Though familiar primarily as the database component of Microsoft's popular Office product suite (which also includes the heavyweights Word, Excel, Outlook, and PowerPoint) Microsoft Access can also be purchased and utilized as a stand-alone DB application separately from the Office suite. While offering tools specialized for use in personal and scenario specific implementations (workgroups, departments, etc.) Access can be utilized by developers to create distributed DB applications; the Developer's version of MS Office includes a royalty-free Access Run Time that can be shipped along with the solutions created.

For personal DB solutions, Access offers wizards and tools allowing for the simplified creation of database tables, field definitions, queries, maintenance forms, and reports. Additional components that can be created for each database include macros for simplified command definition and execution; and modules, common collections of VB for Applications declarations and procedures.

For more extensive uses, new features in later versions of Access provide the means to both utilize from and provide data to external data sources; most notably Microsoft SQL Server. Support for both XML import and export (including the ability to create new DB structures based on XML Schema files, and the ability to export XML data, schemas, and XSL presentation files) allows for the sharing of data with other XML-able tools and DBs; and Access Data Projects allow for the direct (OLE DB) connection to SQL Server tables. Such Access Data Projects include tools for the creation--within Access--of forms, views, and reports; with specialized wizards such as the Table Designer and SQL Text Editor provided for the modification of tables and data on the SQL Server.

DB forms and reports (and Data Project components) can be saved as HTML pages, called Data Access Pages, viewable by Internet Explorer Web browsers. When saved in this format, links to the DB information itself is saved automatically with the page, allowing for the simplified creation of browser-enabled DB access apps. The Data Access Page Designer tool accompanies the latest version of Access enabling this task; as does the ability to "Save As" a Data Access Page.

Microsoft Access is available now, as part of the Microsoft Office Professional or Microsoft Office Developer products suites; or separately. Visit the Microsoft Web site for further information.