you want from SQL. SQL
has rights to keep you from modifying the tables. But it would be good
if someone you could trust and understands the query building process
has access to the data. We have a custom timesheet program written and
modified over several years which we use to keep time on Jobs for
billing purposes. Access is the report writer we use to print all
management reports and invoices for billing clients. Build the right
query for the data and design a simple report in Access or a complicated
one and print it out. Our accounting system has Crystal Reports as the
report engine and I find it easier to build reports in Access. I can
modify Crystal prewritten reports which is a good thing. Access also
lets you pull in data from multiple sources thru ODBC and report on it
also. As in our billing invoices we pull from SQL and the accounting
data for Expenses to Jobs and build an invoice from that data. I am
lucky that I have full access to the tables where I can actually edit
the table if I find erroneous data that got entered.
Granted it is a learning curve. That's why I read most of the emails on
this web site. Always looking for an easier way to get things done.
These guys and gals are great to help you out. The limitation I find is
that Access can have problems with multiple people in the program on the
same database so compiled programs with the reports would be best.

Steve A. Turner
Controller
Mid-South Engineering Co. Inc
E-Mail: sturner at mseco.com and saturner at mseco.com


-----Original Message-----
From: accessd-bounces at databaseadvisors.com
[mailto:accessd-bounces at databaseadvisors.com] On Behalf Of Brad Marks
Sent: Monday, April 05, 2010 7:27 PM
To: AccessD at databaseadvisors.com
Subject: [AccessD] Using the Report Writer Features of Access 2007
againstSQL Server Database Tables

Background - Small company, small IT staff, small budget, no report
writer like Crystal Reports, etc.

 

We are thinking about using the report writer built into Access 2007 to
create reports from data that lives in SQL Server (purchased application
system).

 

We have done a little experimenting and things seems to work nicely in
our preliminary tests.  Do other firms do this (use Access just for
report writing against SQL-server data).  Are we missing a big "gotcha"?

 

 ~ ~ ~

 

Is it possible to force "Read Only" access in the Connection String?  We
want to ensure that no one ever updates any of the data in the SQL
Server tables.

 

Thanks,

Brad 

 

 

 

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