Creating a SharePoint App with Microsoft Access Services

1. Creating a SharePoint App with Microsoft Access Services No-code solutions Dutch Information Worker User Group : #DIWUG Penelope Coventry

2. 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 Site • http://www.sharepointdesignerstepbystep.com/ • Twitter: @pjcov

3. Agenda Enterprise Forms Access Services Access Desktop v Access web apps User Interface Office 365 v On-premises Creating Access web apps Advantages of Access Services In Summary

4. Agenda Enterprise Forms Access Services Access Desktop v Access web apps User Interface Office 365 v On-premises Creating Access web apps Advantages of Access Services In Summary

5. Enterprise Forms in SharePoint 2013 SharePoint 2013 offers new options for enterprise form solutions 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 For highly custom forms Microsoft recommends developers use HTML forms with the new cloud App Model

6. InfoPath 2013 InfoPath is fully supported in SharePoint Server 2013 Continues to provide great form customization solutions for business users Current investments in InfoPath can leveraged in SharePoint Server 2013 Now uses the full power of Microsoft Visual Studio 2012 to extend InfoPath solutions

7. Access 2013 SharePoint 2013: Heavy investment in Access 2013 to allow business users to rapidly create SharePoint web (form) apps Interesting new option for new declarative solutions Subject matter expert can capitalize on their domain knowledge Developer experience not required

8. Agenda Enterprise Forms Access Services Access Desktop v Access web apps User Interface Office 365 v On-premises Creating Access web apps Advantages of Access Services In Summary

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

10. The Access 2013 mission • Quickly create business value with server-based apps • App Templates & Table Templates • Maintain existing desktop databases & import data • App Experience without code • Apps for SharePoint in a browser

11. Access 2013 Web Apps • New App Experience • Simplified design experience • Polished, consistent results • SharePoint deployment • SQL back-end

12. 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

13. Agenda Enterprise Forms Access Services Access Desktop v Access web apps User Interface Office 365 v On-premises Creating Access web apps Advantages of Access Services In Summary

14. 20 years old Very popular Easy to create poor apps Client machine deployment required Solved business needs Access Desktop v Access App Desktop “classic” solutions 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

15. Agenda Enterprise Forms Access Services Access Desktop v Access web apps User Interface Office 365 v On-premises Creating Access web apps Advantages of Access Services In Summary

16. User Interface • Access generates UI • Runs entirely in the browser • Forms are HTML & JavaScript • No server-side rendering or processing • Seamless SharePoint integration, including Themes • Limited customizations • Prevent non-designers from hurting themselves • Enables improvements, more form factors

17. User interface model

18. Demo Working with an Access App

19. Agenda Enterprise Forms Access Services Access Desktop v Access web apps User Interface Office 365 v On-premises Creating Access web apps Advantages of Access Services In Summary

20. How does it work?

21. Access 2013 App Templates • Jump-start the creation of Access apps • Templates: • 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.

22. Access app templates available over the Internet

23. Access to SQL Server object mapping • Access table* = SQL Server table • Access data types = SQL Server data types • Text fields => nvarchar • Number => decimal, int or float • 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.

24. 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 • Views • Table-valued function (TVF)

25. Macros • Miniature program • Stored in Access app • Automate common tasks • Two types: • User Interface • Navigation to another view • Showing or hiding controls • Attached to command buttons or combo boxes • Data macros • Implement business rules at data level

26. Permissions • Inherited from the site where the app was created • Solution creators => Full Control • Consumers • Create, update, delete data => Contribute • View => Read

27. Demo Building an Access App

28. Agenda Enterprise Forms Access Services Access Desktop v Access web apps User Interface Office 365 v On-premises Creating Access web apps Advantages of Access Services In Summary

29. Advantages of Access Services Centralize data/administration/security End-user created Professional interface Usage monitoring App Store Upgrade path?

30. Agenda Enterprise Forms Access Services Access Desktop v Access web apps User Interface Office 365 v On-premises Creating Access web apps Advantages of Access Services In Summary

31. Every you need for Access Services is in Office 365 SQL (Azure) Security Identity Access control Redundancy/Backup

32. On-premise Access Services SharePoint Server 2013 Web Servers Application Servers Office Web Apps Server SQL Server 2012 SP1 (Mixed Mode - SQL Server authentication and Windows authentication) Access Web Apps databases SQL 2008 R2SQL 2012 SharePoint Content databases

33. Finding the SQL database name

34. Agenda Enterprise Forms Access Services Access Desktop v Access web apps User Interface Office 365 v On-premises Creating Access web apps Advantages of Access Services In Summary

35. 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

36. Questions?

37. Resources • Changes in Office 2013 • http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc178954.aspx • Comparison of services: Office 365, Standalone and On-premise • http://technet.microsoft.com/en-US/library/jj819267.aspx • Access Team Blog • 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-2013-HA102749226.aspx • Installing Access Services on-prem • http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=30445 • Add custom actions to the Action Bar • 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 • 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 • http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/fp161234.aspx#AddApps • Add apps to a SharePoint 2013 site • http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/fp161231.aspx • Visualize your Access 2013 web app data in Excel • 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 • http://blogs.office.com/b/microsoft-access/archive/2010/07/20/the-access-show-developing-access-2010-hybrid-apps-with-dick-moffat.aspx • Creating Access web databases with Access 2010 and Access Service • http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ff402351(office14).aspx