Access versus Visual Studio/ .Net Development

[Bret]

I've been an Access Developer for many years creating SQL backend and Access
frontend programs for many companies. My question is this: Can someone
speak to the pros and or cons of moving many of my projects to Visual Studio
/ .Net environment. Access is such a user friendly tool as an interface to
SQL and also for forms and reporting, my customers are satisfied but I'd like
to know if I need to take it to this level. Obviously the primary benefit is
moving to web environment but beyond that I'd like someone to expound on this
subject.
I am neither for or against developing in this environment and have some
Visual Studio and .Net experience.

thanks

 

[Larry Linson]

I've been an Access Developer for many years creating SQL backend and
Access
frontend programs for many companies. My question is this: Can someone
speak to the pros and or cons of moving many of my projects to Visual
Studio
/ .Net environment. Access is such a user friendly tool as an interface
to
SQL and also for forms and reporting, my customers are satisfied but I'd
like
to know if I need to take it to this level. Obviously the primary benefit
is
moving to web environment but beyond that I'd like someone to expound on
this
subject.
I am neither for or against developing in this environment and have some
Visual Studio and .Net experience.

If you need a web-based application, Access is not suitable -- Data Access
Pages were never well-received and were deprecated and development
capability for DAP removed from Access 2007. Thus if you need a web-based
application, Visual Studio is appropriate.

If you simply need an individual, multiuser, or client-server database
application, whether the back end is Jet or a server DB, then Access is
eminently well-suited. Although there seems to be improvement in the current
Visual Studio, IMNSHO, Access is still by far the choice for "normal
business database applications."

If, on the other hand, money is no object (the third-party tools and add-ins
for VS are not inexpensive) and you desire glitz and glitter (e.g., you fear
that your clients/users will reject your application if it does not "look
new and up-to-date" even if it adequately solves the business problem),
Visual Studio is appropriate.

If you need a multi-tier, vast, distributed, enterprise application, then
you will want to look at Visual Studio (or its competitors) as Access is
suitable for two-tier (three, perhaps, if you consider the DB server as
another tier) applications but not the Intergalactic, Universal size apps.

Larry Linson
Microsoft Office Access MVP