Creating Custom Reports Using Microsoft Access

Introduction

Customers who own a copy of Microsoft Access, and who are familiar with its operation, can use that program to create custom reports using "live" data from their RESUMate databases by using the Linked Tables feature in Access.

Procedure

To begin, create your own MDB database file, saving it in whichever folder on your computer that you like. This MDB will contain the actual reports that you create. Next, connect the new MDB file to the data in the RESUMate RDB file by using the Linked Tables feature:

In Access 2007, select the External Data tab, and click on the Access button (RESUMate stores its data in an older Access format - Access 97, changing the file extension from ".MDB" to ".RDB"). A window will open titled Get External Data - Access Database. In the File name box, specify your RESUMate RDB file. Make sure to select the option labeled Link to the data source by creating a linked table, then click OK.

A new window will open titled Link Tables. Click the Select All button, then click OK.

The tables from the RESUMate RDB file will now appear in the list of tables in your MDB file. Please note that the data is "live" - if you open one of the tables, and make changes to the data here, it will also change the data in RESUMate.

At this point you should save the MDB file, and then proceed to create any reports you might need.

Earlier versions of Access work in a similar way, although the Linked Tables feature is found in the File menu, under Get External Data, Linked Tables.