Microsoft Access 2010 Bible

Chapter 33: Integrating Access with SharePoint

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TABLE 33.1

SharePoint Data Type Conversion

Access Data Type Converted Type in SharePoint

AutoNumber Number

Text Single line of text

Memo Multiple lines of text, limited to 8,192 characters

All Number Types (Byte, Integer, Long Integer, Single,

Double, Decimal)

Number

Date/Time Date and Time

Currency Currency

Yes/No YesNo

OLE Object Single line of text

Calculated Calculated

Hyperlink Hyperlink or Picture

Moving Access tables to SharePoint

Rather than simply exporting Access tables to SharePoint, another approach to data sharing is to

move all of the tables in an Access application to SharePoint as a single export operation and link

the new SharePoint lists back to the Access application. All of the tables in the Access database are

moved to SharePoint and linked back to Access in a single process. The end result of the process is

an Access application with its back-end data managed by Microsoft SharePoint. This process is

analogous to using the Upsizing Wizard to migrate an Access application to SQL Server (the

Upsizing Wizard is described in Chapter 38).

The advantage of moving Access tables to SharePoint is that both SharePoint and Access users have

access to the same data. Changes in either environment are immediately seen in the other.

Depending on user requirements, this level of integration may provide the best use of the data

while giving users access to Access’s superior user interface and reporting tools.

Moving Access tables to SharePoint is not one of the import/export features of Access 2010.

Instead, the commands necessary to move the entire set of Access tables to SharePoint are on the

Database Tools ribbon tab (see Figure 33.11).

Clicking the SharePoint button in the Move Data ribbon group opens the Export Tables to

SharePoint Wizard dialog box shown in Figure 33.12. This dialog box is similar to the Export —

SharePoint Site dialog box in Figure 33.8, except that you need less information when exporting

all of an Access database’s tables to SharePoint. In fact, the only information that you need is the

URL of the destination SharePoint site. Access handles the rest.