From Access to SQL Server

Rating:
Summary: Finally, Answers
Review: I manage a group of "non-programmers" who do Access programming for a living. A couple months ago we were handed a SQL server in anticipation of moving our incredibly complex Access databases on to SQL. No instructions, no guidance, nothing. I started looking for any references but could not find any thing. When I saw the title of this book, From Access to SQL Server, I thought I might be on to something. After receiving the book I knew I made the right decision.

This book is laid out in an easy to read and understand format. Assumptions are made that the reader has a clue and actually does know how to open a file. This is not a dummy-idiot book; I didn't feel that I was wasting my time searching through things that were completely redundant.

Helpful items are the screen shots and conversion suggestions or warnings. I really feel that with this reference tool we will be able to accomplish the task given us.

Rating:
Summary: Finally, Answers
Review: I manage a group of "non-programmers" who do Access programming for a living. A couple months ago we were handed a SQL server in anticipation of moving our incredibly complex Access databases on to SQL. No instructions, no guidance, nothing. I started looking for any references but could not find any thing. When I saw the title of this book, From Access to SQL Server, I thought I might be on to something. After receiving the book I knew I made the right decision.

This book is laid out in an easy to read and understand format. Assumptions are made that the reader has a clue and actually does know how to open a file. This is not a dummy-idiot book; I didn't feel that I was wasting my time searching through things that were completely redundant.

Helpful items are the screen shots and conversion suggestions or warnings. I really feel that with this reference tool we will be able to accomplish the task given us.

Rating:
Summary: Gets You Up to Speed with Access Data Projects & SQL Server!
Review: If you're trying to get into using Access Data Projects (.adp files) with Access 2000 and SQL Server data, this book is great in that most of the information you need is right here in one place. Russel has done us a great service, in that there is very little written about .adp's anywhere - for some reason Microsoft has kept it a "stealth" technology. I had to spend dozens of hours searching the web to come up with what's in Russell's book.

In addition, Russell includes pretty much everything you need to know to get a very good start on working with SQL Server. In fact, outside of advanced SQL administration, the book is very useful as a SQL Server developer's reference.

Russell has done a great job of packing a lot of useful information into this book. I've seen a number of books in the past few years with titles like "Client-Server Development in Access" that frankly were total flops. It's a hard thing to write about. But Russell has succeeded.

Rating:
Summary: Good intro from XS to SQL but outdated!
Review: The book deals mostly with SQL Server 6.5 and 7.0 and two chapters are dedicated solely for running these two systems. If you're interested in SQL Server 2000 and MS Access 2000 I recommend SAMS MS Access Developer's Guide to SQL Server or a similar book.

Rating:
Summary: Very Good Start
Review: This book is a good starting point as it is fairly small and provides relevent information about almost all aspects of upgrading an Access database to SQL server. I would recommend the book by Rick Dobson - Professional SQL server development with Access 2000 as a supplement to this book because the two books cover some different topics and the two perspectives are invaluable.

Rating:
Summary: Don't migrate to SQL Server without this book!
Review: This is a great book in that it targets a specific need, and fills it.

After developing in Access and programming with VBA for four years I thought I could handle moving to SQL Server without a great deal of assistance. Not true. There are lots of things different - lots of 'gotchas' that exist in SQL Server as do in every development environment. Learning them through trial and error is not a pleasant experience. This book help you avoid dead ends and move your project to completion as painlessly as possible.

In particular I appreciated the help with the decision to use ODBC or an Access project and how to approach stored procedures and use them to best advantage.

Rarely have I come across a book where just about every paragraph, no every sentence - contains useful information. This one does. It makes for kind of a dry writing style, but if you can picture having a highly experienced expert at your shoulder as you migrate your database from Access to SQL Server, whispering tips at the appropriate times, then you will know what this book can do for you.