Microsoft KB Archive/160874

= ACC97: New Features in Microsoft Access 97 =

Article ID: 160874

Article Last Modified on 1/19/2007

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APPLIES TO


 * Microsoft Access 97 Standard Edition

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This article was previously published under Q160874



Novice: Requires knowledge of the user interface on single-user computers.



SUMMARY
This article summarizes many of the new features in Microsoft Access 97. It contains the following sections:


 * Improvements in Performance
 * Features for Working on the Internet
 * Features for Working with Other Products
 * Office Tools
 * Features in the Northwind Sample Database
 * Features in the Database Window
 * Toolbars, Menu Bars, and Shortcut Menus
 * Features for Working with Data
 * Printing and Previewing Features
 * Database Utilities
 * Hyperlink Features
 * Improved Wizards
 * Performance Enhancements with Queries
 * Commands on the Macro Submenu
 * Functionality in the Module Window
 * Features of the Object Browser
 * Securing and Administering a Database
 * ActiveX Control Features
 * Tab Control Functionality



Improvements in Performance
Feature                   Description -- Lightweight forms         Enables you to open forms and reports faster and reports               than in previous versions because there is no                           class module attached to the object.

Delayed loading           Software components that are not required for all databases, such as Visual Basic for Applications and Data Access Objects, do not load into memory until they are needed.

Improved call-tree        Modules, including form modules, do not load loading                   into memory until the Visual Basic code in them is executed.

ActiveX controls          Improved performance of embedded ActiveX controls.

Lookup fields             Data in a lookup field that comes from another table does not automatically refresh when the other table is updated. You can refresh the data manually by pressing F9.

Analyzer Wizard           The Analyzer Wizard analyzes your database, suggests the best ways to optimize its speed and performance, and then automatically makes the changes that you approve.

Features for Working on the Internet
Feature                   Description -- Publish to the Web        Converts your data or reports into HTML so you can create dynamic, interactive database pages and share them across a company Intranet or                          the World Wide Web.

Import/Link HTML files    Import or link (read-only) tables or lists from an HTML file using the Get External Data command on the File menu.

Export objects            Exports reports to static HTML format, and data to HTML format            sheets and forms to static or dynamic HTML format, by using the Save As/Export command on                          the File menu.

Access FTP and HTTP       Import or link (read-only) data on FTP or HTTP servers                   servers, export a database object to an FTP server, and add or modify a list of FTP server locations all in the Look In box of the Open dialog box.

New replication features  Enable you to synchronize a database replica with a replica or Design Master on an Internet server.

New sample applications   Make it possible to view examples of                           Internet features in the Northwind sample database and the Developer Solutions sample application.

Features for Working with Other Products
Feature                   Description --- Office Assistant          The Office Assistant provides you with help for your Microsoft Office programs. Click the Office Assistant button on the toolbar.

Outlook Journal           The Outlook Journal can track when a database file is opened or closed, or when an object is                          printed. For details search the Microsoft Outlook Help file.

Outlook Contacts          You can import data from Microsoft Access into your Contacts folder in Outlook. You can also export Outlook data into a Microsoft Access database. For details search the Microsoft Outlook Help file.

Office Tools
Feature                   Description -- Web toolbar               Enables you to easily browse Microsoft Access databases, objects, or Office documents using functionality similar to the Microsoft Internet Explorer toolbar.

Web Find Fast             Locates Microsoft Access databases and other Microsoft Office documents that are indexed by database and file properties.

Features in the Northwind Sample Database
Feature                   Description -- Show Me Help              Enables you to find out what is going on behind the scenes in many of the Northwind tables, queries, forms, and reports.

Hyperlinks                Enable you to open objects in the database and documents on an Intranet or the Internet.

Alternate methods         Accomplish similar tasks by separating information onto separate tabs or pages, and using Visual Basic for Applications and macros to respond to events.

Features in the Database Window
Feature                   Description -- Improved class modules    Class modules are displayed on the Modules tab. You can see all class modules that are not associated with a form or report.

Toolbars, Menu Bars, and Shortcut Menus
Feature                   Description -- Improved Customize        The Customize dialog box for command bars can dialog box                be used to create menu bars, shortcut menus, and toolbars. You can also modify built-in toolbars, menu bars, and shortcut menus from this same location.

CommandBars               You can now create the new style of menu bar, shortcut menu, or toolbar from existing macros, including menu bar macros used in earlier versions of Microsoft Access.

Features for Working with Data
Feature                   Description -- Improved Lookup field     New method for refreshing data in a Lookup field, list box, or combo box.

Date representation       New interpretation of data in Microsoft Access assumes that dates entered with an abbreviated year format from 00-29 indicate the twenty-first century.

NOTE: Access 97 is Year 2000 compliant when SR-2 is applied. SR-2 contains fixes for many problems, including all Microsoft Excel 97 recalculation problems, as well as updates to                          ensure Year 2000 compliance.

