Microsoft Access Files

Microsoft Access is an older file format that is still encountered in some archival datasets. A single Microsoft Access file can contain multiple tables of data, which Ultorg can read.

Ultorg can connect to Microsoft Access files from any operating system: Windows, MacOS, or Linux. (The original Microsoft Access software, in contrast, runs only on Windows.)

In a controlled user study[2], we compared an early Ultorg prototype with the query builder interface in Microsoft Access, using the well-established System Usability Scale. Our system significantly outperformed Microsoft Access (+46 pts. on a percentile scale).

Connecting

To connect to a Microsoft Access file in Ultorg, click Add Data Source→Connect to File and select the file. These files have extension mdb or accdb.

In the Folders sidebar, the new data source () will appear with available tables () underneath:

Relationships

If your Microsoft Access file defines relationships between its tables, Ultorg will recognize these and use them to suggest joins in the field selector. Otherwise, you can set up relationships manually, using the Custom Join action.

Date and Time Types

Microsoft Access has a single Date & Time column type, which can hold either a date, a time, or a timestamp (date + time). Ultorg will examine the values in such columns and expose a more specific Date or Time type if possible.