Excel, Access, or both? database question.

R

ryan r

I currently hav several Excel sheets that will be used to enter and keep
track of client information. Now, my ultimate goal is to simply have a form
that my loan officers can enter client information that will then be placed
in either a new row of client information on my excel sheets, or in a
different form or sheet. This will be run over a windows server.

Is there a specific way I should try to go about this? Can I use both
Access and Excel to accomplish this, or can I do it all in either program or
what?
 
T

tina

well, you're in an Access newsgroup, after all. with the scanty information
you've posted, i think most developers here would say: as long as your loan
officers are accessing the database on a LAN rather than a WAN, house your
data entirely in Access.

one thing you need to consider is how fast you need to get "up and running",
and who's going to build the database. experience with Excel does not
prepare you to build a relational database in Access, the software and the
concepts are very different.

you might want to look around for a template that already does all or most
of what you need for tracking your client info, starting with the templates
that come with Access, and looking at the free templates available on
Microsoft's website.

hth
 
A

aaron.kempf

well even if you use a WAN you can use ACCESS DATA PROJECTS--- they
work a LOT better than MDB in a WAN environment.

Excel won't work for multiple users.. it drives me crazy

I just wish that Microsoft would start taking databases seriously; and
stop worrying about spreadsheet dorks

it's like MS spends 90% of their efforts in getting 90% of the people
(excel dorks) who only get 10% of the work done.

Database people on the other hand--- the 10% of us that know how to use
a database.. we get 90% of the work done; but Micorsoft only gives us
10% of their attention.

I have a list of a dozen bugs in access and these monkeys won't fix
them. And little inconsistencies like this-- oh, it works in Access
2000 but not in 2002 or 2003?

They wouldn't screw with Excel users that much.

I just wish that I could hijack a couple of MDB files and fly them into
Micorsoft's headquaters.. and I'd say 'look at me', 'look at me' --- >
MDB is a real solution and you guys aren't taking it seriously.

They're stuck on selling us sharepoint and speech server.. but they
betray their most loyal constiuents... the database people.

I HAVE A LIST OF A DOZEN BUGS IN ACCESS AND I DONT THINK THAT MICROSOFT
IS TAKING SHIT SERIOUSLY.

WHY CAN I LINK IN 2000 BUT NOT IN 2002 or 2003?

THAT IS A BUG MICROSOFT; MAKE IT WORK THE SAME WAY

And at this point; MDB is un-usable.. it is just a crappy solution i
think
 
A

Arvin Meyer [MVP]

Although Excel can be used as a database, its real purpose is an analysis
tool. For that, nothing can beat it. If you only had a few clients and they
didn't do repeat business, then Excel would work. With several users
accessing the same data, you really need a database and Access is the
logical choice.

Certain things are better accomplished in Excel, so you may want to use
both. Excel has more and better charting capabilities. For now, it's easier
to send reports using Excel, although the next version of Office will
feature PDF reporting. Knowledge of automation techniques are required to
use both, but it is easy and we are here to help.
--
Arvin Meyer, MCP, MVP
Microsoft Access
Free Access downloads:
http://www.datastrat.com
http://www.mvps.org/access
 
A

aaron.kempf

an ANALYSIS TOOL?

i claim that Office Web Components, PivotList/PivotTable control is a
MUCH better reporting platform than Excel.

I dont know of a single 'analytic' thing that is done in Excel easier
or better than in Access.

I'm faster than those Excel dorks. I can get more done; since i use
the right tool for the job-- what is so special about 'analytics' that
you wimps can do in Excel that I can't do in Access?

Drilldown?

Printing??

PivotTables?

hahahahahhahahahahha

OWC pivotTables are MUCH better than Excel pivotTables.. and I can use
them in Access.. so the technicality is that Access is a better
reporting platform than your gay excel program

i just think that excel is a disease; and Microsoft is mismanaging
Microsoft Access because Redmond is run by a bunch of Excel Dorks.

DATABASES need to take over redmond like they turned onto the internet
back in '95 or '96

g2g
 
A

Arvin Meyer [MVP]

an ANALYSIS TOOL?

i claim that Office Web Components, PivotList/PivotTable control is a
MUCH better reporting platform than Excel.

I dont know of a single 'analytic' thing that is done in Excel easier
or better than in Access.
Click to expand...

Being an Access MVP, I would like to agree with you, but the simple fact is
that each of the Office programs has its own special area of excellence. As
far as web components, I have to disagree. Web components are only useful
when they are available, and unless you can guarantee that 100% of the time,
they can't match the capability of what can be done on a local workstation.
No one can guarantee web component availability 100% of the time.

You want a single analytic thing? That includes, of course, the ability to
communicate the results. How about the ability of Excel to create a complex
chart, save it as a gif or jpg for use in a PowerPoint presentation, or for
that matter as an interactive image for use in an Access report. I am able
to run that automation from Access, using Excel, and the resulting image is
available to any app. You cannot do that with Access alone. The power of
Access is manyfold, but as part of the Office suite (which, of course,
includes Excel), Access is the most powerful front-end tool for databases
that there is.
--
Arvin Meyer, MCP, MVP
Microsoft Access
Free Access downloads:
http://www.datastrat.com
http://www.mvps.org/access
 
A

aaron.kempf

Arvin

the resulting image is available to any app?

yeah-- to me that is called either
a) access snapshots
b) PDF
c) microsoft document imaging.

Excel doesn't support Snapshots.
Access can print to PDF and MDI just as well as Excel.

I dont do Excel by CHOICE.

I had to sit around and create the same damn spreadsheets day after day
after day
and that's how i got into Excel vba and Access vba.

I just dont think that Excel is in the same league as Access. I think
that Excel is a disease; and that people that use it should be fired.
I just dont think that it's entirely possible for Excel to EVER do a
single thing that ACCESS can't do.

AND I CAN DO THINGS FASTER THAN EXCEL DORKS.

I'm tired of seeing TWO GIGABYTE SPREADSHEETS and hundreds of
worksheets... hundreds of pages of VBA code--

Excel is a disease and you all need to learn a real tool.

Like Access.

Screw Excel in the mouth.
 
A

aaron.kempf

i just dont believe in 'analysis'

when i hear that word; i translate it into 'fat lazy manager who is
college drinking buddies with the hiring manager that doesnt really do
anything execpt make the same damn xls week in and week out'.
 
Top