Access® 2010 Bible

Appendix A. Access 2010 Specifications

IN THIS APPENDIX

• Identifying the Access 2010 specifications and limits

• Looking at limits for Access 2010 tables, queries, forms, and reports

• Reviewing limits for SQL Server Standard Edition and SQL Server 64-bit Standard Edition

This appendix shows the limits of Microsoft Access database files, tables, queries, forms, reports, and macros. Please be aware the values given in this appendix are subject to change, and refer to Microsoft's Web site (www.microsoft.com) for the latest information on these specifications.

The maximum database size, number of columns, and other limits on Access databases are more than adequate for the vast majority of Access applications. In most cases, when an Access database application exceeds these limits, there is some underlying design issue that is inappropriately driving the application toward these limits. In the vast majority of cases, careful review of an application's design reveals a flaw in the database's implementation. The flaw eventually causes the application to bump up against the table or column limits for Access databases.

For example, the maximum number of columns in an Access database table is 255. Many Access developers would like to see Microsoft raise the maximum number of columns in Access tables to 1,000 or more. However, in virtually every case I've ever looked at, a perceived need for more columns in a table is the result of improper normalization more than anything else.

In many cases, improperly ...