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Instead of Accessing MySQL from Microsoft Access using ODBC is it possible to do it the other way around ? By that i mean: Accessing a Microsoft Access table from a MySQL database.

Codey_54
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  • You might be able to find a way to do it, if you look enough and are willing to endure needless complexity, but it's a very bad idea. Rather think along the lines of accessing both databases from a third program, and manipulating/merging the data there. – gknicker Feb 25 '15 at 21:11
  • Do you know why i can access a MySQL database in Microsoft Access (via the ODBC connecter), but not the other way around ? Or is it possible ? – Codey_54 Feb 25 '15 at 21:31
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    You can do that because Microsoft Access is more than just a database. It has a user interface and a programming environment, so it can act as an application "front end", whereas mySQL is purely a "back end" relational database management system. – gknicker Feb 25 '15 at 21:34

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For all reasonable intents and purposes, no it's not possible to access a Microsoft Access table from a MySQL database.

This is because MySQL is purely a RDBMS (Relational DataBase Management System), whereas Microsoft Access is more of a Swiss Army Knife because you can use it to create an entire small-scale application from user interface through business logic to database.

In other words, Microsoft Access fills the role of an application "front end" as well as "back end", whereas MySQL is only back end. Generally you'd need the functionality of a front end to connect to a back end, whereas a back end expects to be accessed from a front end thus isn't particularly well equipped to do other than listen and respond.

gknicker
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    Good explanation of "front end" vs. "back end", but there is at least one example of a "back end" database that allows such external connections: Microsoft SQL Server. Its "[Linked Server](https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-CA/library/ff772782.aspx)" feature enables us to establish connections to other databases, so it is possible for SQL Server to "link to" an Access database (details [here](http://stackoverflow.com/a/26829350/2144390)) or some other database that offers OLEDB/ODBC connections. – Gord Thompson Feb 25 '15 at 23:51
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    @GordThompson Thank you. Yes, there's also DB2 federation, and similar things in other DBMSs - it's just that using a database in such a manner is not usually the normal or preferred way of doing such things. That's why we have ETL tools and programming languages. My answer is geared for the audience :) – gknicker Feb 25 '15 at 23:54
  • I quite agree. Just because we *can* do something doesn't necessarily mean that we *should*. :) – Gord Thompson Feb 26 '15 at 00:19