Database - External MS Access Data

This article discusses analyzing MS Access data in Raosoft EZSurvey and EZReport.

Instructions:

  1. Open MS Access, and create a new database. (File New Database)

  2. Import the existing .mdb file into this new database. (File Get External Data Import)

  3. Open the table in the new database that holds the collected survey data.

  4. Choose File Export. For the save as name, use somename.asc

  5. For save as type, choose Text Files (.txt, .csv, .asc, .tab) and click Save.

  6. In the Export text wizard, choose Delimited. Select Next, and choose the delimiter as tab. Check the box for include field names on first row and the Text Qualifier should be {none}.

  7. Select Next, then Finish.

  8. In EZSurvey, select File Import Database. Browse to the .asc file that you just saved.

  9. Open this file, then after the Edit Form window opens, save the form.

  10. You can now associate question texts and response codes and texts with the questions. You do not HAVE to enter question and response texts, but without them, EZSurvey and EZReport will show only raw numbers and field names.

  11. Note that EZSurvey assigns a rather large field length to these imported fields. Set this to something smaller and more manageable, but not so short as to cut off responses.

  12. There is a technique for importing the response codes and texts from the lookup tables in Access as well. This will save a lot of retyping and/or copying and pasting.

  13. Once the form has question texts, response codes and texts for the questions, it is ready for reporting. Open EZReport, and choose File open form. Browse to the EZSurvey form file that was just created. Depending on the size of the data table, the form may take some time to open.

  14. Once the form is open, choose Analysis Plot to begin creating graphs.

See also...