Access Database Software

Transcription

1 Access Database Software Copyright 2011 Fircroft College - All rights reserved

2 You are not allowed to copy any part of this publication in any format without the written permission of the copyright holder. Information in this publication, including URL and other Internet web site references is subject to change without notice. Unless otherwise stated, companies, organisations, products, people and events depicted in this publication are fictitious and no association with any real company, organisation, product, person or event is intended or should be inferred. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, or for any purpose, without the express prior written permission of the copyright holder. We cannot accept any responsibility for loss, disruption or damage to your data or your computer system that may occur while using this courseware publication and do not make any guarantees whatsoever regarding its content or suitability. Microsoft, MS-DOS, FrontPage, Office logo, Outlook, PivotTable, PowerPoint, SharePoint, Visual Basic, XL design, Windows and Windows NT, are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the USA and/or other countries. Word Pro is a trademark and 1-2-3, Approach, Freelance Graphics and Lotus are registered trademarks of Lotus Development Corporation. WordPerfect is a registered trademark of Corel, Inc. IBM is a registered trademark of International Business Machines Corporation. Arial and Times New Roman are registered trademarks of The Monotype Corporation. Avery is a registered trademark of Avery Dennison Corporation. EUROPEAN COMPUTER DRIVING LICENCE and ECDL & STARS Device are trade marks of the European Computer Driving Licence Foundation Limited in Ireland and other countries. The publisher is an independent entity from the European Computer Driving Licence Foundation Limited, and is not affiliated with the European Computer Driving Licence Foundation Limited in any manner. All other brand or product names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective companies. Screen shots from Microsoft products are reprinted by permission from Microsoft Corporation. This course has been created using CourseCreator by TIME2STUDY PUBLICATIONS LIMITED. All original materials TIME2STUDY PUBLICATIONS LIMITED. All rights reserved. 2 Copyright 2011 Fircroft College - All rights reserved.

3 Table of Contents About this Course... 6 Using this course... 6 Course sections... 6 Bullet points... 6 Shortcut key combinations... 6 Multiple methods for choosing features and options... 6 Exercise files and the course folder... 7 Re-installing exercise files... 7 Understanding Databases... 8 What is a database?... 8 Common uses for databases... 8 Database specialists, administrators and users... 8 How a database is structured... 9 Tables, records and fields... 9 Fields and field properties... 9 Queries Forms Reports Macros Primary keys Indexes Relational databases Update one, update all Integrity Getting Started with Microsoft Access Starting Access in Windows XP Starting Access in Windows Vista The Getting Started screen Opening an existing database Opening a database when you already have one open What you see when you open a database Security warnings Closing a database Creating a new blank database Exiting Access The Ribbon, Toolbar and Menus The Ribbon Hiding and showing the Ribbon Changing tabs Context related tools and tabs Dialog box launchers ScreenTips and Shortcut key combinations The Office Button The Quick Access toolbar Customising the Quick Access toolbar The Status bar Shortcut menus Basic Database Skills The Navigation pane Opening tables, queries, forms and reports The Records and Find groups Navigating records Navigating fields in Datasheet view Navigating in Form view Records navigator Using the Find group Selecting a record Adding, editing and deleting records Creating a new record Editing an existing record Deleting a record Saving changes Find and Replace Data The Find group Searching for data Using the Find feature Copyright 2011 Fircroft College - All rights reserved. 3

4 Using the Replace feature Sort and Filter Records The Sort & Filter Group Shortcut menu Sorting records Removing a sort Filtering records Filter by selection Filter by form And/Or Using common operators and expressions Turning filters on and off Using the Filter button Clearing all filters Important! Using the Help System The Access Help window Offline and online help Switching between offline and online help The Search box Table of Contents Printing Database Objects Using Quick Print Adding the Quick Print button to the Quick Access toolbar Using the Print dialog box Using Print Preview The Print group of commands The Page Layout group of commands The Zoom group of commands The Data group of commands Switching between pages The Page Setup dialog box Table Design About tables Field names Data types Primary keys and indexes Indexes Field properties Field sizes for Number fields Number and currency formats Date/Time formats Yes/No formats The Lookup Wizard Good practice when designing tables Examples of database table plans Simple contact table Example with related tables Creating Tables Datasheet view and Design view The Tables group About creating tables Creating a new blank table in Datasheet view Changing the data type and formatting Working with columns in Datasheet view Saving the table data and design Creating a new blank table in Design view Using a table template Copying an existing template Saving a table design Editing table designs Renaming a table Deleting a table Tables and Relationships About relationships between tables An example with table relationships One-to-many relationships, primary and foreign keys Referential integrity Cascade update/delete Copyright 2011 Fircroft College - All rights reserved.

5 Creating relationships Adding a relationship Organising the Relationships tab Save and close the relationships Editing relationships Deleting relationships Relationship Report Using the Lookup Wizard Creating Queries About queries How to use queries Query views The Design tab Types of queries Running existing queries Using the Query Wizard to create a simple select query Creating a query in Design view Saving a new query Modifying a query Saving a modified query Setting criteria Using Or for alternative criteria Using Totals and Group by Matching records in related tables Renaming a query Deleting a query Creating Forms About forms Different types of default forms Form views Creating forms Creating a default form Creating a default split form Creating a default multiple form Saving and closing a new form Using the Form Wizard Modifying a form design Renaming a form Deleting a form Creating Reports About reports Report views Creating reports Creating a default report Saving and closing a new report Using the Report Wizard Modifying a report design Printing a report Print Preview Renaming a report Deleting a report File Formats Microsoft Access file formats Opening database files with different file formats Converting a database to Access 2007 format Saving database files in different file formats Basic Options Checking and changing the default user name and initials Setting default folders for databases Setting default file format Copyright 2011 Fircroft College - All rights reserved. 5

6 About this Course Using this course Course sections Each course unit, or chapter, may have all or any of the following three sections: Information section explains concepts and actions that you need to take to make use of the feature(s) covered Tasks section step-by-step instructions for you to follow Additional exercises extra exercises for you to complete on your own Bullet points In the Information section, you will find arrow bullet points which are informative and NOT direct instructions to follow. For example: Open the File menu and choose Save As Choose the option that you want In the Tasks section, you will find round bullet points which you should follow step-by-step on your computer. For example: Open the File menu and choose Save As. Open the Wizard document. Shortcut key combinations Sometimes you will need to hold down one key while you press another. For example: Press Alt+Q means hold down the Alt key and press Q (then release both). Press Ctrl+B, U means hold down the Ctrl key, press and then release B, press and then release U, then release the Ctrl key. Multiple methods for choosing features and options Sometimes you will be given a list of alternative ways of achieving the same thing. For example: Open the File menu and choose Print, or click the Print button, or press Ctrl+P. In such cases, you should yourself choose which method you prefer. 6 Copyright 2011 Fircroft College - All rights reserved.

7 Exercise files and the course folder Most course units require exercise files and your training provider should see that you have access to your own set files. You also need to know in which folder the exercise files are stored. Typically it might be (where xxxx is the name of the application): C:\Courseware Files\xxxx C:\Courseware Files\Tasks for xxxx My Documents\xxxx But it could be any folder. You may even be given an installation program, which allows you to install the exercise files in a folder of your choice. Throughout this course, the folder where your set of exercise files is stored is referred to as the course folder. Occasionally you may have to adapt instructions for opening and saving files to find your own course folder. Re-installing exercise files As you work through a course, the original exercise files may be changed. If you want to reset the exercise files you can simply install the exercise files again. Note that any extra files that you have saved to the course folder will not be deleted. If you want to remove these, you should manually delete all the files in the course folder, or simply delete the course folder altogether, before re-installing. Copyright 2011 Fircroft College - All rights reserved. 7

8 Understanding Databases Objectives Learn what a database is and how it is structured Learn what a relational database is and how to use unique keys What is a database? A database is simply a collection of data organised in tables of rows and columns! A database application such as Microsoft Access includes tools for adding to and editing the data, and also for extracting data to present the information in forms and reports. Common uses for databases Some common uses for databases are: Airline and holiday booking systems Bank account records accessed by the banks systems or by account holders via online banking Government records such as VAT, income tax and council tax Hospital patient databases Customer and order details for businesses Member information for clubs and societies Database specialists, administrators and users With a few basic skills, anyone can create and manage a small database. However, for larger professional databases there are usually three distinct categories of people associated with a database: Database specialists will create the database and be responsible for it performing properly Administrators will be in charge of deciding who gets access to what, and will set user rights accordingly; the administrator will also be responsible for backing up the database Users will keep the database up-to-date adding and editing data as required; they will also be able to extract the information that they need from the database 8 Copyright 2011 Fircroft College - All rights reserved.