IntelliMouse support      New support for IntelliMouse enables you to                           scroll in a datasheet or form using the IntelliMouse wheel.

Filtering data            New Filter for Input enables you to right-click a form or datasheet field, and then on the shortcut menu type the exact value you are searching for in the Filter box, or type an                          expression that you want to use as your Filter criteria.

Printing and Previewing Features
Feature                   Description -- View button               The View button on the toolbar makes it easy to                           switch to other views of a database object.

Multiple pages            The Multiple pages button enables you to select the number of pages to preview.

Database Utilities
Feature                   Description -- Compact and Repair        You can use the Compact Database and Repair Database commands         Database commands on the currently open database.

Hyperlink Features
Feature                   Description -- New Hyperlink             Enables you to store a hyperlink in a table. data type

New Hyperlink targets     Enables you to jump to a Microsoft Access database or object from a hyperlink in a                          datasheet, form, or report, or from within other Microsoft Office documents, such as a                          Microsoft Word document or a Microsoft Excel worksheet.

New Hyperlink on forms    Enables you to create a label, image control, or and reports feature        command button on a form or report that jumps to a hyperlink target.

Improved Wizards
Feature                   Description -- Form and                  New wizards enable you to generate forms and Report Wizards            reports specifically for your needs.

Import/Export Wizard      Improved Import/Export Wizard walks you step-by-step through the process of moving data in different formats into and out of your database.

Improved replication      Improved replication features enable multiple users from remote locations to update and work with the same data and synchronize any changes, even across the Internet.

Partial replication:      A new feature of replication enables you to                           create a partial replica that contains only a                           subset of all records in a full replica by using a filter to restrict the synchronized data.

Performance Enhancements with Queries
<pre class="fixed_text">Feature                   Description -- FailOnError property      Determines if an update or delete query that is                           run against an ODBC data source will terminate if an error occurs. Enables optimizing of bulk update queries so they are executed on the server if the partial-failure behavior of the Microsoft Jet database engine isn't desired.

RecordSetType property    Available on the query property sheet, this property enables you to specify the type of                          result set the query returns, including snapshots.

MaxRecords property       Determines or specifies the maximum number of                           records that will be returned by a query against an ODBC data source.

Commands on the Macro Submenu
<pre class="fixed_text">Feature                   Description

Convert Macros to         Use to convert macros to Visual Basic Visual Basic              for Applications event procedures or modules that perform equivalent actions using Visual Basic code.

Create Menu from Macro    Creates a Microsoft Access 97-style menu bar from macros you created in an earlier version of Microsoft Access.

Create Toolbar From Macro Creates a toolbar from macros you created in                           an earlier version of Microsoft Access.

Create Shortcut Menu      Creates a Microsoft Access 97-style shortcut from Macro                menu from macros you created in an earlier version of Microsoft Access.

RunCommand action         New command used to execute a Microsoft Access menu command in a macro. This action replaces the DoMenuItem action.

Functionality in the Module Window
<pre class="fixed_text">Feature                   Description -- Select All command        Selects all the text in the current procedure, or, if you are in Full Module view, selects all the text in the module.

Find Next command         Finds the next occurrence of the most recent search string you specified with the Find command.

Complete Word command     Microsoft Access displays a list of functions, methods, and properties to choose from to                          complete the current word.

Definition command        Enables you to select a keyword in the Module window and view its definition in the Object Browser.

New Locals pane feature   Enables you to display the name, current value, and type of all variables and objects in the current procedure while code execution is                          suspended.

Features of the Object Browser
<pre class="fixed_text">Feature                   Description --- Copy To Clipboard         Paste code into the Module window by selecting a                           method or property in the Object Browser and clicking the Copy To Clipboard button. Then switch to the Module window, and click the Paste button on the toolbar.

<Globals> item in the     Displays all members that can be accessed Classes box               globally in the Members Of box.

Go Back and Go Forward    Enables you to move backward and forward Buttons                   through the elements that you have previously viewed in the Object Browser.

Help button               Displays Help on a selected object, method, property, or event.

Search Text box           Enables you to search a selected type library and Search button         for any class or member.

View Definition button    Lets you see the definition for a user-defined function or Sub procedure from the Object Browser.

Securing and Administering a Database
<pre class="fixed_text">Feature                   Description -- MDE file                  Removes editable Visual Basic code and protects the design of forms, reports, and modules by                          saving your database as an MDE file.

ActiveX Control Features
<pre class="fixed_text">Feature                   Description -- Microsoft WebBrowser      Enables you to browse World Wide Web pages, control                   access other documents on your computer, your network, or the Internet, and download data from the Internet through your application's form.

Additional ActiveX        Enable you to develop rich and dynamic Web controls                  applications. These controls are available in                          Microsoft Office 97, Developer Edition.

Tab Control Functionality
<pre class="fixed_text">Feature                   Description --- Tab control               Enables you to create a dialog box or a form that divides information onto separate tabs.

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