Introduction

Welcome! Import RSS, Weather, & Share Data

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Welcome to Microsoft Access Expert Level 24. In this course we will discuss how to read data from websites, including importing RSS news feeds and real-time weather data into your Access database. We will talk about displaying weather details with automatic updates, and I will show you how to set up your Access tables on an online SQL server to share data between multiple users in different locations. We will also reference topics from Access Expert Level 23, such as remote data entry and XML import, and discuss version compatibility with earlier Microsoft Access releases.

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Keywords

Access Expert, import RSS feeds, online SQL server, share database online, real-time weather data, link tables to SQL server, remote data sharing, news feed import, weather form, GoDaddy SQL, ODBC connection, XML import, event timer, student forums

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Intro

Transcript

Welcome to Microsoft Access Expert Level 24, brought to you by AccessLearningZone.com. I am your instructor, Richard Rost.

Today's class has two focuses. One, reading data from websites, and two, sharing your Access databases with an online SQL server. This will allow you to share your Access data information between multiple users in different locations.

We are going to start by learning how to import RSS feeds from different websites. An RSS feed is another name for a news feed. We will see how to pull down the latest news information from MSNBC and from CNN.com.

Next, we will learn how to pull down an RSS feed to display real-time weather data. We will be able to see the temperature, the humidity, a little picture showing the sun or the rain or the clouds. We will make a button to update in real time with one click, and I will show you how to use a timer interval to have the form update itself every five minutes or ten minutes or whatever interval you specify.

Finally, and this is one of the most requested topics that I have ever gotten, I am going to show you how to set up an online SQL server database. With an internet provider, I personally use GoDaddy, but you can use pretty much any internet provider you want. We will take your Access tables, upload them to the SQL server on the website, then link back to them from your Access database.

This way, once the tables are linked, you can give your Access database to whomever you want, preferably someone trusted. When they open up the database, it will connect right to the SQL server and you can share information back and forth. Whatever information you type in the tables will show up for them and vice versa. It is an easy way to share your Access data information with other people in remote locations, as long as they have a real-time connection to the web server. It is fairly easy to set up and it is pretty inexpensive. You can get online hosting for about $5 a month. For the thousands of you who have asked for this, this lesson will finally cover it.

This class covers Microsoft Access Expert Level 23. I strongly recommend you take 23 and all the previous classes before starting this class. The last couple of Access levels have focused on importing and exporting data. Level 23 started with remote data entry. That is where you have a database that a user can take on the road with them, perhaps on his laptop, where he does not have internet connectivity. He can then upload and synchronize his records when he gets back to the office. Today's class is going to show you how to share data with people in remote locations if they do have live internet connectivity.

Level 23 also covered importing transactions, checking for duplicates, composite keys, and importing and exporting multiple table XML files to share related information, customers with their contacts, for example.

This class was recorded with Microsoft Access 2013. In all honesty, I am not sure if all of the topics covered in today's class will work with older versions of Access. 2007 and 2010 had less functional versions available of some of the things I am going to show you in today's class. I am pretty sure the lesson on connecting to an SQL server will work just fine with 2007 and 2010, but I am not positive about the XML import for the RSS feeds. I honestly do not have an older copy of Access 2007 or 10 installed on any of my machines. I have upgraded them all to 2013.

For any of you who have these older versions, if you want to try these lessons and let me know in the forums if this stuff works, please feel free to post it. I would be much obliged. But for the rest of you, you should upgrade to 2013. It is much better than the older version, lots of bugs have been fixed. With Microsoft's new subscription options, there is no longer a huge cost involved in upgrading to Access 2013.

If you are using Access 2003 or earlier, I am pretty sure none of this stuff will work. The ODBC stuff might work connecting to the SQL server, but again I cannot guarantee it. Time to upgrade.

