Access Explorer

Created by Juanjo Luna · luna-soft · LinkedIn · GitHub
Explore and edit Microsoft Access databases (.accdb / .mdb) directly from VS Code.

🌐 Español · Deutsch

Features

Multiple connections to .accdb / .mdb databases
Object tree per connection: Tables, Queries, Forms, Reports, Macros, VBA Modules, Relationships, References
Integrated SQL editor with results grid (sort, filter, copy, export CSV)
CRUD support: INSERT / UPDATE / DELETE with confirmation dialog
Edit and save VBA code directly into Access
Edit form/report control properties
Compile VBA and display errors in the editor
Compact & Repair database
UI available in English, German and Spanish (follows VS Code display language)

Prerequisites

Requirement	Details
Windows	Required by Microsoft Access
Microsoft Access	2016 or later
Python 3.9+	Required to run the MCP server
Access VBA trust	Enable `Trust access to the VBA project object model` in Access Trust Center
MCP-Access	External MCP server (Python process) launched automatically by the extension

Install MCP-Access

Clone or download the server from github.com/unmateria/MCP-Access:

git clone https://github.com/unmateria/MCP-Access.git
cd MCP-Access
py -3 -m venv .venv
.\.venv\Scripts\python.exe -m pip install --upgrade pip
.\.venv\Scripts\python.exe -m pip install mcp pywin32

In Microsoft Access enable:

File > Options > Trust Center > Trust Center Settings > Macro Settings > Trust access to the VBA project object model

Installation

Option A — From VSIX file (recommended)

Download access-explorer-x.x.x.vsix from the Releases section.
In VS Code: Extensions → ··· → Install from VSIX... and select the file.
Or from the terminal:

code --install-extension access-explorer-x.x.x.vsix

Option B — Build from source

git clone https://github.com/lunasoft2001/vscode-access.git
cd vscode-access
npm install
npm run compile
npx vsce package        # generates the .vsix file
code --install-extension access-explorer-x.x.x.vsix

Requires Node.js 18+ and @vscode/vsce (npm install -g @vscode/vsce).

Configuration

After installing the extension, configure it in VS Code Settings (Ctrl+,):

Setting	Description	Example
`accessExplorer.mcp.serverScriptPath`	Absolute path to `access_mcp_server.py`	`C:\\tools\\mcp-access\\access_mcp_server.py`
`accessExplorer.mcp.pythonCommand`	Python command	`python` or `py`
`accessExplorer.mcp.toolPrefix`	Tool prefix used by the MCP server	`access`
`accessExplorer.mcp.requestTimeoutMs`	Timeout for general MCP calls (ms)	`30000`
`accessExplorer.mcp.sqlQueryTimeoutMs`	Timeout for SQL execution (ms)	`600000`

Quick Start

Open the Access view in the activity bar (moon icon).
Click Access: Add Connection and select an .accdb file.
Expand categories to explore database objects.
Right-click a connection to Compile VBA or Compact & Repair.
Open a VBA module → edit → save with Access: Save Code to Access (upload icon in editor toolbar).
Open the SQL editor (Access: New SQL Query), write your query and run it with the ▶ button.

Version History

This README now includes a short release summary for quick overview. For full details, see CHANGELOG.md.

v1.0.13: Auto-installs Pillow when PIL is missing for screenshots; guided repair flow when mcp_access module is absent.
v1.0.14: Adds Access: Show MCP Runtime command with copy-ready mcp.json snippet and runtime folder reveal.
v1.0.12: Auto-enables Access Trust Center VBA access (AccessVBOM) during setup (best effort).
v1.0.11: Uses extension-managed MCP runtime storage (globalStorage) by default.
v1.0.10: Adds MCP-Access ZIP fallback when Git is unavailable.

From the next versions onward, this section will be updated with each release (fixes, improvements, and new features).

Credits

Access Explorer is developed and maintained by Juanjo Luna — luna-soft.

This extension uses MCP-Access as the backend server to communicate with Microsoft Access.
MCP-Access is an independent project distributed under its own license. All rights belong to their respective authors.

Communication protocol: Model Context Protocol (MCP).

License

This extension is licensed under the Polyform Noncommercial License 1.0.0.

Free for personal, educational, and non-commercial use.
Commercial use (including integration into commercial products, services, or use by a for-profit entity for business purposes) requires a separate written commercial license from the author.

To inquire about commercial licensing, contact: juanjo@luna-soft.es