Building an App Forms Business

Solution

Penelope Coventry

Speaker Bio

• Microsoft MVP SharePoint Server (8 years)

• MCSE: SharePoint 2013

• Author/Co-author of 10+ SharePoint Books

• Worked with SharePoint since 2001

• Based in UK, work in Europe & US

• Independent Consultant

• Trainer

Access Web Apps

Agenda

Agenda

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

• No tool to migrate Access web databases to Access web apps

Access app templates available over the

InternetTemplate

nameDescription Tables Views

Asset TrackingTrack equipment used by your business

and assigned to employees.Assets, Categories, Employees

List, Datasheet,

By Category,

By Group

ContactsManage 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,

WORKING AND CREATING ACCESS WEB APPS

User interface model

Permissions

• Inherited from the site where the app was created

• Solution creators => Full Control

• Consumers

• Create, update, delete data => Contribute

• View => Read

• Other limitations (for now)

• Workflow – use Data Macros

• Search – use Business Connectivity Services (BCS)

• Reports – connect to database directly

Linking to SharePoint Lists

• Limitations of current release

• Read-Only

• No Data Macro support

• List must be in the same site collection

• SharePoint Lists are the only data-linking sources currently supported

Agenda

SharePoint deployment

• Access Apps = SharePoint Apps

• Same cross-browser support

• Same multi-user accessibility: many people working on the same app at once

• Same Active Directory-based permissions

• Same SharePoint Store and App Catalog for distribution and discovery

• Same simple install/uninstall

• Same central IT control

• Same branded and customizable themes

• Same cloud-based hosting through Office 365

Access Desktop v Access App

Desktop “classic”

• 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

Architecture Overview

On-premise Access Services

SharePoint Server 2013

SQL Server 2012 SP1 (Mixed Mode :

SQL Server authentication and

Windows authentication)

Web Servers

Application Servers

Office Web Apps Server

SQL 2008 R2

SQL 2012

SharePoint Content

databases

Access Web

Apps databases

Office 365 Plans

• Access Apps General Availability: Feb, 2014

• Customers can now create, share, and use Access apps with full confidence and the same level of guaranteed availability as the rest of Office 365

• Full Office 365 SLA

Agenda

Finding the SQL database name

Agenda

Allow Access• Allow other programs to connect.

Authorize in Access

Agenda

SQL Login

Unobscured table names

and field names

Enable Connections

SQL Studio Management

Microsoft ODBC Driver 11 for SQL Server.

http://www.Microsoft.com/en-gb/download/details.aspx?id=36434

Business Connectivity Services

• BDC Model

• Created using SharePoint Designer

• Visual Studio

• Third Party Tools

• External Content Types

• External List

• External Columns

• Business Data Web Part

External Data

Agenda

CONNECTING TO ACCESS DATABASE

Agenda

Save As App Package

• To the App Catalog

• To the Office marketplace

Present & Future

• “Add-ins” of functionality for some Office

programs (Word, Excel, Outlook, …)

• Placed within the document or in the task

pane

• Can use web connectivityApps for

Office

• Fully functioning apps that run on the web

within SharePoint

• Access web apps are SharePoint Apps

• Hosted on SharePoint sitesApps for

SharePoint

Apps for SharePoint v Apps for Office

Access Apps: Present/Future?

• Cascading Controls

• http://blogs.office.com/2013/08/01/introducing-a-new-user-experience-feature-in-access-web-apps-cascading-controls/

• Apps for Office to Access apps

• Spice up your Access app with apps for Office

• The Garage Series for Office 365: What’s new in the world of apps for Office?

Microsoft Forms Roadmap

Forms Roadmap Present & Future

• Four scenario approach

• Excel Surveys

• Forms for SharePoint Lists (FoSL)

• Structure Documents

• App Forms (Access Web Apps)

Streamlined technical product roadmap

EXCEL SURVEYS (AKA “FoSS”)

http://ow.ly/xM6dk

Microsoft’s Call to Action• Provide Feedback

• OfficeForms.UserVoice.Com

• MSAccess.UserVoice.Com

• OfficeSPDev.UserVoice.Com

• Questions and Answers on StackOverflow[MS-Office] and [SharePoint]

• Build using Microsoft’s tools• Tools for Visual Studio 2013 and Office 365 API

• Tools for Visual Studio 2013

• Explore Preview APIs• Articles on MSDN

• Subject to change; not for production use

Resources

• Don’t forget the YamJam:

• in the Office 365 Technical group.

• https://www.yammer.com/itpronetwork

• Look at my SharePoint Evolution Roadshow blog

• Many links to SPC recorded sessions

• How to create Access Web Apps, Excel Surveys

• www.sharepointdesignerstepbystep.com/blog

questions?

WWW.SHAREPOINTDESIGNERSTEPBYSTEP.COM/BLOG

@PJCOV

thank you.

SHAREPOINT AND PROJECT CONFERENCE ADRIATICS

ZAGREB, 10/15/2014 - 10/16/2014