Using ODBC with Microsoft Access

Using ODBC withMicrosoft Access®

- Bob ElenbaasLake Orion HS

Using ODBC with Microsoft Access

Who am I?

- teacher of computer programming and computer applications

- PowerSchool support for secondary buildings (attendance, grading, scheduling)

- assist with data collection and analysis

- high school tech support

Using ODBC with Microsoft Access

Lake Orion?

- Oakland County – just north of Pontiac- 8300 students / 650 teachers- 7 elementaries, 3 middle schools, 1 high school- on PowerSchool for 2 years (after CIMS and

Centerpoint)

Using ODBC with Microsoft Access

Goals:• To examine PowerSchool’s data structure

• To see an ODBC connection to PowerSchool in action

• Discuss advantages and disadvantages to using ODBC

• To look at how to use ODBC with Access

• To look at accessing PowerViews

Using ODBC with Microsoft Access

ODBC = Open Database Connectivity

provides a standard software method for using database management systems. The designers of ODBC aimed to make it independent of programming languages, database systems, and operating systems.

Using ODBC with Microsoft Access

Why use ODBC?

• Making direct connection to the database – fast; nothing inbetween

• Allows use of existing tools (like Excel, MSQuery, Access) to look at the data

• Allows use of SQL (structured query language

Using ODBC with Microsoft Access

• Gives you the control

Using ODBC with Microsoft Access

Data structure of PowerSchool

• To see a quick view of data structure, type ?ac=structure after the URL on any PowerSchool screen

• Full data dictionary available on Powersource

Using ODBC with Microsoft Access

Install ODBC

• Get instructions from PowerSource and PowerDataSolutions.org and follow closely

Using ODBC with Microsoft Access

Quick Export, DDE, or ODBC?

• Just a few student fields? QuickExport

• Data from other tables or fields not on QuickExport field list? DDE

• More complicated needs? ODBC

Using ODBC with Microsoft Access

Examples

1) Get student name, gender, and grade level for one building

- using SQL in Access

Using ODBC with Microsoft Access

2) Find all students with a D or E.

Find all seniors with an E.

Find all students with a D or E in math.

Using ODBC with Microsoft Access

3) Access PowerView tables to see distribution of students by grade level and ethnicity.

Using ODBC with Microsoft Access

4) Gather attendance data for select date range.