Microsoft Access as a Web Page Creation Tool
Module W45c
Audience and Objectives |
About
this document...
Contents
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Wherever you see this separator line in the document,
clicking on it will return you to the Contents.
Access Web Publishing: Overview
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Like Excel and PowerPoint, Microsoft's Access database management system
(DBMS) has a "Wizard" to help convert database files to HTML. They actually
do a pretty good job!
There are two major important ways you can make Access DBMS data available
on the Web:
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Static page: When you save information from the database as a Web
page, it remains the same, like a snapshot, regardless of changes being
made to the database itself. This is the simplest way to save Access databases,
and it is the topic of this module. To keep the Web version updated, you
must run the HTML Wizard and upload the results every time there is a change
to the database - or whenever it is important that changes be made public.
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Dynamic page: The Access database is made available through a Microsoft
Web server (Windows NT or 98). Whenever a change is made in the database,
it is reflected in the Web version. Since this requires a Microsoft Web
server, it is not available with many Internet Service Providers. Dynamic
pages are not discussed in this module.
Access Web Publishing Wizard
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Step 1: What do you want to publish?
The first step in the process is to select which parts of the database
to publish.
The options are:
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Tables: not ideal, because they are uninteresting and often don't
fit well on a Web page.
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Queries: usually the format of a query is not very interesting.
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Forms: There are several types of forms in Access, including charts.
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Input forms are for gathering information, but the Access HTML wizard
doesn't know how to create a Web-based input form.
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Output forms display one record per form, and as such may be useful
on the Web...but they are a slow, bulky way to make information available
if you want to make several records available.
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Charts are probably the most desireable kind of form to put on the
Web, but unfortunately the Wizard doesn't know how to convert them to a
Web-based graphic. You can use the same technique as for MS Word, selecting,
copying, and pasting into a graphics editor which can then save the image
in the GIF format.
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Reports: these are the most useful combination of information with
attractive formatting.
To select an element, click the tab for that type of output, then click
on the object you want.
Step 2: Choose a template (optional)
Step 3: Static or Dynamic?
We'll show you only the static method, since the dynamic Web site requires
a special server.
Step 4: Where do you want to publish?
The simplest way is to publish to your disk, and upload the HTML files
to your server the normal way.
Step 5: Create a "home page"?
If you ask Access to publish more than one item (report, query, table,
form etc.) the "home page" is a good idea, because it links your pages
together automatically.
Step 6: Save a publication profile? (optional)
This is especially useful if you plan to publish a database to the Web
frequently - it can save you time and hassle!
Access Publishing Results
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Now let's take a look at the results...
First, here is what the "home page switchboard" would look like after
converting a form and a report to HTML. (This is centered in the Web page.)
This is a sample report:
In summary...
MS Access's HTML Wizard is very useful, and can produce some good results.
It has one or two serious limitations, but it is possible to work around
most of the weak spots.
About this document...
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Audience:
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This is for people who use Microsoft Access and want to
publish database information on the World Wide Web. |
Objectives:
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When you successfully complete this lesson, you will
be able to...
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Discuss two ways of publishing Access database information on the Web;
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Discuss the steps in using the Access HTML Wizard;
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Discuss the strengths and weaknesses of the Access HTML Wizard.
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Module W45c:
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This document is part of a modular instruction series in Computer Information
Systems. For more information, see the overview
or the list of modules in this series, W: World Wide
Web. This document has been used in the following classes: |
Author:
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Laurence J.
Krieg |
Institution:
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Department of Computer
Information Systems, Washtenaw
Community College
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| History: |
Original: 29 Nov 1998
Last modification: Monday, 31-Aug-2009 11:48:06 EDT |
| Copyright: |
Copyright © 1999, Laurence J. Krieg.
Instructors: You may point to this file in your Web-based
materials.
Students: you may make a copy for your personal use.
All other uses: contact the author, Laurence
J. Krieg for permission. Email krieg@ieee.org |