ACC97: New Features in Microsoft Access 97

ID: Q160874


The information in this article applies to:


SUMMARY

Novice: Requires knowledge of the user interface on single-user computers.

This article summarizes many of the new features in Microsoft Access 97. It contains the following sections:


MORE INFORMATION

Improvements in Performance


Feature                    Description
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Lightweight forms          Enables you to open forms and reports faster
and reports                than in previous versions because there is no
                           class module attached to the object.

Delayed loading            Software components that are not required
                           for all databases, such as Visual Basic for
                           Applications and Data Access Objects, do not
                           load into memory until they are needed.

Improved call-tree         Modules, including form modules, do not load
loading                    into memory until the Visual Basic code in them
                           is executed.

ActiveX controls           Improved performance of embedded ActiveX
                           controls.

Lookup fields              Data in a lookup field that comes from another
                           table does not automatically refresh when the
                           other table is updated. You can refresh the
                           data manually by pressing F9.

Analyzer Wizard            The Analyzer Wizard analyzes your database,
                           suggests the best ways to optimize its speed
                           and performance, and then automatically makes
                           the changes that you approve. 

Features for Working on the Internet


Feature                    Description
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Publish to the Web         Converts your data or reports into HTML so you
                           can create dynamic, interactive database pages
                           and share them across a company Intranet or
                           the World Wide Web.

Import/Link HTML files     Import or link (read-only) tables or lists from
                           an HTML file using the Get External Data command
                           on the File menu.

Export objects             Exports reports to static HTML format, and data
to HTML format             sheets and forms to static or dynamic HTML
                           format, by using the Save As/Export command on
                           the File menu.

Access FTP and HTTP        Import or link (read-only) data on FTP or HTTP
servers                    servers, export a database object to an FTP
                           server, and add or modify a list of FTP server
                           locations all in the Look In box of the Open
                           dialog box.

New replication features   Enable you to synchronize a database replica
                           with a replica or Design Master on an Internet
                           server.

New sample applications    Make it possible to view examples of
                           Internet features in the Northwind sample
                           database and the Developer Solutions sample
                           application. 

Features for Working with Other Products


Feature                    Description
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Office Assistant           The Office Assistant provides you with help for
                           your Microsoft Office programs. Click the Office
                           Assistant button on the toolbar.

Outlook Journal            The Outlook Journal can track when a database
                           file is opened or closed, or when an object is
                           printed. For details search the Microsoft
                           Outlook Help file.

Outlook Contacts           You can import data from Microsoft Access into
                           your Contacts folder in Outlook. You can also
                           export Outlook data into a Microsoft Access
                           database. For details search the Microsoft
                           Outlook Help file. 

Office Tools


Feature                    Description
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Web toolbar                Enables you to easily browse Microsoft Access
                           databases, objects, or Office documents using
                           functionality similar to the Microsoft Internet
                           Explorer toolbar.

Web Find Fast              Locates Microsoft Access databases and other
                           Microsoft Office documents that are indexed
                           by database and file properties. 

Features in the Northwind Sample Database


Feature                    Description
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Show Me Help               Enables you to find out what is going on behind
                           the scenes in many of the Northwind tables,
                           queries, forms, and reports.

Hyperlinks                 Enable you to open objects in the database and
                           documents on an Intranet or the Internet.

Alternate methods          Accomplish similar tasks by separating
                           information onto separate tabs or pages, and
                           using Visual Basic for Applications and macros
                           to respond to events. 

Features in the Database Window


Feature                    Description
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Improved class modules     Class modules are displayed on the Modules
                           tab. You can see all class modules that are not
                           associated with a form or report. 

Toolbars, Menu Bars, and Shortcut Menus


Feature                    Description
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Improved Customize         The Customize dialog box for command bars can
dialog box                 be used to create menu bars, shortcut menus, and
                           toolbars. You can also modify built-in toolbars,
                           menu bars, and shortcut menus from this same
                           location.

CommandBars                You can now create the new style of menu bar,
                           shortcut menu, or toolbar from existing macros,
                           including menu bar macros used in earlier
                           versions of Microsoft Access. 

Features for Working with Data


Feature                    Description
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Improved Lookup field      New method for refreshing data in a Lookup
                           field, list box, or combo box.

Date representation        New interpretation of data in Microsoft Access
                           assumes that dates entered with an abbreviated
                           year format from 00-29 indicate the twenty-first
                           century.

IntelliMouse support       New support for IntelliMouse enables you to
                           scroll in a datasheet or form using the
                           IntelliMouse wheel.

Filtering data             New Filter for Input enables you to right-click
                           a form or datasheet field, and then on the
                           shortcut menu type the exact value you are
                           searching for in the Filter box, or type an
                           expression that you want to use as your Filter
                           criteria. 

Printing and Previewing Features


Feature                    Description
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
View button                The View button on the toolbar makes it easy to
                           switch to other views of a database object.

Multiple pages             The Multiple pages button enables you to select
                           the number of pages to preview. 

