Lesson 1

Microsoft Access 2024 introduces several features and improvements that differentiate it from previous versions like Access 2019 and Access for Microsoft 365. Here are the most notable enhancements and distinguishing features:

1. Modernized and Streamlined UI
   • Fluent Design Integration: A cleaner, more responsive interface using Microsoft's Fluent Design principles, including modern icons and simplified ribbon.
   • Dark Mode Support: Full support for Dark Mode for enhanced readability and reduced eye strain.
2. Enhanced Dataverse Integration
   • Improved Power Platform Support: Seamless linking and syncing with Microsoft Dataverse tables, making it easier to create apps using Power Apps.
   • Bidirectional Syncing: Real-time data syncing between Access and cloud-based Dataverse environments, improving collaboration.
3. SQL View Enhancements
   • IntelliSense in SQL View: Access 2024 offers SQL IntelliSense, syntax highlighting, and auto-complete features for query building.
   • Multi-tab Query Editing: You can open and edit multiple SQL views at once—each in a separate tab.
4. Performance and Scalability Improvements
   • 64-bit Exclusive Performance Gains: Optimization for 64-bit installations enhances performance when working with large databases or running complex queries.
   • Faster Form Rendering: Significant improvements in loading times for forms and reports.
5. VBA Modernization
   • VBA7.1 Support: New version of the Visual Basic for Applications engine with better compatibility with modern Windows APIs and Office 64-bit libraries.
   • Improved Debugging Tools: Integrated support for advanced error handling, watch expressions, and variable tracking.
6. Enhanced Table and Query Designer
   • Drag-and-Drop Relationships: Easier creation of relationships using an improved graphical designer.
   • Live Data Preview in Query Designer: Shows a live sample of the query output while designing.
7. New Data Types and Extended Field Size
   • Support for Large Number (BigInt): Extended number fields (up to 8 bytes) to match SQL Server data types.
   • Date/Time Extended (DateTime2): More precise timestamps with broader compatibility for backend databases like SQL Server.
8. Web and Cloud Data Source Support
   • ODATA and REST APIs: Built-in tools to link with external data sources like JSON/REST APIs and OData endpoints.
   • Improved SharePoint Integration: Better stability and performance when linking to SharePoint Online lists.
9. Security and Compliance Updates
   • Macro Signing Enhancements: Access 2024 allows digital signing of macros for improved security in enterprise deployments.
   • Data Loss Prevention (DLP): Better integration with Microsoft 365 security policies to protect sensitive data.
10. Export and Report Improvements
    • Modern Chart Types: Includes new chart types like Treemap, Funnel, and Sunburst.
    • PDF Export Enhancements: Faster and more accurate export to PDF with embedded fonts and metadata.

If you're upgrading from a version like Access 2016 or 2019, these updates are substantial—especially if you use Access in a hybrid local/cloud environment or alongside Power Platform tools.

Although parent-child is the most common expression used to explain the relationship between tables related in a one-to-many relationship, you may hear other expressions used, such as master-detail, applied to this design. The important thing to keep in mind is that the intent of referential integrity is to prevent lost records on the "many" side of the relationship. Referential integrity guarantees that there will never be an orphan (a child record without a matching parent record). As you work with related tables, it is important to keep in mind which table is on the "one" side and which is on the "many" side. Notice how difficult it would be to record all the orders for a customer if a separate table were not used to store the order's information. Each time a customer places an order with Northwind Traders, a new record is added to the Orders table. In a one-to-many arrangement, only the CustomerID (for example, AROUT) is added to the Orders table. The CustomerID is a foreign key that relates the order back to the Customers table. Keeping the customer information is relatively trivial because each customer record appears only once in the Customers table.
This course is the fourth of a four-course series on Microsoft Access. This course gives a hands-on look at the features in Access 2021, Microsoft’s popular database program. Microsoft Access is a very powerful database system, giving you features like no other program can. As with other systems, with power comes complexity and you can quickly get Access up and running using the built-in wizards. But once you have gone beyond where the wizards can take you, making Access perform more advanced tasks can become troublesome.
If you have been using Access for a while but feel you should be able to get more out of your database, this is the course for you.

After completing the course, you will be able to:

1. Increase the referential integrity of your Access Databases
2. Connect Access with the Web through a new feature called Data Access Pages
3. Work with the more complex Access features for simple security, application settings, and other add-ins
4. Automate tasks by using macros
5. Share data between Access and other Microsoft Office applications

In the next lesson, we will examine the course prerequisites.