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Overview Microsoft
Office Development services include the custom design or enhancement of
Office products to meet the needs of your organization. Development
services range from design of custom Access databases to creation of macro
scripts in Word. Customization of Office software might also include the
integration of a program with the product of a different vendor. Some
examples of popular customizations include:
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Design of a custom Access
database to connect with a network database server such as MS-SQL
Server or Oracle 8i (among others).
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Macro
scripting code to automatically create documents in MS Word or MS
Excel using data from a network database.
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Creation
of custom accounting programs based on MS Excel.
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Custom
scripting to add special functions to Outlook.
Access
Database Design -
Custom database design is available
for all versions of Access from 2.0 to Access 2000. Database design
services will include planning of the database, graphic design of the user
interface, creation and coding of the database, importing of existing data
(or connection to existing data sources), and full documentation.
Access database design may include development of the database as a
stand-alone product, a synchronized set of databases, or as the user
interface to a network database server.
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Stand-alone databases -
stand-alone databases are intended for use by one person on one
computer, usually in a small business environment. This type of
application results in the data tables and associated user screens
being located in one Access database file. This is the common method
of database creation within Access and is acceptable for small
business which do not utilize a network database server. When
utilizing this method on a network, the number of users who may access
the database at one time is limited.
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Synchronized Database
Sets - If multiple copies of a stand-alone database are
installed and used in different physical locations (ex. different
buildings, cities, etc.) the need will arise to synchronize the data
entered by each individual so that everyone has the same information.
By designing a database with this in mind, copies of the
database may be implemented in each location allowing the data to be
automatically synchronized at particular intervals.
* I do not normally use this method unless no other option is
available.
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Network Database
Interface - utilizing Access as the interface for users to a
network database server provides an extremely powerful and flexible
database system. In this design method all of the user screens and
reports are located within the Access database while all data is
stored on a common database server. This results in a database system
which can support multiple users and does not require any
synchronization of data. In addition, the data may later be extracted
for use in a web site with no loss of performance during day to day
usage. For this type of application, I am able to provide design
services for both Access and the selected database server.
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