Kerux Access 97 Database introduction |
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Free sermons and illustration databases designed especially for Evangelical Christian workers |
Latest update to page: November 8, 2004
This page explains different aspects of the Kerux database for Microsoft Access users. For the actual files, go to the database page.
Oct 14, 2004. SID frontend is online. New supplements are also on
the site, and all data sets are updated. Microsoft Access 97 is extremely powerful with database linking, VBA programming and large capacity. I have been able to give my database special help files and macros which have been continually improved. The newest version includes menu screens with fill-in-the-blank fields, double-click on topics, automatic sorting, reports, and a help file with loads of data (you can download this
here). To get the latest features, download the Mini-Version below, delete the Tables (assuming you have already downloaded the larger versions), and import the full-size tables. Your tables may have to have some "fields" added - see the help file under "upgrading tables" for details. Access 97 can be bought as a stand-alone or as a component of the Office 97 Professional suite. I got the suite (Word 97, Excel, Powerpoint, Outlook and Access) for $200 but I have seen dozens of copies on Ebay.com being offered for $25. Some pastors suspect these are illegal pirate companies but one pastor bought a CD for $30 there and said it seemed to be entirely legitimate.
Jan 10, 2004. New webspace for my site and Access 97 are all updated.
Oct 22, 2002. New illustration-only version (5.7) with Title-listing.
Apr 29, 2002. Mini-database updated with "Print current record" button on forms.
Nov 20, 2001. Glitch fixed in Access 97 sermon "accumulate" code.
August 3, 2001. NBCi.com shuts down its free websites. Mega-database is no longer online but can be constructed from components.
May 16, 2001. I share my Word 97 macros for formatting illustrations; go here for details.
Apr 2, 2001 - Update your illustration and sermon fields. Go here for details.
Mar 18, 2001 - New help file is integrated into database.
To see an overview of all my available files go to the
sitemap.
A note
on the new databases -- an Access 97 database (an MDB file) contains numerous "objects" like macros, tables, functions and queries. The objects cannot be saved as individual components outside of Access. After you download a new database you can combine it with previous databases from my system (databases are listed in the Tables area). Open the new database in Access, right-click on a table (Holwick's Illustrations, Sermons, etc.) and choose Save As/Export. Export it to the original database and you can keep all the datasets together. Actually, since the macros are always being improved you will probably be better off to export the OLD tables into the new database. Forms, functions, queries, and other "objects" can also be imported back and forth. The Update feature now makes it easy to add new records (illustrations or sermons) to your database and even updates existing records with enhanced data; you don't even have to use the export/import method. Make a backup first if you are new to this! The help file in the database gives further instructions on all this.If you want to test out a MINI VERSION,
get it here. The mini version is fully functional with my latest menu screens and "Clipboard" button on each form that copies illustrations or sermons into the Clipboard (memory) with one click. The forms also have an "Accumulate" button that allows you to put multiple illustrations or sermons into memory. The mini-version is limited to only a few illustrations and sermons (randomly chosen) per database so it only takes up 1 megabyte zipped. This way you can check out the features without a big investment in time. (continually updated) On Gentle Ministries site.
If you are just starting out and want the entire database, do this:
1. Download the installation file which is the foundation of
the database. Double-click on it to Install on your computer.
2. Download the illustration sets and unzip them.
3. Download the sermon sets and unzip them.
4. Open the database and click the Update button on introduction page.
5. Browse till you find a sermon or illustration set. It will be automatically added in. Repeat with each set.
When you want to add a supplement, just download the supplement, unzip it, and use the Update button. (The Update button was improved on November 15, 2001 and has been modified even further since then.
Follow the directions there or use the help file. Those with older versions
should upgrade to the newer version - directions can be found in the help file.
Existing users: If you want the latest forms and macros but already have the full databases installed, download the current mini-database and use the "Update Database" button to find the new mini-database; its new forms will update your existing one. You can also download a file that takes you backwards if you don't like the changes! Also be sure and download the latest help file, which should be in the same directory as your database. If your new forms seem to have glitches in some of the fields, it is likely that you need to update your data Tables; just make the adjustments described in the new help file under "upgrading tables". In Access, "Tables" contain all the data while Forms let you look at the data in a nice format. I give instructions on importing above and also in the database through the Help buttons. NOTE: this version is useless if you don't have Tables to import into it; when you click on a form you will get an error message. New users should start with the full illustration database. The blank database is also not recommended for those who have the older multiple database format (Holwick, Chestnut, Parsons collections in three separate files). To make a major update, see the note on the Access 97 Download page.
Holwick Illustration databases for Microsoft Access
Mega database - this is the ultimate. It is so big it no longer fits online as one file but can be easily put together from components at my site. Full system has 27,000+ illustrations from a variety of pastors and also all 16,000+ sermons. [see note below on the Parsons illustrations] On my computer it is over 250 megabytes. Use the Access 97 Download page to get the components mentioned here.
(A plea - download the mini-database
and maybe one data set first to see if it works on your
computer. I have to pay for all the internet bandwidth these files eat
up!)
You can produce the mega-database yourself by downloading the following files:
Access 2002 front-end. The Access 97 database can be opened by Access 2002 and newer versions; it will be converted automatically to the new format by the program (choose convert rather than "open"). You will need around 1 gigabyte of free disk space for the conversion to work. A few users say they end up with indexing problems. You can download an Access 2002-specific version of the mini-database here. Only a few sermons and illustrations are included so you have to import the full tables from your existing database or a previous mega-database.
| Would you like to help this ministry? I need pastors who are able to add topics and Bible abbreviations, in the correct format, to illustrations and sermons which lack them. The information can be put in a very small file and emailed. I am also looking for new illustration collections such as Bible Illustrator or dBASE format which have compatible referencing (topic and Bible verses). Contact me if you are interested in helping out. Here are some macros you can use to format illustrations in Word 97. |
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Troubleshooting Does the illustration database you downloaded say "Illustration toolbar not found" when you try to open the database? Solve it by opening the Illustration Form in Design View. At the top left corner is a small square with a dark square inside - right-click on it, choose Properties and scroll down the window to Toolbar; it should be blank and if it is not, erase the entry. If the form cannot find a database (or Table) to open, use the same procedure and look at the first line which says Record Source - click on the down arrow and select the correct Table. |
| Does Access 97 tell you the database is "Read-Only"? This can happen if you copy it off my CD. Simply go into Windows Explorer, right-click on the filename, choose PROPERTIES, and make sure "read-only" is NOT checked off. |
Since June 17, 1999
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