odd question, i know, but one that's been bugging me.
i create fairly involved programs. the only process i know is a simple one:
inputs are put into an excel spreadsheet. code is written in vb modules (vb
editor?) as subroutines (and sometimes functions). this code will crunch
the data and output it on another spreadsheet (or wherever it is needed).
most programs establish a "database" that keeps up w/ the output. i keep
this "database" on another excel spreadsheet. i can refer to it in code and
draw anything from it and organize it any way i want (in code). this leads
to my question:

what can access (or any other database program) do that excel cannot?

the only thing that i can think of is my "databases" in excel spreadsheets
may run out of room (only 256 columns by 65,536 rows). also, the size of
the file may be larger in excel vs. a (compressed?) access database.
can i enlarge a spreadsheet's dimensions?
i know i can use multiple spreadsheets as my "database", but how hard is it
to reference data when it is split up?
when data is larger than 256x65,536, is there any other way i can use excel
as a database? or do i have to go to access (which i know nothing about) ?
thanks, mike allen