9 How a database is structured A database can comprise a number of objects: tables, queries, forms, reports, pages, macros and modules. Tables, records and fields Tables are the most basic building blocks of a database. This is where all the information in the database is stored. A database table is just a grid of rows and columns. Each row of data is one complete record; each column is a field that identifies the type of information stored. Note the following: A record is one complete row of data Each record is made up of columns or fields - one field for each piece of information stored - for example, first name, last name, phone number, post code Usually each record has at least one field that holds unique data for that record; this field, often a serial number, can then be used to identify the record Each table holds a particular type of information - for example, customer data would be held in one table whereas product data would be held in another Ideally, specific data should only be held in one place in the database - this means that when data needs to be updated, the change has to be made in one place only The following picture shows the first few records in a table of addresses. The ID field gives each record in the table a unique number. Fields and field properties Each field should hold one particular piece of information. If you have a database for names and telephone numbers, you would split each record into three fields; first name, last name and telephone number. Each field has a set of properties attached to it. The main property is the type of data such as: text, numbers, dates, time, yes/no values, etc. Other properties include the field size, a default value and whether the field is optional or required. Copyright 2011 Fircroft College - All rights reserved. 9

10 Queries Queries are used to extract data from the table(s) in a database and display records that match the criteria that you specify. You can also specify which fields are displayed. The resulting set of records can be viewed, edited and printed. The query can also be used as the basis for creating a form or report. The following picture shows the result of running a query that extracted records with last names starting with R. Only the two name fields and the postcode are displayed. The records are arranged in postcode order. Forms Forms are based on the table(s) and queries in a database. They are used to enter and edit information in a more convenient way than in the table of data. Rather than dealing with a table full of rows and columns, the user can be presented with a simple form containing information about just one record. The next picture shows an example of a form. 10 Copyright 2011 Fircroft College - All rights reserved.

11 Reports Reports allow you to control the output from your database more precisely. Although you can print tables, forms or queries, reports allow you to add lines and graphics, change fonts and font sizes, and position fields as required. You can also apply sorts and grouping that affect the way the information is presented. The next picture shows a report for addresses where the postcode starts with GL. Macros Macros automatically carry out a sequence of tasks, or actions. You can set up macros to perform specific tasks in response to specific events, for example, to fill in today s date when a particular button is clicked, or to update a field in response to a change in another field. Primary keys Each record in a database table needs a unique identifier, often referred to as a primary key, so that the correct record can be accessed. Primary keys are usually, but not always, serial numbers that are created automatically by Access as records are added to a table. Indexes Indexes are used to speed up searching in a database. Any field or combination of fields can be indexed. As an example, if you have a contacts database with tens of thousands of names and often search the database for surnames, indexing the surname field will speed up the searches. Relational databases A database that has two or more tables that are related to each other in some way is called a relational database. An example of a non-relational database would be a data table of names and addresses. The data may be used to contact people, or perhaps do a mail merge, but the main point is that it is a table that does not refer to any other data in the database. If you add a second table to the database to store order information, the difference between a relational and a nonrelational database becomes clear to see. Copyright 2011 Fircroft College - All rights reserved. 11

12 In a non-relation database, the order information would have to include the name and address of the customer. Even if the customer was already in the addresses table, the information would have to be duplicated in the order information table. In a relational database, the order information table would refer to the name and address details already stored in the addresses table. There would be no duplication of names and addresses. In Access, you can create relationships between data in different tables. Instead of duplicating the name and address in the order information table, you just refer to the record in the addresses table. In effect, for an order, rather than repeating the contact details, you are saying for contact details, see record number such and such in the addresses table. In the next picture, you can see the relationships between three tables in an artist/album/song database. In the Artists table, there is a unique key called ArtistID. The small key icon beside the field shows that the field is the primary key used for uniquely identifying the record. In the Albums table, there is also a unique key called AlbumID. There is also a field called ArtistID which is linked to the key in the Artists table. In the Songs table, there is a unique key called SongID. There is also a field called ArtistID which is linked to the key in the Artists table, and a field called AlbumID that is linked to the key in the Albums table. So, when you enter a new song, you don t type the name of the album it belongs to, or the name of the artist, you just choose the relevant AlbumID and ArtistID. Update one, update all Another benefit of relational databases is that you only have to correct data in one place. Imagine that you just had an Albums table, which included the artists name as a field. If you enter five albums for an artist, but later find out that you got the artist s name wrong, you have five mistakes to put right. 12 Copyright 2011 Fircroft College - All rights reserved.

13 In a relational database, the five albums would all be linked to one record in the Artists table. Put the name right in one place in the Artists table, and it will be right for all the Albums. Integrity Microsoft Access has tools for maintaining integrity between tables. This means that you won t be able to delete a record from a table if that record is referred to in another table. As an example, if you have a customer table and an orders table and then try to delete a customer, Access will stop you if there is an order for that customer. If you were to delete the customer record, you might lose information important to the order! Copyright 2011 Fircroft College - All rights reserved. 13

14 Getting Started with Microsoft Access Objectives Start Access in Microsoft Windows Vista or XP Open and close a database Learn about security warnings Create a new blank database Exit Access Starting Access in Windows XP To start Microsoft Access: In the Windows taskbar, click the Start button If you can see the Microsoft Office Access 2007 program icon in the Start menu: Otherwise: Click the Microsoft Office Access 2007 program icon Point to All Programs, and then locate and click the Microsoft Office folder Locate and click the Microsoft Office Access 2007 program icon An alternative method that may be available is: On the Desktop, double-click the Microsoft Office Access 2007 program icon Note that the program icon might be in a different folder on your system. Starting Access in Windows Vista For Windows Vista, you can use the same method as Windows XP to start Access. However, Windows Vista has a simple search system that will let you quickly find the program icon. To start Microsoft Access in Windows Vista: In the Windows taskbar, click the Start button In the Start Search box, type access; as you type, the Programs list is updated to show matching programs 14 Copyright 2011 Fircroft College - All rights reserved.

15 In the Programs list, click Microsoft Office Access 2007 The Getting Started screen When you start Access, the Getting Started screen is displayed to help you open a database. There are several options available: Under New Blank Database, click the Blank Database icon to start a new database; you will have to give the database a name and save it Under Open Recent Database, click the link to the required database Under Open Recent Database, click More to display the Open dialog box to search for a database Under Featured Online Templates, choose a template for a new database Under Template Categories, choose a category, and then choose one of the available templates Opening an existing database When you start Access, the Getting Started screen is displayed. The database that you want to open may be in the Open Recent Database list, or you may have to use the Open dialog box to find it. If the required database is in the Open Recent Database list: In the Open Recent Database list, click the database name Copyright 2011 Fircroft College - All rights reserved. 15

16 To open a database not in the list: At the top of the Open Recent Database list, click More The Open dialog box will be displayed. Locate and select the required database, and then click Open Opening a database when you already have one open You can also open an existing database when you already have a database open. This will close the current database first, and then open the new one. If you have accessed the database recently it may be in the Recent Documents list: In the top left-hand corner of the Microsoft Access window, click the Office Button, and then if it is available in the Recent Documents list, choose the database If the database is not available, use the Open dialog box. Click the Office Button, and then if choose Open, or just press Ctrl+O In the Open dialog box, locate and open the required database What you see when you open a database When a database is opened, you will see either the main Database window, or a start-up form - often referred to as a switchboard. In the left-hand pane, you will see a list of available database objects. There are just a few with the name Addresses in the example shown. The next example has a switchboard. 16 Copyright 2011 Fircroft College - All rights reserved.

17 Security warnings You may also see various security warnings in the Message bar. Macros in Access can carry viruses, and you should be confident where the database has come from before enabling blocked content. Even your own databases that you create and edit yourself can show warnings. To enable blocked content: In the Message bar, click Options The Microsoft Office Security Options dialog box will be displayed. Copyright 2011 Fircroft College - All rights reserved. 17

18 If you are confident about the source of the database: Click Enable this content so that it is chosen Click OK The blocked content will be available. Closing a database When you close the current database, you are returned to the start-up screen. If you are finishing work in Access, you can choose to exit Access instead this automatically closes the current database. To close the current database: In the top left-hand corner of the Microsoft Access window, click the Office Button, and then choose Close Database If you have any unsaved components, you will be prompted to save them. You will be returned to the Getting Started screen. Creating a new blank database To create a new blank database: Start Access or close the current database The Getting Started screen will be displayed. Under New Blank Database, click the Blank Database In the right-hand pane, you will see a Blank Database form. 18 Copyright 2011 Fircroft College - All rights reserved.

