Access vs. Excel
Access databases and Excel spreadsheets, although originally very different, have evolved to have similar functions. Although either type of program can do many, but not all, of the things that the other one does, there are some things which are easier in one program than the other.
Excel is not a database management system. Excel spreadsheets store data in rows and columns called worksheets. The areas within the worksheet where the rows and columns intersect are called cells. The most common use of spreadsheets is to manage basic information such as telephone numbers, employee names, financial data, calculations, etc.
Access stores data in tables that look similar to worksheets but function quite differently. Tables, the foundation of all relational databases, function both independently and interdependently with other tables to allow the database user to combine data from multiple sources and analyze and/or report information in almost limitless ways.
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