The motivation for learning database programming is quite simple—power. If you want to have as much control over your databases as possible, you will need to do some programming. In fact, even some simple things require programming. For instance, there is no way to retrieve the list of fields of a given table using the Access graphical interface—you can only get this list through programming. (You can view such a list in the table design mode of the table but you cannot get access to this list in order to, for example, present the end-user with the list and ask if he or she wishes to make any changes to it.)
In addition, programming may be the only way to access and manipulate a database from within another application. For instance, if you are working in Microsoft Excel, you can create and manipulate an Access database with as much power as if you were working with Access itself, but only through programming! The reason is that Excel does not have the capability to render graphical representations of database objects. Instead you can create the database within Access and then manipulate it programmatically from within Excel.
It is also worth mentioning that programming can give you a great sense of satisfaction. There is nothing more pleasing than watching a program that you have written step through the rows of a table and make certain changes that you have requested. It is often easier to write a program to perform an action such as this, than trying to remember how to perform the same action using the graphical interface. In short, programming is not only empowering, but it also sometimes provides the simplest route to a particular end.
And let us not forget that programming can be just plain fun!
Get Access Database Design and Programming, Second Edition now with the O’Reilly learning platform.
O’Reilly members experience books, live events, courses curated by job role, and more from O’Reilly and nearly 200 top publishers.