19 You need to give the new database a filename. Access will suggest a filename, like Database3 in the picture, but you should choose a more meaningful name. Access will also use the default folder to store the database file in unless you change it. The default folder is displayed below the File Name box. To choose a filename for your database: In the File Name box, type the required filename Optionally, to choose a different folder to store the file in: To the right of the File Name box, click the small Browse button the File New Database dialog box will be displayed Locate and select the required folder, or create a new folder, and then click OK To create and save the new database: Click the Create button A new database will be created. There will be no tables, queries, forms or reports in the new database. Exiting Access To exit Access, choose one of the following methods: In the top right-hand corner of the Microsoft Access window, click the Close button; both the Windows XP and Windows Vista Close buttons are shown to the left Press Alt+F4 In the top left-hand corner of the Microsoft Access window, double-click the Office Button In the top left-hand corner of the Microsoft Access window, click the Office Button, and then click the Exit Access button Copyright 2011 Fircroft College - All rights reserved. 19

20 The Ribbon, Toolbar and Menus Objectives Learn about the Ribbon, tabs, groups and command buttons Use the Office Button and Quick Access toolbar Use the Status bar Learn about shortcut menus The Ribbon When you start a new database, or open an existing one, the main program window is displayed. In Office 2007 application programs there is a Ribbon that replaces menus and toolbars. The Ribbon is the whole top area of the Microsoft Access window. The Ribbon is composed of tabs, groups and command buttons. Command buttons are organised in groups. For example, buttons for changing the font are in the Font group. Groups are also organised in the various tabs. For example, the Home tab contains the basic formatting and editing tools. Note that buttons can change their position and size according to how wide the program window is. Many buttons have a small and large version, or a group button which you have to click to reveal further buttons. 20 Copyright 2011 Fircroft College - All rights reserved.

21 Hiding and showing the Ribbon If you minimise the Ribbon, only the tab names are displayed; this makes the Ribbon look like a menu bar. To hide and show the Ribbon: Right-click any tab, or the free area between tabs, and then choose Minimize the Ribbon Clicking a tab when the Ribbon is minimised temporarily shows the Ribbon. Changing tabs To change tabs: Click the required tab, for example, Home, Create, External Data, etc. To change tabs using the keyboard: Press the Alt key All the tabs and available buttons will show a small number or letter to indicate which key to press to access them. Press the required key, for example, H for the Home tab, C for the Create tab, etc. Context related tools and tabs Some context related tools and tabs appear automatically when you select a particular object in a table, form, query or report. For example, when you create a form, the Form Layout Tools tab will appear above the normal tabs. The Form Layout Tools has two tabs: Format and Arrange the Format tab is shown in the next picture. Copyright 2011 Fircroft College - All rights reserved. 21

22 Dialog box launchers Most groups have a dialog box launcher that opens a relevant dialog box. In the next picture you can see the icon in the bottom right-hand corner of the Font group. To open a dialog box from a group: Click the dialog box launcher The name of the dialog box launcher button changes for each group. ScreenTips and Shortcut key combinations If you point the mouse pointer at any command button without clicking it, a ScreenTip will appear. You will see the name of the command, a brief explanation of the tool, and a shortcut key for the command if one is available. In the next picture, the ScreenTip for the Bold button is displayed. Some example shortcut key combinations are: Ctrl+N New database; this closes the current database and takes you to the Getting Started screen Ctrl+X Cut an object Ctrl+O Open an existing database Ctrl+C Copy an object Ctrl+S Save the current database object Ctrl+V Paste an object Ctrl+P Print Ctrl+Z Undo the last change F1 Help 22 Copyright 2011 Fircroft College - All rights reserved.

23 The Office Button The Office Button is in the top left-hand corner of the program window. If you are familiar with the File menu that most programs have, this button replaces the File menu. To access document tools such as New, Open, Save and Print: In the top left-hand corner of the Microsoft Access window, click the Office Button Under Recent Documents you may see a list of databases that have been accessed on your computer recently. To access a feature: Click the relevant button, or press the key corresponding to the underlined letter for the desired tool; for example O for Open, X for Exit Access Copyright 2011 Fircroft College - All rights reserved. 23

24 Some of the tools such as Print have further choices that are revealed if you point the mouse pointer at the arrow beside them. To close the menu without choosing anything: Press the Esc key, or click anywhere on the Access window The Quick Access toolbar The Quick Access toolbar provides quick access to tools that you use often. It is positioned next to the Office Button, but can also be moved down below the Ribbon. You can customise the Quick Access toolbar so that it displays the tools that you want to have available. To access any of the tools on the Quick Access toolbar: Click the desired toolbar button To move the Quick Access toolbar above or below the Ribbon: Click the small Customize Quick Access Toolbar button, and then choose Show Below the Ribbon 24 Copyright 2011 Fircroft College - All rights reserved.

25 Customising the Quick Access toolbar To customise the Quick Access toolbar: In the Quick Access toolbar, click the small Customize Quick Access Toolbar button To add or remove one of the listed buttons: In the menu, choose the required button You can also add any command button that you see in the Ribbon to the Quick Access toolbar. To add any command button from the Ribbon to the Quick Access toolbar: In the Ribbon, right-click the button and choose Add to Quick Access Toolbar To remove any command button from the Quick Access toolbar: In the Quick Access toolbar, right-click the button and choose Remove from Quick Access Toolbar To add or delete commands, or to reset the Quick Access toolbar: Choose More Commands The Access Options dialog box will be displayed showing the Customize tab. Copyright 2011 Fircroft College - All rights reserved. 25

26 To add a new command to the Quick Access toolbar: In the left-hand list, select the required command, and then click Add To remove a command from the Quick Access toolbar: In the right-hand list, select the command, and then click Remove To reset the Quick Access toolbar: Click the Reset button, and then confirm the reset When you have finished customising the Quick Access toolbar: Click OK The Status bar The Status bar is bar along the bottom of the database window. It can show information about the current database and give you access to various settings. Clicking items on the Status bar will display a relevant dialog box, or will adjust the program accordingly. You can control what is displayed on the Status bar. 26 Copyright 2011 Fircroft College - All rights reserved.

27 To change which elements are shown on the Status bar: Right-click the Status bar A menu will be displayed and you can select and clear different elements as required. The current status for each element, whether displayed on the Status bar or not, is also shown in the menu. Shortcut menus Shortcut menus are small menus that pop-up when you right click text, and objects in your documents. When you get used to them, shortcut menus can be a very quick method of accessing features and tools. For example, if you right-click a record in a database table, you will see the following shortcut menu: Once the menu is displayed you can just click the required option. Copyright 2011 Fircroft College - All rights reserved. 27

28 Basic Database Skills Objectives The Navigation pane Open and close tables, queries, forms and reports Navigate records Add, edit and delete records The Navigation pane When you open a new or existing database in Access, the objects in the database are listed in the Navigation pane. In this example, for each table Teams, Fixtures and Countries all related objects are listed. Some items are repeated, for example Team List Report; this is because the report draws data from two different tables, and so is listed under both tables. To collapse and expand the list: Click the arrow buttons on the headings 28 Copyright 2011 Fircroft College - All rights reserved.

29 To choose which items to show in the Navigation pane: On the Navigation pane heading, click the arrow button, and then choose the required items Opening tables, queries, forms and reports When you open a database, a list of available tables, queries, forms and reports is shown in the Navigation pane. The icons tell you what type of object each item in the list is: for tables for queries for forms for reports To open a database object: In the Navigation pane, double-click the item name To close a database object, choose one of the following methods: Right-click the tab for the item, and then choose Close Click the Close button for the current item the exact name of the button will change to reflect the name of the item The Records and Find groups The Records group has buttons for adding, saving and deleting records. The Find group has buttons to navigate and select records, and to find and replace data within records. To show the Records and Find groups: In the Ribbon, click the Home tab Copyright 2011 Fircroft College - All rights reserved. 29

30 Navigating records When you enter or edit data in a database you will need to move between the records and fields in tables, queries or forms. For forms, data is presented in Form view. For tables and queries, the data is presented in Datasheet view. Navigating fields in Datasheet view To select a field with the mouse: Click in the field - the insertion point is positioned where you clicked To navigate using the keyboard: Press the or or keys to move down to the next record or up to the previous record Press the Page Down or Page Up keys to move down or up one full screen of records Press the Tab or key to move between the fields in the current record - if you carry on pressing any of these keys past the last field, the selection highlight moves to the next record Press Shift+Tab or to move back through the fields in the current record - if you carry on pressing any of these keys past the first field, the selection highlight moves to the previous record Press Home to move to the first field in the current record Press Ctrl+Home to move to the start of the first record Press End to move to the last field in the current record Press Ctrl+End to move to the end of the last record 30 Copyright 2011 Fircroft College - All rights reserved.

