Filemaker/Access Compatibility

JAGflyer said:

I am at the Eaton Center store and am considering filemaker. I need to do databases for school and to know if access is compatibile with filemaker (can they open/edit eachother's files?). The school says we use Access but of course MS dosent make Access for Mac. I would run Bootcamp but I have no full install for XP. Can anyone tell me if I can open/edit Access files in Filemaker and vice versa?

Thanks

PS: They have 1 new iMac on display, iLife and iWork 08 and no new keyboards available to buy yet, but I did play with one they had from an iMac. Its nice and sleek

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No, there is virtually no compatibility between FM and Access. You can export data as text to import into the other one, but that is about it. None of the programming, scripts, table structure, layouts or anything else can be transferred.

The Access data file structure is closed, and is tightly integrated with Windows. Other than an open source OpenOffice or NeoOffice (can't remember) that can do a [email protected]$$=d job of opening files, nothing else can deal with Access.

When you get to school, you can probably get MS Windows and MS Office at a steep discount through the school to install under Bootcamp.