Creating a SharePoint
App with Microsoft
Access Services
No-code solutions
Dutch Information Worker User Group : #DIWUG
Penelope Coventry
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Speaker Bio
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Independent Consultant
Microsoft MVP SharePoint Server
MCSE: SharePoint 2013
Author/Co-author of 10+ SharePoint Books
Trainer
Worked with SharePoint since 2001
Based in UK, work in Europe & US
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Blogs/Web Site
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o http://www.sharepointdesignerstepbystep.com/
Twitter: @pjcov
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Agenda
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Agenda
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Enterprise Forms in
SharePoint 2013
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InfoPath 2013
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Access 2013
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Agenda
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Two methods of creating
Access web-based solutions
Access web database – SharePoint Server 2010
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Supported in SharePoint Server 2013
Cannot be created using Access 2013
SharePoint site
Access tables -> SharePoint lists
Forms / Reports -> web pages
Cannot be automatically converted to an Access web app
Access web apps – new in SharePoint Server 2013
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The Access 2013 mission
Quickly create business value with server-based apps
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App Templates & Table Templates
Maintain existing desktop databases & import data
App Experience without code
Apps for SharePoint in a browser
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Access 2013 Web Apps
New App Experience
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Simplified design experience
Polished, consistent results
SharePoint deployment
SQL back-end
SQL
Database
SharePoint
Web
Applications
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What is an Access web
app?
SharePoint apps
Can be deployed to SharePoint Store
Data and Access objects saved to it’s own SQL Server
database
Tables directly accessible
Cannot create or initiate SharePoint workflows on
Access app data
No unique permissions at the table or row level
Access app data not automatically indexed by
SharePoint search engine
Do not support Visual Basic (VB) programming
language
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Agenda
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Access Desktop v
Access App
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Desktop “classic” solutions
20 years old
Very popular
Easy to create poor apps
Client machine
deployment required
Solved business needs
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Access App
Web/SharePoint
applications
Data lives in SQL 2012
Access client only needed
for designing applications
Central access control
Security
Sharing
Scaling up
Standard Professional UI
No code
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Agenda
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User Interface
Access generates UI
Runs entirely in the browser
o Forms are HTML & JavaScript
o No server-side rendering or processing
Seamless SharePoint integration, including Themes
Limited customizations
o Prevent non-designers from hurting themselves
o Enables improvements, more form factors
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User interface model
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Demo
WORKING WITH AN ACCESS APP
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Agenda
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How does it work?
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Access 2013 App
Templates
Jump-start the creation of Access apps
Templates:
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Custom web app*
Asset tracking
Contacts
Issue tracking
Project management
Task management
* Only template Access app template available when you
first start Access. Others only available when connected to
the internet.
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Access app templates
available over the Internet
Template
name
Description
Tables
Views
Asset
Tracking
Track equipment used by your
business and assigned to
employees.
Assets,
Categories,
Employees
List, Datasheet,
By Category,
By Group
Contacts
Manage individual and corporate
Contacts
relationships.
Issue
Tracking
Record issues related to your
business, associate them with
customers, and assign them to
employees
Manage projects by
Project
breaking work items into tasks,
Management associating them with customer,
and assigning them to employees.
List, Datasheet,
By Group
Issues,
Customers,
Employees,
Issue
Comments,
Related Issues
List, Datasheet,
By Status,
By Group
Projects,
Employees,
Customers,
Tasks
List, Datasheet,
By Status,
By Group,
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Access to SQL Server
object mapping
Access table* = SQL Server table
Access data types = SQL Server data types
o Text fields => nvarchar
o Number => decimal, int or float
o Image => varbinary (MAX)
* Access provides table templates (nouns). You can also create linked
tables to display data from SharePoint lists including external lists. For
each table, two views are automatically generated: List and Datasheet.
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Queries
Use when users extensively use the same filters, sorts or
column hiding
Combine related tables
Perform calculations
Summaries
Automatically apply changes
Created as SQL Server
o Views
o Table-valued function (TVF)
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Macros
Miniature program
Stored in Access app
Automate common tasks
Two types:
o User Interface
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Navigation to another view
Showing or hiding controls
Attached to command buttons or combo boxes
o Data macros
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Implement business rules at data level
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Permissions
Inherited from the site where the app was created
Solution creators => Full Control
Consumers
o Create, update, delete data => Contribute
o View => Read
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Demo
BUILDING AN ACCESS APP
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Agenda
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Advantages of Access
Services
Centralize data/administration/security
End-user created
Professional interface
Usage monitoring
App Store
Upgrade path?
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Every you need for Access
Services is in Office 365
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SQL (Azure)
Security
Identity
Access control
Redundancy/Backup
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On-premise Access
Services
SharePoint Server 2013
Web Servers
Application Servers
Office Web Apps Server
SharePoint Content
databases
Access
Web
Apps
databases
SQL Server 2012 SP1 (Mixed
Mode - SQL Server
authentication and Windows
authentication)
SQL 2008 R2
SQL 2012
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Finding the SQL database
name
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Agenda
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Review
Most Organizations have Access desktop databases
Access app = central control
Self Service – Reduce IT Workload
Office 365 has Access Services
Need Enterprise Client Access Licenses to use Access
Services on-premise
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Questions?
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Resources
Changes in Office 2013
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Comparison of services: Office 365, Standalone and On-premise
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http://blogs.office.com/b/microsoft-access/
Discontinued features and modified functionality in Access 2013
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/access-help/discontinued-features-and-modified-functionality-in-access-2013HA102749226.aspx
Installing Access Services on-prem
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http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=30445
Add custom actions to the Action Bar
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http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/access-help/add-custom-actions-to-the-action-bar-HA102840216.aspx?CTT=1
Moving and backing up your Access 2013 web apps
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http://blogs.office.com/b/microsoft-access/archive/2012/09/27/moving-and-backing-up-your-access-2013-web-apps.aspx
Add apps to the App Catalog
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http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/fp161234.aspx#AddApps
Add apps to a SharePoint 2013 site
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http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/fp161231.aspx
Visualize your Access 2013 web app data in Excel
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http://blogs.office.com/b/microsoft-access/archive/2013/01/22/visualize-access-data-in-excel.aspx
The Access Show: Developing Access 2010 Hybrid Apps
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http://technet.microsoft.com/en-US/library/jj819267.aspx
Access Team Blog
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http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc178954.aspx
http://blogs.office.com/b/microsoft-access/archive/2010/07/20/the-access-show-developing-access-2010-hybrid-apps-with-dickmoffat.aspx
Creating Access web databases with Access 2010 and Access Service
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http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ff402351(office14).aspx
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