31 Navigating in Form view To navigate with the mouse, choose one of the following methods: Click anywhere in the required field - the insertion point is positioned where you clicked Click the field name - the entry in the field becomes selected To navigate using the keyboard: Press the Page Down key to display the next record Press the Page Up key to display the previous record Press Tab, or to move between the fields - if you carry on pressing any of these keys past the last field, the next record will be displayed Press Shift+Tab, or to move back up through the fields - if you carry on pressing any of these keys past the first field, the previous record will be displayed Press Home to move to the first field in the form Press Ctrl+Home to move to the first record Press End to move to the last field in the form Press Ctrl+End to move to the last record Records navigator Both the Form view and the Datasheet view have a set of navigation buttons at the foot of the screen. To go to a particular record: Click the Current Record box Delete the current number, and then type the required number Press Enter Using the Find group To navigate through the records: On the Home tab, in the Find group, click the Go To button, and then choose the required navigation option Copyright 2011 Fircroft College - All rights reserved. 31

32 Selecting a record On occasions, you may wish to select a complete record. On a form, the record selector is the bar to the left of the fields. In a table, the record selector is the empty square to the left of the record. To select a record in a form: Click the record selector To select a record in a table, choose one of the following methods: Click the record selector Hold down the Ctrl key, and then click any field in the record Alternatively, you can use the Select feature in the Find group: On the Home tab, in the Find group, click the Select button, and then choose Select 32 Copyright 2011 Fircroft College - All rights reserved.

33 Adding, editing and deleting records When you edit data in a form or table, the changes are automatically saved when you navigate to another record or when you close the form or table; you do not save the Access database in order to save the record. When you are editing a record, Access displays the pencil symbol in the record selector to the left of the current record. When you move to another record or save the record, the pencil symbol disappears, indicating that your changes have been saved. Creating a new record To create a new record in a form or table, choose any of the following methods: On the Home tab, in the Records group, click the New button Press Ctrl++ (Ctrl and the Plus key) In the navigation buttons, click the New (blank) record button A new record will be available, and you can enter the details. To save the changes to the record, choose any of the following methods: On the Home tab, in the Records group, click the Save button Press Shift+Enter Navigate away from the record Editing an existing record To edit an existing record: In the form or table, display the required record, and then click the field that you want to edit Edit the field as required; to undo changes to a field while you are still editing it, press the Esc key If necessary, edit any further fields in the same record Copyright 2011 Fircroft College - All rights reserved. 33

34 To save the changes to the record, choose any of the following methods: On the Home tab, in the Records group, click the Save button Press Shift+Enter Navigate away from the record To undo the changes to a record: Press Ctrl+Z Deleting a record To delete a record: In the form or table, select the record that you want to delete click the record selector to the left of the current record Then choose any of the following methods: Press the Delete key Press Ctrl+- (Ctrl and the Minus key) On the Home tab, in the Records group, click the arrow on the Delete button, and then choose Delete Record In all cases, you will need to confirm the deletion. Note that you cannot use Undo to re-instate a deleted record, so be sure that you are deleting the correct record before you go ahead. If you are sure about the deletion, choose Yes, otherwise choose No Saving changes When you make changes to data, as long as you have saved the current record, the changes are saved automatically by Access; when you make changes to the design or layout of tables, queries, forms and reports, you need to save the changes. 34 Copyright 2011 Fircroft College - All rights reserved.

35 Find and Replace Data Objectives Search for data Find data Replace data The Find group The Find group has buttons to find and replace data. To show the Find group: In the Ribbon, click the Home tab Searching for data Next to the navigation buttons, there is a Search box to help you search for data. Use the Search box for simple searches, looking for matching information in any field. To search for a word or phrase in any field of any record: Click the Search box, and then type the search word or phrase; as you type the record shown may change just keep typing your word or phrase Press Enter Access will look for matching data in any field of any record. Note that the insertion point remains flashing in the Search box. To look for the next occurrence: Continue to press Enter; each time you press it, the next matching occurrence will be found When Access reaches the last matching data, pressing Enter again has no effect. Using the Find feature The Find feature allows you to search records for specific data. To find data in a form or table: Click the field that you want to search; if you select data in the field, the selection will be used in the search In the Find group, click the Find button, or just press Ctrl+F Copyright 2011 Fircroft College - All rights reserved. 35

36 The Find and Replace dialog box will be displayed and the Find tab will be shown. The following options are available: In the Find What box, type the word or phrase that you want to search for Use the Look In list box to choose whether to find a match in the current field or the whole table/form Use the Match list box to choose whether to find a match in Any Part of Field, the Whole Field or the Start of Field Use the Search list box to define the direction of the search - All, Up or Down If the Match Case option is ticked, searches will be case dependent - searching for Brown will find Brown but not brown or BROWN If the Search Fields As Formatted option is ticked, Access will search for a value as it is displayed in the table/form; otherwise it will search for the value stored in the database When you have set up the search options: Click Find Next you can repeat this to find matching occurrences in turn Click Cancel or press the Esc key to close the dialog box Using the Replace feature The Replace feature is used to automatically replace data. To replace data in a form or table: Click the field that you want to replace data in; if you select data in the field, the selection will be used in the search In the Find group, click the Replace button, or just press Ctrl+H 36 Copyright 2011 Fircroft College - All rights reserved.

37 The Find and Replace dialog box will be displayed and the Replace tab will be shown. The options are the same as for the Find tab with the addition of the Replace With box and the Replace and Replace All buttons. In the Find What box, type the word or phrase that you want to search for In the Replace With box, type the word or phrase that you want to use as a replacement Set the other options as required When you have set up the replace options, choose from the following actions: Click Find Next Access will find the next matching occurrence without doing any replacements Click Replace Access will replace the current occurrence Click Replace All Access will replace all matching occurrences; be careful when using this option! Click Cancel or press the Esc key to close the dialog box Copyright 2011 Fircroft College - All rights reserved. 37

38 Sort and Filter Records Objectives Sort records Filter records The Sort & Filter Group To show the Sort & Filter group: In the Ribbon, click the Home tab Shortcut menu Similar options are available via the shortcut menus. On a form or in a table, right-click a field Sorting records The Ascending and Descending buttons in the Sort & Filter group can be used to quickly sort data in a form or table by one particular field. For more advanced sorting, with several fields used to sort the records, you should use queries. To sort records in a form or table: Click in the field that you want to sort by On the Home tab, in the Sort & Filter group, click the Ascending button or the Descending button The records will be sorted accordingly. 38 Copyright 2011 Fircroft College - All rights reserved.

39 Removing a sort To remove a sort and restore the records to their original order: On the Home tab, in the Sort & Filter group, click the Clear All Sorts button The records will be restored to their original order. Filtering records When you use a database it is often useful to be able to filter the records so that only a limited number are available. Before filtering, the records that you are interested in are mixed with the ones that you don t want to see. After filtering, only the records that you want to see are available. There are two simple ways in which you can filter records: Filter by selection; this can include or exclude your selection Filter by form The methods can be used both in forms and in tables. Filter by selection Filter by selection can be used if you can see the word, phrase or value that you want to filter by. For example, if you see York in the Town field, you can apply a filter to show only those records that have York in the Town field. You can also filter records to exclude the selection. In our example, this would hide all the records where the Town field includes York. The four possible selection variations are: Equals Does Not Equal Contains Does Not Contain To apply a filter by selection: In the required field, select the word, phrase or value that you want to use as the filter - if you just click the field, the whole entry is used as the filter On the Home tab, in the Sort & Filter group, click the Selection button, and then choose the required selection variation Copyright 2011 Fircroft College - All rights reserved. 39

40 The records are filtered and only those matching your filter are listed - this is sometimes referred to as a record set. You can apply additional filters to a record set by using filter by selection repeatedly. Filter by form Filter By Form displays an empty record in which you can type the required filters. This is useful if you want to combine several filters in one go. For example, which records have York as the town and Mr as the title? You can filter by form from within a table or a form. From a table, a blank row is displayed. In a form, a blank form is displayed. To apply a filter by form: On the Home tab, in the Sort & Filter group, click the Advanced button, and then choose Filter by Form A blank record is displayed - in some cases the value of a previous filter may be retained. Clear any retained filter values Add new filters as required On the Home tab, in the Sort & Filter group, click the Toggle Filter button The filter is applied, and only matching records are displayed. 40 Copyright 2011 Fircroft College - All rights reserved.