Database Utilities


Feature                    Description
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Compact and Repair         You can use the Compact Database and Repair
Database commands          Database commands on the currently open
                           database. 

Hyperlink Features


Feature                    Description
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
New Hyperlink              Enables you to store a hyperlink in a table.
data type

New Hyperlink targets      Enables you to jump to a Microsoft Access
                           database or object from a hyperlink in a
                           datasheet, form, or report, or from within
                           other Microsoft Office documents, such as a
                           Microsoft Word document or a Microsoft Excel
                           worksheet.

New Hyperlink on forms     Enables you to create a label, image control, or
and reports feature        command button on a form or report that jumps
                           to a hyperlink target. 

Improved Wizards


Feature                    Description
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Form and                   New wizards enable you to generate forms and
Report Wizards             reports specifically for your needs.

Import/Export Wizard       Improved Import/Export Wizard walks you
                           step-by-step through the process of moving
                           data in different formats into and out of your
                           database.

Improved replication       Improved replication features enable multiple
                           users from remote locations to update and work
                           with the same data and synchronize any changes,
                           even across the Internet.

Partial replication:       A new feature of replication enables you to
                           create a partial replica that contains only a
                           subset of all records in a full replica by using
                           a filter to restrict the synchronized data. 

Performance Enhancements with Queries


Feature                    Description
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
FailOnError property       Determines if an update or delete query that is
                           run against an ODBC data source will terminate
                           if an error occurs. Enables optimizing of bulk
                           update queries so they are executed on the
                           server if the partial-failure behavior of the
                           Microsoft Jet database engine isn't desired.

RecordSetType property     Available on the query property sheet, this
                           property enables you to specify the type of
                           result set the query returns, including
                           snapshots.

MaxRecords property        Determines or specifies the maximum number of
                           records that will be returned by a query against
                           an ODBC data source. 

Commands on the Macro Submenu


Feature                    Description
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Convert Macros to          Use to convert macros to Visual Basic
Visual Basic               for Applications event procedures or modules
                           that perform equivalent actions using Visual
                           Basic code.

Create Menu from Macro     Creates a Microsoft Access 97-style menu bar
                           from macros you created in an earlier version
                           of Microsoft Access.

Create Toolbar From Macro  Creates a toolbar from macros you created in
                           an earlier version of Microsoft Access.

Create Shortcut Menu       Creates a Microsoft Access 97-style shortcut
from Macro                 menu from macros you created in an earlier
                           version of Microsoft Access.

RunCommand action          New command used to execute a Microsoft Access
                           menu command in a macro. This action replaces
                           the DoMenuItem action. 

Functionality in the Module Window


Feature                    Description
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Select All command         Selects all the text in the current procedure,
                           or, if you are in Full Module view, selects all
                           the text in the module.

Find Next command          Finds the next occurrence of the most recent
                           search string you specified with the Find
                           command.

Complete Word command      Microsoft Access displays a list of functions,
                           methods, and properties to choose from to
                           complete the current word.

Definition command         Enables you to select a keyword in the Module
                           window and view its definition in the Object
                           Browser.

New Locals pane feature    Enables you to display the name, current value,
                           and type of all variables and objects in the
                           current procedure while code execution is
                           suspended. 

Features of the Object Browser


Feature                    Description
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Copy To Clipboard          Paste code into the Module window by selecting a
                           method or property in the Object Browser and
                           clicking the Copy To Clipboard button. Then
                           switch to the Module window, and click the
                           Paste button on the toolbar.

<Globals> item in the      Displays all members that can be accessed
Classes box                globally in the Members Of box.

Go Back and Go Forward     Enables you to move backward and forward
Buttons                    through the elements that you have previously
                           viewed in the Object Browser.

Help button                Displays Help on a selected object, method,
                           property, or event.

Search Text box            Enables you to search a selected type library
and Search button          for any class or member.

View Definition button     Lets you see the definition for a user-defined
                           function or Sub procedure from the Object
                           Browser. 

Securing and Administering a Database


Feature                    Description
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
MDE file                   Removes editable Visual Basic code and protects
                           the design of forms, reports, and modules by
                           saving your database as an MDE file. 

ActiveX Control Features


Feature                    Description
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Microsoft WebBrowser       Enables you to browse World Wide Web pages,
control                    access other documents on your computer, your
                           network, or the Internet, and download data from
                           the Internet through your application's form.

Additional ActiveX         Enable you to develop rich and dynamic Web
controls                   applications. These controls are available in
                           Microsoft Office 97, Developer Edition. 

Tab Control Functionality


Feature                    Description
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Tab control                Enables you to create a dialog box or a form
                           that divides information onto separate tabs. 


REFERENCES

For more information about new features in Microsoft Access 97, search the Help Index for "new for this version," and then "What's new about Microsoft Access 97?" or ask the Microsoft Access 97 Office Assistant.

Additional query words:


Keywords          : GnlOthr 
Version           : WINDOWS:97
Platform          : WINDOWS 
Issue type        : kbinfo 

Last Reviewed: April 13, 1999