New records can be created by pasting structures into Chemistry controls if the underlying chemical table is attached via ODBC. The Chemistry Builder Wizard simplifies the creation of other Access form controls, which enables molecular weights and formulae, elemental composition, and Smiles strings to be displayed in text boxes. A modal Chemical Query Manager, invoked from the Accord toolbar, holds a set of query structures that can be maintained with the chosen chemical structure editor. Selecting the Find Chemistry tool opens a floating dialog box that allows a chemical query to be used for searching. There are three structure search modes: Exact, Substructure, and Similarity. Each could process more than 60 structures per second in a 750-compound database. The actual speed of each type of search varied according to the query—some queries processed more than 100 structures per second. Selecting the Query by Form tool allows queries (including structural queries) to be entered directly onto the current form. Reselecting the tool (now Search by Form) executes the query, using substructure search if a query structure has been pasted into a chemistry control. Some care is required with Access sueries and forms. The Accord chemistry table primary key should be the first field on the Access query bb yxample eQBE) grid; if it is not, some structures may not be displayed. In addition, forms displaying chemical structures must have their Default View property set to Single Form; continuous forms display the same structure (that of the currently selected record) in all records. Although the manufacturer claims that structures from two different chemical tables can be displayed on the same form, I was unable to achieve this result. I was
able, however, to display structures from different Accord tables simullaneously on different Access forms. Although the production of reports containing structures is straightforward, it is essential that the AccordUpdateControl function be called by the OnPrint property of the report's Detail section. Failure to do mis results in blank structures. Printing forms and reports with structures was temperamental in the first release of Accord; ;ersion 1.n is much more rebust. Accord provides programming functions in addition to the toolbar buttons and "wizards." These functions cover the management of the Accord add-in, ,hemistry tables and controls, calculation of derived data (e.g., ,ormulae and molecular weights), data import and export, and chemical searching. Functions that interact with external systems usually have associated dialog boxes and can be used as the control sources for Access form and reporr controls or in modules or macros, potentially allowing the creation of complex applications. If Accord for Excel is also installed on the computer, an Accord toolbar button enables data to be transferred to Excel lor chemical spreadsheet analysis and the production of Markush tables. The Accord manual is ssearr concise, and well laid out. The brief Tutorial Guide provides the user with a walk-through of the Reagents database, and a guide to creating an Accord application ii slso availablel Synopsis offers support by phone and e-mail; inquiries were answered helpfully, courteously, and promptly. In summary, Accord for Access is a useful chemical add-in but has some limitations. Simple systems can be put together in a few hours, but experience in Access ssogramming is required to create complex applications. Reviewed by C. E. Newall, London (U.K.)
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Analytical Chemistry News & Features, September 1, 1996 5 5 5 A