41 And/Or If you add filters to more than one field in the record, you are in effect saying and. For example Town equals York and Name equals Smith. To say or, for example Town equals York or Town equals Manchester, you add second filter. To add a second filter: At the foot of the form or table, click the Or tab A new blank record is displayed. Add new filters as required On the Home tab, in the Sort & Filter group, click the Toggle Filter button The filter is applied, and only records that match both filters are displayed. You can add further filters, or go back and edit the existing ones. Using common operators and expressions You can use operators and expressions together with Filter By Form. The most common are listed below: Operator Example Description * *land land* The asterisk can be used to replace anything. The examples mean anything ending in land and anything starting with land. * * *land* Enclosing a word or phrase with asterisks means like. The example means anything like land, i.e. anything with land anywhere in the field. NOT NOT Mr Negates the expression. The example means values not equal to Mr. IsNull IsNull Not IsNull IsNull means that the field is completely empty. Note that a field with only a blank space will look empty, but is not empty. > >= >6 >=6 >=GL < <= <6 <=6 Greater than and greater than or equal to are often used for numerical values, but can also be applied to text values where they work alphabetically. Less than and less than or equal to are use mostly for numerical values, but can also be applied to text values. Copyright 2011 Fircroft College - All rights reserved. 41

42 Turning filters on and off A filter remains in force until you remove it. Even when you have removed it, it is still available and can be re-applied. To toggle between showing filtered records and all records, choose any of the following methods: On the Home tab, in the Sort & Filter group, click the Toggle Filter button At the foot of the table or form, click the Filtered or Unfiltered button On the Home tab, in the Sort & Filter group, click the Advanced button, and then choose Apply Filter/Sort Using the Filter button The Filter button offers a selection of sort and filter options. To use the Filter button: In a form or table, click the field that you want to use for the sort or filter; you can also select all or part of the data in the field In the Sort & Filter group, click the Filter button, and then choose the required option A list of sort and filter options is displayed by the selected field; the exact content of the options will depend on the type of data within the field. Two examples are shown below. At the top of the options, you will see the sort options. At the bottom of the options, you can choose which records to include. There is also a Number Filters/Text Filters/Date Filters option that has a sub menu of options. 42 Copyright 2011 Fircroft College - All rights reserved.

43 Clearing all filters Access keeps the details of your current filter, even if you turn off the filter. When you start a new filter, the current settings will be displayed; this is useful if you want to edit the filter, or set up a similar filter. If you want to start from a blank filter, you can clear the existing filter first. Important! To clear the current filter: On the Home tab, in the Sort & Filter group, click the Advanced button, and then choose Clear All Filters It is important to know that when you apply a sort or filter to a table, Access is changing the design of the database the data is not changing, only the sort/filter criteria. When you close the table, you will be asked if you want to save the changes. Choose Yes to save the changes; next time you open the table, the same sort/filter will be available to toggle on and off Choose No to not save the sort/filter details Choose Cancel to close the message and go back to the table Copyright 2011 Fircroft College - All rights reserved. 43

44 Using the Help System Objectives Open the Access Help window Switch between online and offline help Use the Search box Use the Table of Contents The Access Help window To open the Access Help window, choose one of the following methods: Towards the top right-hand corner of the Microsoft Access window, click the Microsoft Office Access Help button Press F1 Offline and online help In effect Access has two different help systems: online and offline. Online - if your computer is connected to the Internet, Access will access the online help system Offline - if your computer is not connected to the Internet, Access will access the offline help system stored on your computer Much of the important information is the same, but the online help system may have more features and be updated regularly by Microsoft. Switching between offline and online help To switch between offline and online help: At the bottom of the Access Help window, click the Connection Status button it will show Offline or Connected to Office Online and then choose the desired connection The Search box To look for help on a topic: In the Search box, type a relevant word or phrase, and then click Search, or press Enter 44 Copyright 2011 Fircroft College - All rights reserved.

45 The Access Help window will display a list of relevant items. The next picture shows examples from both online and offline help. To find out more about any topic in the list: Click the topic Table of Contents To display the Table of Contents, if it is not already displayed: In the Access Help window, click the Show Table of Contents button Note the following: Clicking a topic, or the corresponding icon, will expand the list to show further subheadings Clicking an open topic, or the corresponding icon, will shrink the list again The icon indicates that a help text is available - click it to see the text Copyright 2011 Fircroft College - All rights reserved. 45

46 Click any listed topic to read more about it 46 Copyright 2011 Fircroft College - All rights reserved.

47 Printing Database Objects Objectives Use Quick Print to print one full copy of the current database object Use the Print dialog box Use Print Preview Set the page margins and orientation Using Quick Print Quick Print allows you to quickly print one complete copy of the current table, form, report or other database object on the default printer. Note: if you print the current form using this method, ALL records will be printed, not just the current record! If you are using a filter, only the filtered records are printed. To use Quick Print: Open the required table, query, form or report Then choose one of the following methods: If it is available in the Quick Access toolbar, click the Quick Print button Click the Office Button, point to Print, and then choose Quick Print The object will be printed on the current printer. Adding the Quick Print button to the Quick Access toolbar To add the Quick Print button to the Quick Access toolbar: In the Quick Access toolbar, click the small Customize Quick Access Toolbar button, and then choose Quick Print Using the Print dialog box The Print dialog box allows you to control the printout. To use the Print dialog box: Open the required table, query, form or report If you want to print selected items rather than a whole form or table, select the required records Click the Office Button, and then click Print (the button, not the arrow on the button), or just press Ctrl+P The Print dialog box will be displayed. Copyright 2011 Fircroft College - All rights reserved. 47

48 The following options are available: If necessary, open the Name box, and then choose the required printer In the Print Range options, choose All, Selected Record(s), or to print specific pages enter values in the From and To boxes If necessary, in the Number of Copies box, change the number of copies required The Setup button opens the Page Setup dialog box where you can change the current page settings When you are ready: Click OK to start the printout Using Print Preview Print Preview allows you see check on screen how a printout will look. This allows you to make adjustments to the page(s), if necessary, before printing. To add the Print Preview button to the Quick Access toolbar: In the Quick Access toolbar, click the small Customize Quick Access Toolbar button, and then choose Print Preview To show the Print Preview, choose one of the following methods: If it is available in the Quick Access toolbar, click the Print Preview button Click the Microsoft Office button, point to the arrow beside Print, and then choose Print Preview Print Preview has a special Ribbon with groups all related to printing and setting up pages. 48 Copyright 2011 Fircroft College - All rights reserved.

49 To close Print Preview, choose one of the following methods: In the Close Preview group, click the Close Print Preview button Press the Esc key The Print group of commands In the Print group the following command is available: Print open the Print dialog box The Page Layout group of commands In the Page Layout group the following commands are available: Size choose the paper size Portrait switch to portrait layout Landscape switch to landscape layout Margins choose margin sizes from a pre-defined list Show Margins when available, shows and hides margin markers that you can drag to set the margins Print Data Only when ticked, only the data is printed all design and formatting features are hidden Columns open the Page Setup dialog box where you can set the number of columns in the printout; this is not available in all views Page Setup dialog box launcher/page Setup open the Page Setup dialog box where all the options can be set accurately Copyright 2011 Fircroft College - All rights reserved. 49

50 The Zoom group of commands In the Zoom group the following commands are available: One Page zoom the document to show one whole page at a time Two Pages zoom the document to show two whole pages at a time side by side More Pages choose how many pages to show at once Zoom open the Zoom dialog box The Data group of commands The Data group has commands for exporting data these are not covered further in this course. Switching between pages At the foot of the preview, you will see the navigation buttons. The Page Setup dialog box The Page Setup dialog box gives you access to all the page layout settings. Some of the settings, such as margins, allow you to more exact. To open the Page Setup dialog box, choose any of the following methods: In Print Preview, in the Page Layout group, click the Page Setup button In the Print dialog box, click the Setup button 50 Copyright 2011 Fircroft College - All rights reserved.