My courses are broken up into Beginner, Expert, Advanced and Developer Level Classes. Beginner level classes are for novices. You should understand all the topics covered in them by the time you get to the Expert level classes, which you are in now. When you finish all the Expert level classes, the Advanced classes will cover event programming and macros, and the Developer classes will cover Visual Basic for Applications. Each group of classes is broken down into multiple levels, Level 1, 2, 3, and so on.

In addition to my normal Access classes, I also have seminars designed to teach specific topics. Some of my seminars include building web-based databases, creating forms and reports that look like calendars, securing your database, working with images and attachments, writing work orders and running a service business, tracking accounts payable, learning the SQL programming language, creating loan amortization schedules, and lots more.

You can find details on all of these seminars and more on my website at accesslearningzone.com.

If you have questions about the topics covered in today's lessons, please feel free to post them in my student forums. If you are watching this course in the online theater on my website, you should see the student forum for each lesson appear in a small window next to the class video. Here you will see all of the questions that other students have asked as well as my responses to them and comments that other students have made. I encourage you to read through these questions and answers as you start each lesson and feel free to join in the discussion.

If you are not watching these lessons on my website, you can still visit the student forums later by visiting accesslearningzone.com/forums.

To get the most out of this course, I recommend you sit back, relax, and watch each lesson completely through once without trying to do anything on your computer. Then, replay the lesson from the beginning and follow along with my examples. Actually create the same database that I make in the video, step by step. Do not try to apply what you are learning right now to other projects until you have mastered the sample database from class. If you get stuck or do not understand something, watch the video again from the beginning or tell me what is wrong in the student forum and I will do my best to help you.

Most importantly, keep an open mind. Access may seem intimidating at first, but once you get the hang of it, you will see that it is real easy to use. Now I strongly encourage you to build the database that I build in today's class by following along with the videos. However, if you would like to download a sample copy of my finished database file, you can find it on my website at accesslearningzone.com/databases. Sometimes if you get stuck, the easiest way to learn is to tear apart someone else's database.

One of the ways that I taught myself Access years ago was by tearing apart the Northwind Traders database that comes up Microsoft Access. You will find there is a sample database for each of my courses on my website.

Now let's take a few minutes and go over exactly what we are going to cover in today's class.

In lesson one, we are going to learn how to import data from RSS feeds. Those are news feeds on websites.

In lesson two, we are going to learn how to import real-time weather data into our databases. In the previous lesson, we learned how to download the weather feed from Weather Underground. In this lesson, I am going to show you how to display a form to show the current date and time, the temperature readings, a picture from the web indicating the current weather conditions, we will make a button to update it, and we will make an event timer to automatically update the weather information every couple of minutes.

In lesson four, I am going to show you how to take your tables from your Access database, publish them online to an SQL server database, and then link to them from your Access database. This way you can share your Access database with multiple people in remote locations and share data that is stored on your web server.

Thank you.

Quiz

Q1. What is one of the main focuses of Microsoft Access Expert Level 24?
A. Reading data from websites
B. Building pivot tables
C. Designing new database templates
D. Writing VBA code exclusively

Q2. What is an RSS feed commonly used for?
A. Sending emails
B. A news feed from a website
C. Creating financial statements
D. Encrypting database files

Q3. What will the real-time weather data form be able to display according to the lesson?
A. Video forecasts only
B. Temperature, humidity, and a weather picture
C. Only wind speed
D. Historical weather data only

Q4. Which process allows you to automatically update the weather information on your form at specified intervals?
A. Exporting a table
B. Using a timer interval
C. Compacting and repairing the database
D. Running a batch file

Q5. What is the benefit of uploading your Access tables to an online SQL server and linking them back to your Access database?
A. It allows you to share your data with users in remote locations in real time
B. It creates backup copies on your local machine
C. It converts your database to a different file format
D. It disables data entry in Access

Q6. What is required for users to share data through an online SQL server linked to Access?
A. All users must use the same computer
B. No internet connection is needed
C. A real-time connection to the web server
D. Only local Access files are needed

