creating a sharepoint app with microsoft access services

SHAREPOINT AND PROJECT CONFERENCE ADRIATICS 2013

ZAGREB, NOVEMBER 27-28 2013

Creating a SharePoint App with Microsoft Access Services

PENELOPE COVENTRY, PPP CONSULTING LTD

sponsors

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Access 2013 Web Apps• New App Experience• Simplified design experience• Polished, consistent results

• SharePoint deployment• SQL back-end

Web Applications

SharePoint

SQL Database

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

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

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

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

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

User interface model

WORKING WITH AN ACCESS APP

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

How does it work?

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.

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,

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.

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)

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

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

BUILDING AN ACCESS APP

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

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

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

Every you need for Access Services is in Office 365

• SQL (Azure)• Security• Identity • Access control• Redundancy/Backup

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

Finding the SQL database name

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

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

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-HA10274922

6.aspx

• Installing Access Services on-premises• 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-di

ck-moffat.aspx

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

questions?

WWW.SHAREPOINTDESIGNERSTEPBYSTEP.COM/BLOG

@PJCOV

thank you.

SHAREPOINT AND PROJECT CONFERENCE ADRIATICS 2013

ZAGREB, NOVEMBER 27-28 2013