51 Set the required options in the Print Options, Page and Column tabs Click OK Copyright 2011 Fircroft College - All rights reserved. 51

52 Table Design This section provides an overview of concepts and terms that you should know about when designing database tables. You do not need to learn it all in one go you can refer back to it when needed. Objectives Learn about planning and designing a table Learn about field names, data types and other field properties Learn about number types, date types and yes/no properties About tables Tables are the building blocks of a database - they contain all the data. Queries, forms and reports extract the data from tables and present it in different ways. The design of a database table comprises the fields that make up the table. Each field has a name and a data type - there are also a number of properties that can be set. The underlying design of a database table is displayed in Design view. The field names and their corresponding data types are listed. The Description column allows you to add a description of the field. 52 Copyright 2011 Fircroft College - All rights reserved.

53 At the bottom of the Design view, the field properties for the current field are also displayed. Field names Field names are generally short names which correspond to the information that is stored in the field. When you name a field, you must obey the rules for field names: Field names must not contain characters such as a full stop (.), an exclamation mark (!), an accent (`), or square brackets ([ ]) The name should not be the same as another field in the same table For each field you can specify a different or more user-friendly name that is displayed in the column headings; this is done using the Caption field property. Copyright 2011 Fircroft College - All rights reserved. 53

54 Data types The data type of a field is appropriate to the type of data that is stored in the field. The available data types are listed in the following table. Data Type Text Memo Number Date/Time Currency AutoNumber Yes/No OLE Object Hyperlink Attachment Lookup Wizard Used for Alphanumeric characters - up to 255 characters; this includes fields like telephone numbers that are numbers that are never used in calculations. Long texts up to 64,000 characters. Numeric values. Dates and times. Monetary values. Providing a unique serial number for each record. Where the data is one of two values, for example Yes/No, On/Off, True/False. Pictures, graphics, Excel spreadsheets, Word documents, etc. Web addresses. Any supported file type can be attached to the field. A list of values that the field can take, for example, a list of classes in a school. You can enter a list of values or choose a table or query where the values come from. Primary keys and indexes Each record in a database table needs a unique identifier, often referred to as a primary key, so that the right record can be accessed. Primary keys are usually, but not always, unique serial numbers that are created automatically by Access as records are added to a table. The AutoNumber data type is used to provide a unique serial number. When you create a new table, Access can add a primary key for you. Indexes Indexes are used to speed up searching in a database. Any field or combination of fields can be indexed. For example, if you have a contacts database with tens of thousands of names and often search the database for surnames, indexing the surname field will speed up the searches. Note that you cannot index a field with the memo data type. 54 Copyright 2011 Fircroft College - All rights reserved.

55 Field properties For each field, there are a number of field properties that can be set. The different field properties allow you to control the field in various ways. The next table identifies the main field properties: Field Property Field size Format Input mask Caption Default value Required Validation rule Indexed Description Specify the maximum number of characters that can be entered in the field. For a field with Text data type, this value can be up to 255. Choose a format for the data in the field. The available formats are different according to which data type the field is. Define a pattern that data in the field has to comply with. This is useful for postcodes where certain characters are expected. An input mask can also be used to convert lower case to upper case if required. Specify what to display in the column heading in a table or as a label in a form or report that uses the field. Specify a default value for new records. Force the user to input an entry for the field; if the field is empty, the record cannot be saved. Define an expression that limits the values that can be entered in the field, e.g., a date range, or a maximum/minimum value. Speeds up searches and sorts on the field; add indexes for fields that are often used in searches. Field sizes for Number fields When you create a field with Number data type, Access will set the field size to the default setting - Long Integer. You can change this to the field size that is most appropriate for the data in the field. The next table lists each of the available field sizes, the range of values that can be stored, the decimal precision and the storage space required for that field size. Copyright 2011 Fircroft College - All rights reserved. 55

56 Field Size Stores numbers Decimal precision Storage size Byte 0 to 255 None 1 byte Integer -32,768 to +32,767 None 2 bytes Long Integer (default size) -2,147,483,648 to +2,147,483,647 (no fractions) None 4 bytes Decimal Single Double Very large numbers with up to 27 digits, i.e. -999,999,999,999,999,999,999,999,999 to +999,999,999,999,999,999,999,999,999 Very large numbers, much larger than Decimal above, with up to 38 digits Extremely large numbers, much larger than Single above, with over 300 digits bytes 7 4 bytes 15 8 bytes Number and currency formats The next table shows the display formats that are available for the Number and Currency data types. Format Example number How it is displayed General Number Currency , Euro , Fixed Standard , Percent % Scientific E+03 For Currency, Fixed, Standard and Percent formats, the representation of negative numbers, the decimal and currency symbols, and the number of decimal places are determined by the current regional settings for the computer. For the Euro format, the euro currency symbol is shown irrespective of the current regional settings. 56 Copyright 2011 Fircroft College - All rights reserved.

57 Date/Time formats The next table shows the display formats for Date/Time fields. Format Example display General Date 26/09/ :35:00 Long Date Friday 26 September 2009 Medium Date 26-Sep-2009 Short Date 26/09/2009 Long Time Medium Time 4:35:00 PM 04:35 PM Short Time 16:35 Yes/No formats The next table shows the display formats that are available for fields with the Yes/No data type. Format Yes/No True/False On/Off Example display Yes or No True or False On or Off If the display control for the field is a text box, you will see the appropriate word displayed. If the display control is a check box, the check box will be ticked or not. You can also set up a combo box in which the two alternatives are listed. The Lookup Wizard When you choose the data type Lookup Wizard, Access helps you create a lookup column. A lookup column (or field) is a field in a table where the value is retrieved from another table or from a value list. A list box is created for the user to select a value. For example, if you have a Customer table and an Order table, the Order table will normally store the CustomerID number. To enter a new order, the user would need to know the correct CustomerID easy if you have a small number of customers; impossible for large numbers! Copyright 2011 Fircroft College - All rights reserved. 57

58 If you create a lookup field, the form for entering the order can show a list box where the user chooses the customer by name instead. Good practice when designing tables One of the most important things to do before you create a database table is to plan which tables you need and which fields are to be included in each table. You also need to think about the type of data and other properties that are relevant for each field. A small database for your own use is relatively easy to change and adapt at any time; you can add more fields and delete unwanted ones. However, if you are building a database that is to be used by several people, the more effort you spend finding out what everyone wants from the database and how they intend to use it, the less time you will spend modifying it later on. The following guidelines highlight some of the issues that you should think about: Determine the purpose of your database: in particular, think about what information and reports you want to get from the database - this will help you prepare the design Find and organize the information required: note down all the types of information that you want to record in the database, such as suppliers and customers details, product names and order numbers Divide the information into tables: divide the information into subject blocks, such as Suppliers, Customers, Products and Orders - each subject then becomes a table Turn information items into columns: decide what information to store in each table - each item becomes a field, and is displayed as a column in the table Specify primary keys: choose the primary key for each table, for example Customer ID, Product ID, etc. Set up the table relationships: for each table, decide how the data is related to the data in other tables; redesign the tables if necessary to make the links clearer Refine your design: always analyse your design for errors, and check with other users where applicable; create the tables and add a few records of sample data to see if you can get the results you want from your tables 58 Copyright 2011 Fircroft College - All rights reserved.

59 Examples of database table plans When you look at the examples you will undoubtedly think of other fields that would be useful or necessary. During the planning phase you should focus on what the database is to be used for. The time spent doing this will minimise the changes you need to make to the database table when you start to use it. Simple contact table The first example is a database table plan for a very simple contact database with one table. Field name Data type Required Indexed Comments ID AutoNumber (AutoNumber fields always required) Last Name Text Yes Yes Provides a unique reference for each record First Name Text Salutation Text Useful for letters, s, etc. Address1 Text Yes First line of address Address2 Text Extra line for address Town Text Yes Postcode Text Yes Yes Very important Tel Text Text Unsubscribed Yes/No Yes Indicates if the person has unsubscribed from an list Copyright 2011 Fircroft College - All rights reserved. 59

60 Example with related tables This example is for recording car usage within a company. Three tables are needed: the employee, the car, and travel. Employee table: Field name Data type Required Indexed Comments EmployeeID AutoNumber Yes Provides a unique reference for each employee record Last Name Text Yes First Name Text Yes Car table: Field name Data type Required Indexed Comments CarID AutoNumber Yes Provides a unique reference for each car record Registration Number Text Yes Model Text Yes Travel table: Field name Data type Required Indexed Comments TravelID AutoNumber Yes Provides a unique reference for each travel record EmployeeID Number Yes Links to Employee table CarID Number Yes Links to Car table Date Date Yes Date of travel From Text Yes To Yes Mileage Number Yes 60 Copyright 2011 Fircroft College - All rights reserved.

