[AccessD] MS access shaky

[Jim Dettman]

 I'll kick in a few, but I'm not sure you'll consider them all good.

 As for your question on SQL, always ODBC here.  I never went the ADP route.
I never saw a clear advantage to using it and figured it would go away at
some point (stepped on too many toes in the VS tools arena).

 As for the comments, depends on what you mean by "Access".

 Out of the box, meaning using a JET DB, in the hands of a good developer
Access is fine for most business apps up to about thirty or so users.  After
that it really is on shaky ground.  It's also on shaky ground if the network
is poor, but most will blame the product rather than their network.
There's also the fact that it doesn't run well over wireless networks, which
are becoming the norm.   People don't want to pay for premise wiring anymore
despite it being far better.

 With a SQL Server BE, you can push that up to a hundred or more users.
And I'm talking the typical read/write app here.   If it's a reporting only
app, even JET as a DB Engine can be pushed right to the 255 limit.

 It's always been unfortunate though that Microsoft has marketed this as an
end user tool, because as well all know well and good, most typical end
users are in over their heads before they even know it.  They develop a
cruddy app and then Access takes the wrap when it can't support more than
five or six users.   So that's why many IT departments call it "shaky".
Even if a SQL BE, poor development can make it a problem.   That's not the
fault of the product, but most see it that way.

 But in comparison to other products, it does have some downfalls no matter
how good the developer is:

1. It's very sensitive to it's environment since there is no true .exe.
Having to rely on an Office install is a royal pain.  Granted even something
written in C++ or .Net relies on installed libs and other components, but
it's much less fragile.  Someone installing another C++ app is not typically
going to break yours.   Someone installing A2016 when you have installed
A2007 will.   Even if you used Sage to get around most of that, it's still
more fragile than other development tools.

2. Lack of non-native controls.   You can only do so much with the
interface.  Again, granted you can do a LOT with that interface as it is,
but your limited.   Splitter bars, dial gauges, a good grid control, etc.
are all non-native and most don't work well.

3. Having to live with the main Access Window - There is no real way around
this.   You need to go out of your way to make it look like anything other
than an Access app.  Some would say that's the point of using Access in the
first place; using the features it provides to save you time (myself
included).  But there are times when you'd like a little more control.

4. No n-tier development is possible.   Too much is built into the UI and
it's not easy to separate out.  This is why your seeing such a major
disconnect between the desktop and web versions right now.  If there was a
true business layer, then the web apps would not be so limited.   Of course
the flip side is that a 3-tier design is a lot more development effort, and
that's not where your typical company using Access is at.   So one might or
might not include this one.

  So it does have its issues.   But used correctly and done with good
development, it can provide good value to a business depending on the
requirements.

  Stick with a SQL BE, max of about 100 users, and your good to go if you
can live with the limitations it has.

My .02,
Jim.

-----Original Message-----
From: AccessD [mailto:accessd-bounces at databaseadvisors.com] On Behalf Of
Kaup, Chester
Sent: Tuesday, May 24, 2016 02:10 PM
To: Access Developers discussion and problem solving
Subject: [AccessD] MS access shaky

Our IT department is trying to say MS Access is a shaky platform. I like
access and don't agree with them. Anyone have any good comments?
-- 
AccessD mailing list
AccessD at databaseadvisors.com
http://databaseadvisors.com/mailman/listinfo/accessd
Website: http://www.databaseadvisors.com