FastTips: Nontechnical and Marketing Questions & Answers

PSS ID Number:  Q100847
Article last modified on 08-27-1993

1.00 1.10
WINDOWS

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  Microsoft® Product Support Services Application Note (Text File)
        WX0638: NONTECHNICAL AND MARKETING QUESTIONS & ANSWERS
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                                                   Revision Date: 5/93
                                                               No Disk
The following information applies to Microsoft Access, version 1.0,
Copyright 1992-1993.
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| INFORMATION PROVIDED IN THIS DOCUMENT AND ANY SOFTWARE THAT MAY
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| ACCOMPANY THIS DOCUMENT (collectively referred to as an Application
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| Note) IS PROVIDED "AS IS" WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EITHER
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| EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE IMPLIED
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| WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND/OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR
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| PURPOSE. The user assumes the entire risk as to the accuracy and
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| the use of this Application Note. This Application Note may be
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| copied and distributed subject to the following conditions:  1) All
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| text must be copied without modification and all pages must be
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| included;  2) If software is included, all files on the disk(s)
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| must be copied without modification (the MS-DOS®  utility
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| diskcopy is appropriate for this purpose);  3) All components of
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| this Application Note must be distributed together;  and  4) This
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| Application Note may not be distributed for profit.
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|
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| Copyright © 1992-1993 Microsoft Corporation.  All Rights
Reserved.|
| Microsoft, FoxPro, Microsoft Access, and MS-DOS are registered
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|      trademarks and VisualBasic and Windows are trademarks of
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|                        Microsoft Corporation.
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|       CompuServe is a registered trademark of CompuServe, Inc.
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|        GEnie is a trademark of General Electric Corporation.
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|   This document was created using Microsoft Word for Windows™.
|
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1.  Q. What sources of information about Microsoft Access, in addition
       to the documentation, does Microsoft provide?
    A. Microsoft provides several resources with current information
       about Microsoft Access. If you have a modem, you can download
       Microsoft Knowledge Base articles about Microsoft Access from
       the Microsoft Download Service (MSDL). You can also download
       the Windows Driver Library (WDL) from this service. The WDL is
       also available at no charge on CompuServe®, GEnie™, and
       Microsoft OnLine. After you connect to any of these services,
       please read the WDL.TXT file for instructions on downloading
       the WDL and a complete list of files that it contains.
       You can reach the MSDL at (206) 936-6735. There is no charge
       for using this service; however, standard connect-time fees and
       long-distance telephone charges do apply when you are
       downloading information.
       On the CompuServe, GEnie, and Microsoft OnLine systems, the WDL
       is located in the Microsoft Software Library. On CompuServe,
       you can reach the Microsoft Software Library by typing GO MSL
       at the "!" command prompt. To locate the WDL.TXT file, search
       on the word S13354.
       If you do not have a modem, you can obtain an individual driver
       on disk by calling Microsoft Product Support Services at (206)
       637-7098, Monday through Friday, 6:00 A.M. to 6:00 P.M.,
       Pacific time. If you are outside the United States, contact the
       Microsoft subsidiary for your area. To locate your subsidiary,
       call Microsoft International Customer Service at (206) 936-
       8661.
2.  Q. How many databases can I open at one time in Microsoft Access?
    A. Through the user interface menus in Microsoft Access, you can
       open only one database at a time; therefore, you can view only
       one Database window in each session of Microsoft Access. In
       Access Basic, however, you can use the OpenDatabase() function
       to open several databases at once. The number of databases you
       can have open simultaneously through Access Basic is limited
       only by memory. Also, by choosing Attach Table from the File
       menu, you can attach to as many databases as memory allows.
3.  Q. Should I use Microsoft Access or Microsoft FoxPro® as my
       database solution?
    A. Microsoft FoxPro is the best database solution for users and
       developers of Xbase products, for developers who need a cross-
       platform solution, and for all customers who can benefit from
       FoxPro's incredible speed and unequaled development
       environment.
        Microsoft Access is the best database solution for users who
       need seamless access to data in multiple formats, for users who
       are not professional programmers but need to develop powerful
       database applications, and for users and developers who need
       the most productive development environment to design decision-
       support systems.
4.  Q. What are the differences between Microsoft Access and Microsoft
       Visual Basic™? Does Microsoft Access support custom controls
       designed for Visual Basic? Do these two applications use the
       same or different programming languages?
    A. While Microsoft Access and Microsoft Visual Basic share the
       same basic programming concepts (an event-driven programming
       model, visual interface creation, and so forth), each has
       different specialties.
       Microsoft Visual Basic is a general-purpose programming
       environment that uses visual tools to make software developers
       more productive. It has a more granular event model and
       supports custom controls. However, as a general-purpose
       programming tool, Visual Basic lacks the database objects, such
       as queries and reports, that Microsoft Access has.
       Microsoft Access is a programmable database designed
       specifically for creating and running database applications.
       Its rich set of tools allows you to create many database
       applications without programming. Microsoft Access supports
       database-oriented events, such as FindRecord and OnUpdate,
       rather than Visual Basic-like properties and events, such as
       MouseMove and MinButton. Microsoft Access currently does not
       support custom controls.
       The nature and syntax of Access Basic and Visual Basic are very
       similar, but not identical. Access Basic supports database
       commands and methods, such as CreateDynaset and Clone, that
       Visual Basic does not have. Visual Basic supports properties
       and events, such as PathChange and MouseUp, that Access Basic
       does not have. However, the many similarities between Access
       Basic and Visual Basic allow programmers to move between the
       two products easily.
5.  Q. When will the run-time version of Microsoft Access be
       available?
    A. The run-time version of Microsoft Access will be available
       during the second quarter of 1993, at a suggested retail price
       of $495. This run-time version will allow developers to create
       unlimited royalty-free applications without requiring users to
       purchase Microsoft Access.

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