61 Creating Tables Objectives Switch between Datasheet view and Design view Create a new blank table in Datasheet and Design view Use a table template Copy an existing table Edit the table design Datasheet view and Design view Database tables have different views available. Two of the views are Datasheet view and Design view. Datasheet view displays the rows and columns where you can add and edit data Design view shows the field list where you can add and edit fields and their properties To choose the required view: If necessary, in the Ribbon, click the Home tab In the Views group, click the arrow on the View button, and then choose the required view; you can also just click the main button to toggle through the views The Tables group The Tables group has buttons for creating new tables. To show the Tables group: In the Ribbon, click the Create tab Copyright 2011 Fircroft College - All rights reserved. 61

62 About creating tables There are several ways of creating a database table: Create a new blank table in Datasheet view; this is useful for quickly creating a simple table Create a new blank table in Design view Use a table template Copy an existing template; you can copy the structure only and exclude the data, and then edit the table as required Creating a new blank table in Datasheet view To create a new blank table in Datasheet view: In the Ribbon, click the Create tab In the Tables group, click the Table button Access creates the table and displays a blank datasheet. Access automatically creates an ID field this is the primary key used to identify the record. You will also see Add New Field. As soon as you type data in the field, Access will automatically create the field for you. The table is created by entering the first record. Note that you should add data, not a name for the field! In the Add New Field field, type the data for the first field of a new record Press the Enter key The field is created, the data is added and a new Add New Field field becomes available. You can continue adding new fields or new records in the datasheet. To add more fields: In the Add New Field field, type the data for the next field of the record, and then press the Enter key 62 Copyright 2011 Fircroft College - All rights reserved.

63 Changing the data type and formatting Access will try to match what you enter to a data type, for example, text, a number or a date. You can see and change these details using the options in the Data Type & Formatting group. To show the Data Type & Formatting group: View the datasheet, and click anywhere in the datasheet table In the Ribbon, click the Datasheet tab To change the data type: Open the Data Type list box, and then choose the required data type To change the format: Open the Format list box, and then choose the required format To make the field unique, i.e. not allow two records to have the same data: Click the Unique option so that it is ticked To make the field required, i.e. the user must enter a value: Click the Is Required option so that it is ticked Working with columns in Datasheet view In Datasheet view, and using the options in the Fields & Columns group, you can easily insert, rename, delete and re-size columns. To show the Fields & Columns group: View the datasheet, and click anywhere in the datasheet table In the Ribbon, click the Datasheet tab Copyright 2011 Fircroft College - All rights reserved. 63

64 To rename a column: Click any field in the column that you want to rename On the Datasheet tab, in the Fields & Columns group, click the Rename button The column header will become editable. Enter a new name for the column Press Enter To insert a new column: Click any field in the column to the right of where you want the new column In the Fields & Columns group, click the Insert button A new column is inserted before the column that you clicked. To delete a column: In the Fields & Columns group, click the Delete button Access asks you to confirm the deletion. When you delete a column, all the data in the table stored in that column will be deleted. You will not be able to undo this deletion. If you are certain, choose Yes, otherwise choose No To change the width of any column: Point to the right-hand border of the column that you want to change, and then drag the border in or out as required Alternatively, double-click the right-hand column border to automatically fit the column width to the widest entry in the column 64 Copyright 2011 Fircroft College - All rights reserved.

65 Saving the table data and design To save the table design and data: Press Ctrl+S The Save As dialog box will be displayed. In the Table Name box, enter a name for your table Click OK or press Enter Creating a new blank table in Design view To create a new blank table in Design view: In the Ribbon, click the Create tab In the Tables group, click the Table Design button Access creates the table and displays the Design view. The field names are set up in the top part of the Design view; the properties for the fields are set in the Field Properties area at the bottom of the Design view. Note that you should create a primary key for the table. This is often a field called ID with the data type set to AutoNumber. However, you can skip this and let Access create it for you when you save the table for the first time. Copyright 2011 Fircroft College - All rights reserved. 65

66 For each field that you want to create: In the next available Field Name box, enter a name for the field In the corresponding Data Type box, open the list box and choose the required data type Optionally, in the Description box, enter a description for the field For each field, you can set the required properties the available properties will differ for each data type. For each field that you create: In the Field Properties area, choose the required properties; you can choose to do nothing and just accept the default settings To save the table design: Press Ctrl+S to save the new design The Save As dialog box will be displayed. In the Table Name box, enter a name for your table Click OK or press Enter If you did not create a primary key, Access will offer to do this for you. It is always recommended to have a primary key. 66 Copyright 2011 Fircroft College - All rights reserved.

67 Choose Yes Using a table template To create a new table from a table template: In the Ribbon, click the Create tab In the Tables group, click the Table Templates button, and then choose the required template Access will automatically create the new table with a name like Table1 or Table2 and open it in Datasheet view ready for you to add records. You will probably want to modify the design! To save the new table: Press Ctrl+S The Save As dialog box will be displayed. In the Table Name box, enter a name for your table Click OK or press Enter Copying an existing template To create a new table by copying an existing table design: In the Navigation pane, right-click the table that you want to copy, and then choose Copy In the Navigation pane, right-click a free area, and then choose Paste Copyright 2011 Fircroft College - All rights reserved. 67

68 The Paste Table As dialog box will be displayed. Make the following choices: In the Table Name box, enter a name for the new table Choose Structure Only to copy the structure with no data, or Structure and Data to include the data; note that the Append Data to Existing Table option does not create a new table Click OK A new table will be created. Saving a table design To save the current table design, choose any of the following methods: Press Ctrl+S Right-click the tab for the table, and then choose Save If you close a table with unsaved changes, or switch views, Access will prompt you to save the changes. 68 Copyright 2011 Fircroft College - All rights reserved.

69 Editing table designs You can edit the table design of any existing table. Changing the field name or description, or some of the field properties is quite straightforward. However, if some properties may cause unexpected results, for example: Changing the data type may cause loss of data Making a field size smaller may cause data that is longer than the new field size to be truncated Changing number formats may cause a loss of accuracy in decimal points Access will usually try to warn you about such changes. To edit the design of a table: Renaming a table To rename a table: If the table is already open, switch to the Design view; otherwise in the Navigation pane, right-click the table name, and then choose Design View Edit the fields, data types and properties as required Press Ctrl+S to save the new design Make sure that the table is closed In the Navigation pane, right-click the table name, and then choose Rename The table name becomes editable. Edit the name as required, and then press Enter Access will automatically update any links to the table from queries, forms and reports so that they all keep working with the new table name. Copyright 2011 Fircroft College - All rights reserved. 69

70 Deleting a table When you try to delete a table, Access might prevent you from doing so if there are relationships in the database that will be compromised. To delete a table: Make sure that the table is closed In the Navigation pane, right-click the table name, and then choose Delete Access will ask you to confirm the deletion. If you are certain, choose Yes You may see another warning about relationships. Access will offer you the chance of deleting relationships as well. If you are completely certain about this, choose Yes, but in general choose No 70 Copyright 2011 Fircroft College - All rights reserved.

71 Tables and Relationships Objectives Understand relationships, one-to-many, referential integrity and cascade update/delete Use the Lookup wizard to create relationships Use the Relationships tab to create relationships Edit and delete relationships About relationships between tables One of the main aims when designing a database and its tables is not to duplicate information. This means that where possible, the information in a database is broken down into separate categories, and a separate table is created for each category. Links, or relationships, are then created so that a table or query can fetch data from another table, rather than having to repeat the information. There are two main ways to create relationships between tables: Using the Relationships tab Using the Lookup Wizard data type for a field, and then looking up data in a table or query An example with table relationships As an example, think of a Car/Salesperson/Travel database. In non-relational database, you would have a single table where each record includes the car, the salesperson and the travel details. You would be continually entering the same information about which car and which salesperson did the travelling. In a relational database, you would have separate tables for cars, salespeople and travel. You would then create relationships between the tables. An entry in the Travel table would then include a link to the car and the salesperson. Copyright 2011 Fircroft College - All rights reserved. 71

72 In this example, you can see that the ID field in the Cars table is linked to the CarID field in the Travel table. Also the ID field in the Salespeople table is linked to the SalespeopleID field in the Travel table. One-to-many relationships, primary and foreign keys Most relationships are one-to-many. For example, a salesperson in the Salesperson table can record many journeys in the Travel table. In another example, a customer in one table can be linked to several orders in another table. When you create a relationship, the following terms are used: The primary key is the field to be used as the one part of the relationship; most often this will be an ID field with the AutoNumber data type The foreign key is the related field in another table to be used as the many part of the relationship Note the following: The primary key and foreign key do not have to have the same field name, but they do have to have the same data type and field size If an AutoNumber ID field is used as the primary key, the foreign field should have the data type Number and field size Long Integer In the Car/Salesperson/Travel example, the ID field in the Cars table is linked to the CarID field in the Travel table; they have different names. In another setup, it would quite normal for the ID field in the Car table to be named CarID and have the same name as the field in the Travel table. Referential integrity Referential integrity is a concept designed to help prevent you from losing data. Using the Car/Salesperson/Travel example, the Travel table will include records that refer to a particular car or a particular salesperson. Assume that you delete a salesperson, perhaps they left the company; when you open the Travel table it will no longer be able to find the record for the salesperson. In some cases, this sort of deletion does not lead to a problem. In other cases it will be a big problem. If the referential integrity option is set, Access will not let you delete a record in a table where that record is referred to from another table. 72 Copyright 2011 Fircroft College - All rights reserved.

