Publications

... how you can use Microsoft Access 2007 as a basic data mining tool ... we will illustrate how data filters, pivot graphs, queries in graphs and filters in reports can help this cause.

Database Journal, January 12, 2009, By Garry Robinson

Why not use the popular Microsoft Access tool to explore our databases rather than a new tool. Firstly, Access is tightly integrated with the charting tools used in Microsoft Office/Excel. (See Figure 1). The charting tools used by Access are similar to the tools used by Excel; the main difference is that Access uses queries where Excel refers to cells. Secondly, Access supports industrial strength SQL queries, and through Links, can be used as a client application to any variety of databases ranging from text files, spreadsheets, SharePoint Lists, SQL server, Oracle, MySQL etc. On top of that, well designed forms & VBA can help you establish an interface that will give your users the confidence to start investigating their data by themselves.

In Access 2007 there have been some new innovations that will help people explore their data. This includes very similar interfaces for data filtering in Access 2007 and Excel 2007; pivot charts, pivot tables are prominent in the user interface and interactive filters are now available in Access reports.

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