Q7. What previous lesson topic is recommended to understand before taking Expert Level 24?
A. Printing reports in color
B. Remote data entry and importing/exporting data
C. Designing navigation forms
D. Using macros for automation

Q8. What does Level 23 focus on?
A. Event programming in VBA
B. Remote data entry and importing/exporting multiple table XML files
C. Building dashboards
D. Writing advanced SQL queries

Q9. What are some limitations for using the features presented in this class with Access 2007 or 2010?
A. Everything works perfectly
B. Feature support may be limited for XML import/RSS feeds
C. They only work in Access 2019
D. Macros are not supported

Q10. Which version of Access does the instructor recommend upgrading to?
A. Access 2003
B. Access 2007
C. Access 2013
D. Access XP

Q11. Which group of classes comes AFTER the Expert Level classes according to the instructor?
A. Developer classes
B. Advanced classes
C. Seminar classes
D. Tutorial classes

Q12. Where can you find the sample finished database files built in the lessons?
A. On the instructor's website at accesslearningzone.com/databases
B. On Microsoft's main page
C. Only by email request
D. At your local library

Q13. What does the instructor recommend doing to get the most out of the course?
A. Watch only the beginning of each lesson
B. Read the transcript instead of viewing videos
C. Watch each lesson entirely, then follow along step by step in Access
D. Skip the examples and build your own unrelated project

Q14. What is the recommended way to get help if you are stuck on a lesson?
A. Call Microsoft support
B. Post a question in the student forum
C. Contact your IT department
D. Wait for the next video

Q15. What best describes the overall purpose of moving Access tables online via SQL Server as explained in this course?
A. To secure data from viruses
B. To allow shared, real-time access to data from multiple locations
C. To print reports faster
D. To convert Access to an Excel workbook

Answers: 1-A; 2-B; 3-B; 4-B; 5-A; 6-C; 7-B; 8-B; 9-B; 10-C; 11-B; 12-A; 13-C; 14-B; 15-B

DISCLAIMER: Quiz questions are AI generated. If you find any that are wrong, don't make sense, or aren't related to the video topic at hand, then please post a comment and let me know. Thanks.

Summary

Today's video from Access Learning Zone is Microsoft Access Expert Level 24. I'm Richard Rost, your instructor.

In this class, we're focusing on two main topics: first, reading data directly from websites, and second, sharing your Access databases using an online SQL server. By doing this, you'll be able to connect your Access data and work with users located anywhere with internet access.

We'll begin by learning how to import RSS feeds from various sites. If you are not familiar, RSS feeds act as news feeds, providing regular updates from different sources. For example, we'll look at obtaining the latest news from sites like MSNBC and CNN.com.

After that, we'll work with real-time weather feeds. You'll see how to pull in weather data such as temperature and humidity. We'll also display a small icon showing current weather conditions - whether it is sunny, rainy, or cloudy. I'll show you how to create a button to refresh the data on demand, and then set up a timer so your form can update itself automatically every 5 or 10 minutes, or at any interval you choose.

The last main topic, which is something many of you have requested, is working with online SQL server databases. I'll show you how to set up a SQL server database hosted by an internet provider. While I personally use GoDaddy, nearly any provider will work. We'll move your Access tables over to the SQL server, then link them back into your Access database. Once everything is set up, you can distribute your Access database to trusted people. Whenever they open the database, it connects to the SQL server, allowing you to share data in real time. Any edits to the data are available to all users immediately. Setting this up is easier and more affordable than you may think. Hosting is available for as low as $5 a month, making this a practical way to connect remote users to your Access data.

This course picks up where Expert Level 23 left off. I strongly suggest you complete Level 23 and the previous classes first. If you recall, recent levels have revolved around importing and exporting data. Level 23 started with remote data entry - giving your users a database they can take offline, make edits while away from the office, then synchronize their changes later. However, in this class, I'll focus on sharing data with users who do have a reliable, live internet connection.

