Cross Ref > Tool Basics

You can deploy your Microsoft Access application either with the full version of Access or with the Access Runtime (see Deploying Applications Using the Access Runtime).

C# projects require the .Net framework and any additional dependencies you've added such as Crystal Reports.

In Visual Studio.Net, you can create a Setup and Deployment project by using any of the templates available on the New Project dialog (Other Project Types).

In addition, C# projects also support ClickOnce which brings the ease of Web deployment to Windows Forms and console applications. To get started, right click on your solution in the Solution Explorer, click Properties then select the Security tab. 

In addition, you can use any of the many free and commercially available installation packages.

 C# Deployment Overview

Microsoft Office Access is the primary tool and does include pretty good debugging features, some limited OOP features such as designing a class and instantiating an object, and, best of all, MS still has developers working on MS Access (as opposed to Corel Paradox).

Microsoft Visual C# and the full version of Microsoft Visual Studio.Net are the current primary tools. CodeGear does have C#Builder but it's not a primary tool currently and development on the tool has slowed in recent years.

• .MDB - Access Database
• .MDE - Protected Access Database

 Access VBA File Extensions (.MDB)

Common source code file extensions include:

• .SLN - Solution File. Contains solution specific information such as links to the projects within this solution.
• .CSPROJ - C# Project File. Contains project specific information. When you add a file containing one or more classes, it is added to this file.
• .CS - C# source file.
• .Designer.CS - C# form file (a text resource file).

//Sample code snippet from the .csproj project file:

<ItemGroup>
  <Compile Include="Cyborg.cs" />
  <Compile Include="Cyborg600.cs" />
  <Compile Include="Form1.cs">
    <SubType>Form</SubType>
  </Compile>

  //...

Language Overview: Class-based language. Although you can create classes, Access VBA is not fully OOP. It is a traditional language with a few OOP extensions. You code in a traditional approach using functions, procedures, and global data, and you can make use of simple classes to help organize your reusable code.

Target Platforms: Microsoft Access is most suitable for creating business desktop applications that run within Microsoft Access for Windows.

Language Overview: C# is an OOP language (no global functions or variables) and is type-safe. You code using a fully OOP approach (everything is in a class).

Target Platforms: C# is most suitable for creating .Net Framework applications. This includes desktop business application using WinForms and websites using WebForms.

Microsoft Access offers a built-in reporting tool that will suffice for most desktop database applications.

For WebForm applications the client target is the browser (a document interfaced GUI), a common solution is to simply output an HTML formatted page with black text and a white background (not much control but it does work for some situations).

For WinForm applications, Crystal Reports is still a popular choice with C# developers because it has been bundled with many Microsoft products, it's overall popularity, and compatibility with many different development tools.

 C# Report Tools Overview