Microsoft Access

Microsoft Access is a database management system (DBMS)

from Microsoft that combines the relationalMicrosoft Jet Database
Engine with a graphical user interface and software-development
tools. It is a member of the Microsoft Office suite of applications,
included in the Professional and higher editions or sold
separately.

Microsoft Access stores data in its own format based on the

Access Jet Database Engine. It can also import or link directly
to data stored in other applications and databases.

Software developers, data architects and power users can use

Microsoft Access to develop application software. Like other
Microsoft Office applications, Access is supported by Visual Basic
for Applications (VBA), an object-based programming language
that can reference a variety of objects including DAO (Data
Access Objects), ActiveX Data Objects, and many other ActiveX
components. Visual objects used in forms and reports expose
their methods and properties in the VBA programming
environment, and VBA code modules may declare and call
Windows operating system operations.
History
Microsoft's first attempt to sell a relational database product was
during the mid 1980s, when Microsoft obtained the license to
sell R:Base. In the late 1980s Microsoft developed its own
solution codenamed Omega.It was confirmed in 1988 that a
database product for Windows and OS/2 was in development.It
was going to include the "EB" Embedded Basic language, which
was going to be the language for writing macros in all Microsoft
applications, but the unification of macro languages did not
happen until the introduction of Visual Basic for Applications.
Omega was also expected to provide a front end to the Microsoft
SQL Server. The application was very resource-hungry, and
there were reports that it was working slowly on
the 386 processors that were available at the time. It was
scheduled to be released in the 1st quarter of 1990, but in 1989
the development of the product was reset and it was rescheduled
to be delivered no sooner than in January 1991. Parts of the
project were later used for other Microsoft projects: Cirrus
(codename for Access) and Thunder (codename for Visual Basic,
where the Embedded Basic engine was used). After Access's
premiere, the Omega project was demonstrated in 1992 to
several journalists and included features that were not available
in Access.
Uses
In addition to using its own database storage file, Microsoft
Access also may be used as the 'front-end' of a program while
other products act as the 'back-end' tables, such as Microsoft
SQL Server and non-Microsoft products such
as Oracle and Sybase. Multiple backend sources can be used by
a Microsoft Access Jet Database (ACCDB and MDB formats).
Similarly, some applications such as Visual Basic, ASP.NET, or
Visual Studio .NET will use the Microsoft Access database format
for its tables and queries. Microsoft Access may also be part of a
more complex solution, where it may be integrated with other
technologies such as Microsoft Excel, Microsoft
Outlook, Microsoft Word, Microsoft PowerPoint and ActiveX
controls.

A compiled version of an Access database (File extensions:

.MDE /ACCDE or .ADE; ACCDE only works with Access 2007 or
later) can be created to prevent user from accessing the design
surfaces to modify module code, forms, and reports. An MDE or
ADE file is a Microsoft Access database file with all modules
compiled and all editable source code removed. Both the .MDE
and .ADE versions of an Access database are used when end-
user modifications are not allowed or when the application’s
source code should be kept confidential.

Workgroup security is not supported in the Access 2007 and

Access 2010 ACCDB database format, although Access 2007
and Access 2010 still support it for MDB databases.

Databases can also be encrypted. The ACCDB format offers

significantly advanced encryption from previous versions.[41]

Additionally, if the database design needs to be secured to

prevent changes, Access databases can be locked/protected
(and the source code compiled) by converting the database to a
.MDE file. All changes to the VBA project (modules, forms, or
reports) need to be made to the original MDB and then
reconverted to MDE. In Access 2007 and Access 2010, the
ACCDB database is converted to an ACCDE file. Some tools are
available for unlocking and "decompiling", although certain
elements including original VBA comments and formatting are
normally irretrievable.
File extensions
Microsoft Access saves information under the following file formats:

Current formats

File format Extension

Access Blank Project Template .adn

Access Database (2007 and later) .accdb

Access Database Runtime (2007 and later) .accdr

Access Database Template (2007 and later) .accdt

Access Add-In (2007 and later) .accda

Access Workgroup, database for user-level security. .mdw

Protected Access Database, with compiled VBA andr macros (2007

.accde
and later)

Windows Shortcut: Access Macro .mam

Windows Shortcut: Access Query .maq

Windows Shortcut: Access Report .mar

Windows Shortcut: Access Table .mat

Legacy formats

File format Extension

Protected Access Data Project (not supported in 2013) .ade

Access Data Project (not supported in 2013) .adp

Access Database (2003 and earlier) .mdb

Access Database (Pocket Access for Windows CE) .cdb

Access Database, used for addins (Access 2, 95, 97),

.mda
previously used for workgroups (Access 2)

Access Blank Database Template (2003 and earlier) .mdn

Access Add-in Data (2003 and earlier) .mdt

Access (SQL Server) detached database (2000) .mdf

Protected Access Database, with compiled VBA and macros (2003

.mde
and earlier)

Access lock files (associated with .mdb) .ldb

Versions
Relea
Jet
Version se Office suite
Version versi Supported OS
number Date[42 version
] on

Access 1.1 1.0 1992 1.1 Windows 3.0

Access 2.0 2.0 1993 2.0 Windows 3.1x Office 4.3 Pro

Access for Aug.

Office
Windows 7.0 24, 3.0 Windows 95
95 Professional
95 1995

Windows
Jan. Office
95, Windows NT
Access 97 8.0 16, 3.5 97 Professional
3.51 SP5, Windows
1997 and Developer
NT 4.0 SP2

Windows Office
June
Access 4.0 95, Windows NT 2000 Professional,
9.0 7,
2000 SP1 4.0, Windows Premium and
1999
98, Windows 2000 Developer

Windows NT
May Office
Access 4.0 4.0 SP6, Windows
10.0 31, XP Professional
2002 SP1 98, Windows
2001 and Developer
2000, Windows Me

Windows 2000 SP3 Office

Nov.
Access 4.0 or later, Windows 2003 Professional
11.0 27,
2003 SP1 XP, Windows and Professional
2003
Vista, Windows 7 Enterprise

Windows XP Office
Jan. SP2, Windows 2007 Professional,
Access
12.0 27, 12 Server 2003 SP1, Professional Plus,
2007
2007 or newer operating Ultimate and
system Enterprise

14.0 14 Windows XP Office

July
Access SP3, Windows 2010 Professional,
15,
Server 2003 Professional
2010 2010 SP2, Windows Academic and
Server 2003 Professional Plus
R2, Windows Vista
SP1, Windows
Server
2008, Windows
7, Windows Server
2008 R2, Windows
Server
2012, Windows 8[49]

Windows
Jan. 7, Windows Server
Access
15.0 29, 15 2008 R2, Windows Office 2013
2013
2013 Server
2012, Windows 8[50]

Windows
Sept.
Access 7, Windows
16.0 22, 16 Office 2016
2016 8, Windows
2015
8.1, Windows 10[51]