Level 23 also talked about importing transactions, handling duplicate data, using composite keys, and importing or exporting multiple related tables using XML files. We used this to exchange related information, like customers and their contacts, all at once.

I'm teaching this class with Microsoft Access 2013. I don't know for sure if everything covered here will work with earlier versions. Access 2007 and 2010 had fewer features, and you might run into limitations, especially with XML import for RSS feeds. Connecting to SQL server should work in both, but I have not tested it myself, as all of my machines are now running 2013. For those of you using older versions, feel free to try these lessons and post your results in the forums. I'd appreciate it. For everyone else, I recommend upgrading to Access 2013. It's improved a lot and many bugs have been fixed. With Microsoft's newer subscription options, it's also more affordable than it used to be.

If you're still on Access 2003 or earlier, most of these techniques will probably not work for you. There might be some support for ODBC connections, but I cannot guarantee anything. If you want to use these features, it's time to upgrade.

My courses come in four groups: Beginner, Expert, Advanced, and Developer. Beginner levels are for those just starting out, and by the time you reach the Expert level, like this class, you should understand all previous concepts. The Advanced levels will focus on macros and programming events, while the Developer classes are all about Visual Basic for Applications. Each level is split up further into Level 1, Level 2, and so on.

Outside of these main Access classes, I also offer seminars on specialized topics, like building web databases, creating calendar-style forms and reports, securing your data, working with images and attachments, handling work orders, managing accounts payable, learning SQL, calculating loan amortization schedules, and more. Details about these seminars are always on my website.

If you have any questions about today's lessons, the best way to get help is by using my student forums. When you watch the video course on my website, a mini forum is available next to the lesson where you can read questions from other students, my answers, and comments. I encourage you to participate, as it is often helpful to see where others have run into issues or found solutions. If you are not watching the course on my site, you can still visit the forums later.

For the best learning experience, I recommend that you first watch each lesson all the way through without trying to follow along on your computer. After that, go back and replay the lesson, building the same sample database step by step as I do. Do not try to copy the techniques into your own projects until you fully understand the sample database from class. If you encounter difficulties, it usually helps to rewatch the lesson, or you can ask for help in the forum.

Remember to keep an open mind. Access can feel challenging at first, but once things start to make sense, you will find that working with it is pretty straightforward. I highly suggest you build along with me in today's class. If you'd like a copy of the finished sample database to explore on your own, you can download it from my website. Sometimes looking over a completed database is the easiest way to understand how everything works. That is exactly how I learned Access years ago, by taking apart the sample Northwind Traders database.

Each of my Access courses comes with its own example database. You will always find those on my site for your reference.

Let's quickly outline what you'll see in today's class:

In lesson one, we'll cover importing RSS feeds, which are the news feeds from different websites.

Lesson two is about bringing in real-time weather data. You will learn how to display a form with the current date and time, temperature readings, and a web image that shows the current weather. I'll also show you how to add a button to update the data and create an automatic update using a timer event every few minutes.

Lesson four will walk you through moving your tables from Access to an online SQL server database and connecting your local Access front end to those tables. This enables you to share Access data with multiple users in different locations, all using the same data stored on the server.

If you want a full video walkthrough with step-by-step instructions on everything we've discussed here, you can find it on my website at the link below. Live long and prosper, my friends.

Topic List

Importing RSS news feeds into Access
Pulling news data from MSNBC and CNN
Importing RSS weather feeds into Access
Displaying real-time weather info in forms
Showing temperature, humidity, and weather images
Creating a button to update weather data
Using a timer interval for auto-updating forms
Uploading Access tables to an online SQL Server
Linking Access tables to SQL Server
Sharing Access databases with remote users
Setting up SQL Server hosting for Access
Synchronizing data between Access and SQL Server

Article

Welcome to this Microsoft Access Expert Level tutorial. In this lesson, you will learn two powerful techniques: how to read data from websites into Access, and how to share your Access database with others by using an online SQL Server. These skills will allow you to import real-time information from sources like news and weather feeds, and to collaborate with users in different locations by connecting your database to an online data source.

