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Access Web Apps – OK, Now What? EXTENDING ACCESS WEB APPS George Young Dawson Butte Software gcyoung@dawsonbutte.net ACCESS DAY – OCTOBER 2014 - DENVER, CO
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Access Web Apps UI is HTML forms Data is in SQL Server HTML hosted in SharePoint SQL database is hosted in Windows Azure (Azure SQL Database) There is no client code! ACCESS DAY – OCTOBER 2014 - DENVER, CO
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Access Web App vs. Access Client Pros Standardized User Interface One-click Deployment SQL Server (Azure SQL Database) Backend Authentication handled by SharePoint Cons Limited User Interface Options No VBA (just macros) Requires SharePoint or Office 365 for Business No inherent Report functionality ACCESS DAY – OCTOBER 2014 - DENVER, CO
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OK, Now What? Azure SQL Database means that the data is now available from anywhere UI can be anything that can access a SQL Server database (including a full Access client) The application can live outside of SharePoint SharePoint / Office 365 / Active Directory authentication can be used, if desired ACCESS DAY – OCTOBER 2014 - DENVER, CO
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Extending Access Web Apps Examples Full Access Client application Cloud Business App App for SharePoint (MVC) Active-Directory-Authenticated Web App (MVC) Windows 8 Phone App (Web API) ACCESS DAY – OCTOBER 2014 - DENVER, CO
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Full Access Client Application ACCESS DAY – OCTOBER 2014 - DENVER, CO Use Web App database credentials to link tables using an ODBC connection From within your Web App open in Access: Click FILE to open the “Back Stage” Click the Manage button in the Connections section Indicate which type of connections and which locations to allow Click the Manage button again and select View Connection Information Create a Blank Desktop Database in Access Create a Machine ODBC connection using these credentials Link to the SQL database tables using the connection Design your Client application
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SQL Server Management Studio ACCESS DAY – OCTOBER 2014 - DENVER, CO We can view our Web App data in Azure SQL Database in SSMS If you haven’t already specified access From Any Location in your Web App: Click FILE to open the “Back Stage” Click the Manage button in the Connections section Indicate From Any Location Click the Manage button again and select View Connection Information Copy that information somewhere handy (and secure, if production) Open SSMS to a new connection and enter the credentials Make sure to enter the database name on the Options tab NOTE: Schema is managed in the Access designer, not in SSMS (unlike “normal” SQL Server)
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Extending Access using Visual Studio ACCESS DAY – OCTOBER 2014 - DENVER, CO Four examples: Cloud Business App App for SharePoint (MVC) ASP.NET web app (MVC) Windows 8 Phone App consuming an ASP.NET Web API interface to database Cloud Business Apps and Apps for SharePoint live in SharePoint and require a “dev site” ASP.NET web apps can live on any IIS server Visual Studio 2013 Professional or Express Web/Phone (free)
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Cloud Business App (Visual Studio) ACCESS DAY – OCTOBER 2014 - DENVER, CO WYSIWYG development environment (between Access Web App and “normal” web app) Can combine multiple data sources, including SQL Server, Azure SQL database, SAP, and SharePoint data (users, lists, etc) Canned UI (set of templates) View, Add, Edit and Search supported out of the box Two components: Server: Data Sources HTML Client: Screens Development: Select Office/SharePoint > Cloud Business App Specify SharePoint development site Specify Data Source(s) Design Screens Run (deploys to SharePoint dev site)
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App for SharePoint (Visual Studio) ACCESS DAY – OCTOBER 2014 - DENVER, CO We now step away from “canned UI” to full-blown ASP.NET web apps that use the SQL database App for SharePoint accessed in SharePoint Can be MVC or Web Forms. We’ll use MVC. Create the blank MVC Application Open Visual Studio 2013 (or Visual Studio Express 2013) Select File > New Project > Web > ASP.NET Web Application Select MVC Set Authentication to No Authentication Uncheck Host in the Cloud Connect to the Azure SQL Database Right-click on the Models folder and select Add > ADO.NET Entity Data Model Select EF Designer from Database Click New Connection and enter the credentials Select the six data tables Save and Build
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Quick Aside: What is MVC? ACCESS DAY – OCTOBER 2014 - DENVER, CO
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App for SharePoint (Visual Studio) ACCESS DAY – OCTOBER 2014 - DENVER, CO Development: Select Office/SharePoint > App for SharePoint Specify SharePoint development site Specify Project type (MVC) and Authentication (Online or On-Premise) Specify Data Source – Models (right-click) > Add > ADO.NET Entity Data Model Build Solution Generate Controller(s) and Views – Controllers (right-click) > Add > New Scaffolded Item Run (deploys to SharePoint dev site)
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Active-Directory Authenticated MVC Application ACCESS DAY – OCTOBER 2014 - DENVER, CO Now, web applications that may be accessed anywhere (not just in SharePoint) We can allow Open (unauthenticated) access Individual user access (stand-alone or federated) Cloud Active Directory (SharePoint/Office 365) authentication Azure Active Directory can be used to augment SharePoint/Office 365 Active Directory) On-Premise Active Directory We’ll build an ASP.NET MVC web application using cloud Active Directory Select Web > ASP.NET Web Application Specify MVC Specify Organizational Authentication and enter your domain credentials Generate site as for App for SharePoint The web app is on the public internet, but access requires Active Directory authentication
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Windows Phone 8 App ACCESS DAY – OCTOBER 2014 - DENVER, CO We can also interact with our Access Web App database in mobile device apps Two components: Back end data interface: ASP.NET WebAPI Front-end user interface: Windows Phone 8 (Databound App)
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Windows Phone 8 App Backend: ASP.NET Web API ACCESS DAY – OCTOBER 2014 - DENVER, CO Almost identical to MVC web application Development: New Project > Web > ASP.NET Web Application Select Web API Change Authentication to No Authentication Generate Model as for App for SharePoint Remove “virtual” keyword from generated classes Add > New Scaffolded Item > Web API 2 Controller with actions Run Publish to Azure: Right click on project name > Publish
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Windows Phone 8 App Frontend: Databound App Windows Phone 8 Databound App Broadest reach Lots of churn in Universal Apps right now Development: New Project > Store Apps > Windows Phone Apps > Databound App (Windows Phone Silverlight) Add Model class Edit ItemViewModel.cs and MainViewModel.cs Edit MainPage.xaml and DetailsPage.xaml Run ACCESS DAY – OCTOBER 2014 - DENVER, CO
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Summary Access 2013/365 opens new scenarios for Access developers to extend their applications to: SharePoint and Office 365 Public and authenticated web sites Mobile device applications Access developers might consider acquiring basic Visual Studio / MVC skills (or partnering with someone having them) to offer these new scenarios to their customers. Access developers and their clients may benefit from “thinking outside of the box”. The “classic” Access client forms application can still be at the center of this new web-based extensible set of applications. ACCESS DAY – OCTOBER 2014 - DENVER, CO
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Resources Please see the following web site for: A list of resources for learning more about the applications covered in this talk The sample Northwind Orders database used in these demos A copy of this PowerPoint presentation http://www.dawsonbutte.com/accesstoazure/ http://www.dawsonbutte.com/accesstoazure/ For additional questions or comments, please email me at: gcyoung@dawsonbutte.netgcyoung@dawsonbutte.net Thank you for attending Access Day Denver 2014! ACCESS DAY – OCTOBER 2014 - DENVER, CO
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