Editing Microsoft Access (section)

===Project Omega===

Microsoft's first attempt to sell a [[relational database]] product was during the mid-1980s, when Microsoft obtained the license to sell [[R:Base]].<ref name=Goodhew1996-11>{{cite web|title=Jet Engine: History|author=Goodhew, Tony|year=1996|url=http://www.avdf.com/nov96/acc_jet.html|access-date=January 2, 2011}}</ref> In the late 1980s Microsoft developed its own solution codenamed Omega.<ref name=FergusonBirth>{{cite web|title=The Birth of Visual Basic|author=Ferguson, Scott|url=http://www.forestmoon.com/birthofvb/birthofvb.html}}</ref> It was confirmed in 1988 that a database product for Windows and [[OS/2]] was in development.<ref>{{Cite news|title=Microsoft Works on SAA Database|first1=Mark|last1=Brownstein|first2=Stuart J.|last2=Johnston|newspaper=InfoWorld|date=November 14, 1988|page=5|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=wTsEAAAAMBAJ}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|title=Microsoft Puts Finishing Touches on Windows Applications|first=Mark|last=Brownstein|newspaper=InfoWorld|date=February 13, 1989|page=5|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=QDoEAAAAMBAJ}}</ref> It was going to include the "EB" Embedded Basic language,<ref name="FergusonBirth"/> which was going to be the language for writing macros in all Microsoft applications,<ref>{{Cite news|title=Microsoft Applications to Share Macro Language|first=Laurie|last=Flynn|newspaper=InfoWorld|date=May 8, 1989|page=1|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=RzoEAAAAMBAJ}}</ref> but the unification of macro languages did not happen until the introduction of [[Visual Basic for Applications]] (VBA). Omega was also expected to provide a front end to the [[Microsoft SQL Server]].<ref>{{Cite news|title=Microsoft Waits on SQL Front Ends|first=Laurie|last=Flynn|newspaper=InfoWorld|date=August 21, 1989|page=109|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=rjAEAAAAMBAJ}}</ref> The application was very resource-intensive, and there were reports that it was working slowly on the [[Intel 80386|386]] processors that were available at the time.<ref>{{Cite news|title=Gates Claims That 80286 Systems Are No Longer His Babies|first=Robert X.|last=Cringely|newspaper=InfoWorld|date=September 4, 1989|page=82|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=rDAEAAAAMBAJ}}</ref> It was scheduled to be released in the 1st quarter of 1990,<ref>{{Cite news|title=No Way, the PC Industry Will Always Be Dominated By Doritos|first=Robert X.|last=Cringely|newspaper=InfoWorld|date=July 31, 1989|page=86|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=tjAEAAAAMBAJ}}</ref> but in 1989 the development of the product was reset<ref name="Goodhew1996-11"/><ref>{{Cite news|title=Lotus Exec Tells of Ordeal: "Aliens Force Me to Use MS Windows"|first=Robert X.|last=Cringely|newspaper=InfoWorld|date=October 16, 1989|page=106|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=nDAEAAAAMBAJ}}</ref> and it was rescheduled to be delivered no sooner than in January 1991.<ref>{{Cite news|title=Elvis, Now a Vegas Parking Lot Attendant, Further Delays Intel 486|first=Robert X.|last=Cringely|newspaper=InfoWorld|date=November 20, 1989|page=106|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=qDAEAAAAMBAJ}}</ref> Parts of the project were later used for other Microsoft projects: Cirrus (codename for Access) and Thunder (codename for [[Visual Basic]], where the Embedded Basic engine was used).<ref name=Goodhew1996-11/><ref name=FergusonBirth/> After Access's premiere, the Omega project was demonstrated in 1992 to several journalists and included features that were not available in Access.<ref>{{Cite news|title=Microsoft demos its ill-fated Omega|first=Scott|last=Mace|newspaper=InfoWorld|date=November 30, 1992|page=16|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=L1EEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA16}}</ref>