Let us start with importing RSS feeds. An RSS feed, also called a news feed, is a web format that provides frequently updated information, such as news headlines or blog posts. With Access, you can pull in the latest news from websites like MSNBC and CNN. To do this, you need a way to read and parse XML data, since RSS feeds are delivered in XML format. Access provides tools for importing XML, but for maximum flexibility, you can use VBA code and additional references such as the Microsoft XML library. This lets you create a form with a button that, when clicked, downloads the latest news items and saves them to a table in your database.

For example, to import an RSS feed in VBA, you might use code like this:

Dim xml As Object
Set xml = CreateObject("MSXML2.DOMDocument")
xml.async = False
xml.Load "http://rss.cnn.com/rss/cnn_topstories.rss"
Dim item As Object
For Each item In xml.DocumentElement.SelectNodes("//item")
Dim title As String
Dim link As String
title = item.SelectSingleNode("title").Text
link = item.SelectSingleNode("link").Text
' Now save title and link to a table
Next

This approach gives you full control over what information you capture from the feed and how you display it. You can create an Access form to show the headlines and update them on demand with a button. If you want the data to update automatically, you can use a timer event. For example, you can set the TimerInterval property of a form to 300000 (five minutes), and place your import code in the Form_Timer event to refresh the data regularly.

Next, you can take this further by importing real-time weather data from an online source. Many weather websites provide XML feeds for current conditions, including data like temperature, humidity, and information about the sky, such as sunny, cloudy, or rainy. You can create a form in Access that shows these weather details, along with an image downloaded from the web that matches the current conditions. For instance, you can display a sun icon for sunny weather or a cloud for cloudy conditions. As with the news feed, you can update the weather data whenever you wish using a button or set the form to refresh on a timer. This way, your Access application always has up-to-date weather information for your location or any location you specify in the feed URL.

The second focus of this lesson is sharing your Access data online using an SQL Server. Many users have asked how to make an Access database available to people in different remote locations. The best way to do this is by putting your data tables on an online SQL Server provided by a web hosting company. Some companies like GoDaddy offer affordable SQL Server hosting for as little as five dollars per month. The process involves creating your tables in Access and then using Access tools to publish or upsize them to the SQL Server database.

Once your tables are on SQL Server, you can link to them from your Access front end. You do this by creating linked tables that connect to the SQL Server database over the internet using ODBC. You can then distribute your Access file to any user you trust, and as long as they have internet connectivity and the right connection details, they can open the Access file and instantly connect to the shared tables. Data they enter or update will be instantly visible to other users who are connected to the same database. This setup is much more reliable and flexible than emailing copies of Access files back and forth, and it gives you the ability to share live data from anywhere.

If you are using Microsoft Access 2013, all of these features like XML importing, ODBC connections, and SQL Server linking are fully supported. Some older versions, such as Access 2007 and Access 2010, may have limited support for certain features, especially for working with XML and advanced web sources. However, linking to SQL Server should work in most recent versions. If you find that a feature does not work, it is best to upgrade to Access 2013 or newer because these versions offer important fixes and improvements over earlier releases.

These techniques build on concepts covered in previous lessons like remote data entry and importing and exporting data between databases. In previous levels, you learned about taking an Access database on the road, entering data while offline, and then synchronizing when back online. What you learn here is very useful for users who have a reliable internet connection and want to share information instantly.

To get the most from this lesson, I recommend that you first read through this article to become familiar with the concepts and examples. Then, work step-by-step through the process yourself, recreating the examples using your own Access database. This hands-on practice will help you master the skills quickly. If you get stuck at any point, look at sample databases provided online for reference, or ask questions in Access user forums.

By the end of this lesson, you will be able to import news and weather data directly into your Access database in real time, and you will be able to share your database tables seamlessly with other users through an online SQL Server. These are valuable techniques for keeping your data current and for collaborating with others, no matter where they are located.