| Home | Microsoft Excel is a spreadsheet
application that can perform
calculations and provide graphing tools, pivot tables, etc. Microsoft
Access is a database application that can organize data in "tables." Both Access and Excel can run queries to sort and filter data, run sophisticated calculations, and generate reports on data and view them in multiple formats. Both can use forms to add, change, delete, and for navigation through data. Both can use Microsoft PivotTable and Microsoft PivotChart to work with data interactively. Both can connect to external data and view, query, and edit it without having to import. Both have the ability to create web pages to display data as read-only. Both can import data from external databases and other file types (.txt or .htm). The main difference between Access and Excel is that Access is a database management system and Excel is not. Excel is good for storing lists of data on what Excel calls a worksheet, but Access stores data in tables that can handle complex querying for data stored in other tables and in fields in other tables. It depends on the requirements of the data in choosing Access or Excel. If the data is required to be in a relational database with multiple tables linked together and the data is accessed across the network, then Access or another relational database system is the way to go. If the data is stored on a local computer with no advanced requirements, then Excel (or Access) would work fine. |
| Overview | |
| History | |
| Microsoft Excel vs. Access | |
| Database Management | |
| Relational Database | |
| Database Administration | |
| Data Security | |
| Data Mining | |
| Metadata | |
| Links | |
Home | Overview | History | Microsoft Excel vs. Access | Database Management | Relational Database | Database Administration | Data Security | Data Mining | Metadata | Links