Microsoft Access 2013 is the software that has progressed over the years from Access 1.1 in 1992 to now.

Office Professional 2013 software (which includes Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and Access) will allow you to install and run Access 2013 as usual.

The version of Office 365 is paid by monthly subscription and provides web services to Office 2013. It includes Office Professional 2013 software, as well as Access 365 and Access 2013.

Access 365, other than the “Access” name, has little or nothing in common with Access 2013 or earlier versions of Access.

What is Access 365 about?

Access 365 is a tool for building web applications that run on SharePoint 2013. The old .ACCDB format has been deprecated. New applications must use the Access 365 model or continue with Access 2010.

Access 365 enables the rapid creation of small applications using the standard web technologies of HTML5, CSS, and JavaScript in a simplified web development environment. An important feature is that Access Services can now store data in Microsoft SQL Server or in a SQL Azure database.

Using SQL Server exceeds the 2 Gigabyte size limit of older Access databases. SQL Server also provides all the security and features essential to any company’s strategic business system.

And what about Access 2013?

The desktop version of Access 2013 hasn’t changed much from previous versions: it still supports the front-end and back-end database model and Visual Basic for Applications (VBA).

But Access 2013 no longer supports:

• The Microsoft Access Project (ADP)
• The Access 97.mdb database format
• Pivot charts and pivot tables
• The dBASE database
• Smart tags (action tags)
• Access to 2003 toolbars and menus
• Microsoft SQL Server Database Convert Wizard
• Developer source code control

office applications

There’s a new feature in Access 365: Apps for Office. This technology allows you to use Office as a Cloud or Web service. The web page can be hosted in an Office application, ie Excel, Word, Outlook, PowerPoint or Project.

Typically, an app is published to the Office Store for your use.

JavaScript API for Office

Access 365 has a new JavaScript API that provides programmatic access to Microsoft Office documents. The API includes application-specific data types, objects, functions, and events.

The JavaScript API is a huge improvement on the layout capabilities of raw JavaScript within HTML.

SharePoint apps

Access 365 provides an easy way for SharePoint to host the front end of an application and have the data management capabilities of SQL Server on the web. This simplifies web development.

Please note that Visual Basic for Applications (VBA) code is not compatible with SharePoint Access applications.

Access the macro editor 365

Templates can be used to create fancy-looking apps, and no code is required. However, business rules and data manipulation can be implemented with a new macro language. Macros don’t have the power of VBA, but they are adequate for simple logic.

Microsoft Strategic Direction

Microsoft Access was never intended for corporate company databases. Many companies have built Access database software into their central management systems. But with the limitations of network traffic, peak loads, reliability, rollback recovery, security, etc., etc., these systems eventually hit a brick wall.

The direction that Access 365 is now taking returns to the original intent of Microsoft Access. That is, it provides a rapid development environment for small line-of-business (LOB) applications.

Microsoft Access with VBA is at the end of the road. For mission critical management systems, the best development platform is Visual Basic.Net with SQL Server.