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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• 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

• Blogs/Web Siteo http://www.sharepointdesignerstepbystep.com/

• Twitter: @pjcov

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Agenda

Enterprise Forms

User Interface

Office 365 v On-premises

Advantages of Access

Services

Access Services

Creating Access web

apps

Access Desktop v Access web

apps

In Summary

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Agenda

Enterprise Forms

User Interface

Office 365 v On-premises

Advantages of Access

Services

Access Services

Creating Access web

apps

Access Desktop v Access web

apps

In Summary

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Enterprise Forms in SharePoint 2013

SharePoint 2013 offers new options for enterprise form solutions

For highly custom forms Microsoft recommends developers use HTML forms with the new cloud App Model

Current investments in InfoPath are fully supported in SharePoint 2013

For new end-to-end business solutions Microsoft recommend that business users consider Access 2013

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InfoPath 2013

InfoPath is fully supported in SharePoint Server 2013

Now uses the full power of Microsoft Visual Studio 2012 to extend InfoPath solutions

Continues to provide great form customization solutions for business users

Current investments in InfoPath can leveraged in SharePoint Server 2013

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Access 2013

SharePoint 2013: Heavy investment in Access 2013 to allow business users to rapidly create SharePoint web (form) apps

Developer experience not required

Interesting new option for new declarative solutions

Subject matter expert can capitalize on their domain knowledge

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Agenda

Enterprise Forms

User Interface

Office 365 v On-premises

Advantages of Access

Services

Access Services

Creating Access web

apps

Access Desktop v Access web

apps

In Summary

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Two methods of creating Access web-based solutions• Access web database – SharePoint Server 2010

o Supported in SharePoint Server 2013o Cannot be created using Access 2013o SharePoint siteo Access tables -> SharePoint listso Forms / Reports -> web pageso 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 appso App Templates & Table Templateso Maintain existing desktop databases & import datao App Experience without codeo Apps for SharePoint in a browser

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Access 2013 Web Apps• New App Experience

o Simplified design experienceo Polished, consistent results

• SharePoint deployment

• SQL back-end

Web Application

s

SharePoint

SQL Databa

se

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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

Enterprise Forms

User Interface

Office 365 v On-premises

Advantages of Access

Services

Access Services

Creating Access web

apps

Access Desktop v Access web

apps

In Summary

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Access Desktop v Access App

Desktop “classic” solutions

• 20 years old

• Very popular

• Easy to create poor apps

• Client machine deployment required

• Solved business needs

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

Enterprise Forms

User Interface

Office 365 v On-premises

Advantages of Access

Services

Access Services

Creating Access web

apps

Access Desktop v Access web

apps

In Summary

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User Interface• Access generates UI

• Runs entirely in the browsero Forms are HTML & JavaScripto No server-side rendering or processing

• Seamless SharePoint integration, including Themes

• Limited customizationso Prevent non-designers from hurting themselveso Enables improvements, more form factors

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User interface model

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Demo

WORKING WITH AN ACCESS

APP

Demo

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Agenda

Enterprise Forms

User Interface

Office 365 v On-premises

Advantages of Access

Services

Access Services

Creating Access web

apps

Access Desktop v Access web

apps

In Summary

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How does it work?

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Access 2013 App Templates

• Jump-start the creation of Access apps

• Templates:o Custom web app*o Asset trackingo Contactso Issue trackingo Project managemento 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 InternetTemplate 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 relationships. Contacts

List, Datasheet, By Group

Issue Tracking

Record issues related to your business, associate them with customers, and assign them to employees

Issues, Customers, Employees, Issue Comments, Related Issues

List, Datasheet, By Status, By Group

Project Management

Manage projects by breaking  work items into tasks, associating them with customer, and assigning them to employees.

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 typeso Text fields => nvarcharo Number => decimal, int or floato 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 Viewso Table-valued function (TVF)

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Macros• Miniature program

• Stored in Access app

• Automate common tasks

• Two types:o User Interface

• Navigation to another view• Showing or hiding controls• Attached to command buttons or combo boxes

o Data macros• Implement business rules at data level

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Permissions• Inherited from the site where the app was

created

• Solution creators => Full Control

• Consumerso Create, update, delete data => Contributeo View => Read

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Demo

BUILDING AN ACCESS APP

Demo

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Agenda

Enterprise Forms

User Interface

Office 365 v On-premises

Advantages of Access

Services

Access Services

Creating Access web

apps

Access Desktop v Access web

apps

In Summary

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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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Agenda

Enterprise Forms

User Interface

Office 365 v On-premises

Advantages of Access

Services

Access Services

Creating Access web

apps

Access Desktop v Access web

apps

In Summary

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Every you need for Access Services is in

Office 365• SQL (Azure)

• Security

• Identity

• Access control

• Redundancy/Backup

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On-premise Access Services

SharePoint Server 2013

SQL Server 2012 SP1 (Mixed Mode - SQL Server authentication and Windows authentication)

Web ServersApplication Servers

Office Web Apps Server

SQL 2008 R2SQL 2012

SharePoint Content

databases

Access Web Apps

databases

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Finding the SQL database name

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Agenda

Enterprise Forms

User Interface

Office 365 v On-premises

Advantages of Access

Services

Access Services

Creating Access web

apps

Access Desktop v Access web

apps

In Summary

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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

o http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc178954.aspx

• Comparison of services: Office 365, Standalone and On-premiseo http://technet.microsoft.com/en-US/library/jj819267.aspx

• Access Team Blogo http://blogs.office.com/b/microsoft-access/

• Discontinued features and modified functionality in Access 2013 o http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/access-help/discontinued-features-and-modified-functionality-in-access-2013-HA10274

9226.aspx

• Installing Access Services on-premo http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=30445

• Add custom actions to the Action Baro 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 appso 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 Catalogo http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/fp161234.aspx#AddApps

• Add apps to a SharePoint 2013 siteo http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/fp161231.aspx

• Visualize your Access 2013 web app data in Excelo http://blogs.office.com/b/microsoft-access/archive/2013/01/22/visualize-access-data-in-excel.aspx

• The Access Show: Developing Access 2010 Hybrid Appso http://blogs.office.com/b/microsoft-access/archive/2010/07/20/the-access-show-developing-access-2010-hybrid-apps-wit

h-dick-moffat.aspx

• Creating Access web databases with Access 2010 and Access Serviceo http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ff402351(office14).aspx