73 Cascade update/delete Two other important concepts are Cascade Update Related Fields and Cascade Delete Related Records. In effect, both of these mean that if you change something in one table, then the changes will be automatically reflected in any related tables. For example, if you delete a salesperson from the Salesperson table, and the Cascade Delete Related Records is set, Access will automatically go through all related tables and delete those records that refer to the deleted salesperson. Creating relationships To create relationships between tables: In the Ribbon, click the Database Tools tab In the Show/Hide group, click the Relationships button The Show Table dialog box will be displayed. You can use tables and queries to create relationships. Here, however, you are concentrating on tables. Make sure that the Tables tab is displayed At this point, you need to add all the tables that you intend to use when creating relationships. However, you can add more tables later and hide tables that you do not use. For each table that you want to add: In the Tables list, click the required table, and then click Add When you are ready: Click Close The Relationships tab will be displayed. If any relationships already exist, you will see them. In the example in the picture three tables are shown. Copyright 2011 Fircroft College - All rights reserved. 73

74 Adding a relationship To start adding a relationship, it is quickest to use drag and drop: In the tables, identify the primary key and the related foreign key Drag the primary key field and drop it onto the foreign key field The Edit Relationships dialog box will be displayed. If you got the wrong tables, or the one-to-many relationship the wrong way round: Click Cancel, and then try again If you got the wrong fields only: Open the list boxes, and then choose the correct fields as required When you are sure that you have the correct relationship set up, choose any of the following options that you require: Optionally, click Enforce Referential Integrity so that it is ticked Optionally, click Cascade Update Related Fields so that it is ticked Optionally, click Cascade Delete Related Records so that it is ticked 74 Copyright 2011 Fircroft College - All rights reserved.

75 The last two options only become available if you choose the first one. When you are ready: Click Create The relationship will be created; it will be represented by a line between the two tables. Organising the Relationships tab If you create several relationships, the lines between the tables may get confusing. You can, however, move the tables around to improve the layout. To move a table: Drag the table by its Title bar to the a position In the first example, one link is hidden behind a table. In the second example, the tables have been moved to improve the layout. Copyright 2011 Fircroft College - All rights reserved. 75

76 Save and close the relationships To save and close the relationships, choose one of the following methods: On the Design tab, in the Relationships group, click the Close button Press Ctrl+W Right-click the Relationships tab, and then choose Close; you could choose Save, and then repeat the process to choose Close To the right of the Relationships tab, click the Close button Whichever method you use, if there are any unsaved relationships, Access will prompt you to save them. Choose Yes Editing relationships To edit an existing relationship: In the Ribbon, click the Database Tools tab In the Show/Hide group, click the Relationships button The Relationships tab will be displayed. For the relationship that you want to edit, double-click the line that links the two tables The Edit Relationships dialog box will be displayed. Make the required changes Deleting relationships To delete a relationship: Save and close the Relationships tab In the Ribbon, click the Database Tools tab In the Show/Hide group, click the Relationships button The Relationships tab will be displayed. For the relationship that you want to delete, click the line that links the two tables; the line will become bolder Press the Delete key 76 Copyright 2011 Fircroft College - All rights reserved.

77 You will need to confirm the deletion. If you are sure, choose Yes Save and close the Relationships tab Relationship Report Access can show a report on the relationships in the database. The layout is the same as the Relationships tab, but it is easier for printing a copy of the relationships. To show and print the Relationship Report: In the Ribbon, click the Database Tools tab In the Show/Hide group, click the Relationships button The Relationships tab will be displayed. In the Tools group, click the Relationship Report button The Relationship Report tab will be displayed. If it is available in the Quick Access toolbar, click the Quick Print button; otherwise click the Office Button, point to Print, and then choose Quick Print The Relationship Report will be printed. Using the Lookup Wizard Another method of creating a relationship automatically is to use the Lookup Wizard when you are creating or editing a table in Design view. You need to set up the foreign key that looks up data in the primary key. Take the following steps: Make sure that the primary key is set up in the main table; probably the ID field with the data type AutoNumber Open the other table that will have the foreign key that is related to the primary key and switch to Design view For the relevant field, open the Data Type list box and then choose Lookup Wizard The Lookup Wizard will start. Copyright 2011 Fircroft College - All rights reserved. 77

78 Make sure that the I want the lookup column to look up values in a table or query option is chosen Click Next If necessary, change the View option to Tables, Queries or Both so that you can see the table or query that contains the primary key field it will be related to In the list of tables or queries, click the required table or query Click Next 78 Copyright 2011 Fircroft College - All rights reserved.

79 Next, choose all the fields that you want to be displayed in the lookup list. For each required field: In the Available Fields list, double-click the field You can move any field between the Available Fields and Selected Fields, and change the order by dragging the fields Click Next You can use up to four fields to sort the order of the resulting lookup list. For example, if Last Name was one of the fields, you might want to sort the list by Last Name. Copyright 2011 Fircroft College - All rights reserved. 79

80 For each field that you want to sort by: Open the next available list box, and then choose the field to sort by If necessary, click the Ascending button, and then choose the required sort order Click Next At this stage you will see the details of the lookup list and can make the following adjustments: If you want to show the primary key (usually the ID number), click the Hide key column option so that it is NOT ticked For any column shown, drag the right-hand border of the column heading in or out to change the column width Click Next 80 Copyright 2011 Fircroft College - All rights reserved.

81 Access suggests text for the label for the lookup column. If ticked, the Allow Multiple Values option will allow the user to select more than one option from the list box; you do not want this here. Optionally, in the What label would you like... box, change the label as required Optionally, click the Allow Multiple Values option so that it is ticked Click Finish Access will show a message about saving the table changes before creating the relationship. Choose Yes The table will be saved and the relationship added. Note that the data type for the field will no longer be Lookup Wizard; it will be automatically set to match the primary key field. Close the table The next time that you use the table in Datasheet view, the field will have a list box. The same will apply if you create a form based on the table. Copyright 2011 Fircroft College - All rights reserved. 81

82 Creating Queries Objectives Understand what a query is and the different types of query Use the Query Wizard Creating a query in Design view Save, edit, rename and delete queries About queries All the data in a database is stored in database tables. A query allows you to sort and filter records in a table. You can also choose which fields in a record should be displayed. A simple query may be based on a single table. When you run a query, the results are displayed in a datasheet and only the fields specified in the query are displayed. Most of this can be done directly in a table using the available filter and sort commands, but queries can be saved, and then run whenever required. A query can also combine data from two or more related tables. For example, in a Cars/Salespeople/Travel database, you may want to show a list of journeys made in a particular month, showing the travel date, salesperson, destination and mileage fields. If you set up a query based solely on the Travel table alone, the extracted data will show the stored ID numbers for the salespeople. If you set up a query based on the related Salespeople and Travel tables, when Access sees the ID numbers for the salespeople, it can fetch and display their names from the Salespeople database. Finally, you can set up queries to ask the user for one or more values, and then extract data according the those values. For example, to display a travel record for a particular salesperson, you could set up one query per person. Alternatively, you could set up a single query that asks for the salesperson ID and then extracts the data to match. 82 Copyright 2011 Fircroft College - All rights reserved.

83 How to use queries The main uses for queries are: To extract data and present it in Datasheet view so that the user can edit and add the records shown To be the basis for creating forms and reports Queries can also be used to perform other tasks such as updating values or creating new tables Query views There are five query views: Datasheet view shows matching data in a table where users can add and edit data PivotTable, PivotChart and SQL views more advanced views for extracting data and refining criteria; not covered in this course Design view shows the query design, and allows every detail of the query to be modified To open a query in a specific view: In the Navigation pane, right-click the query name, and then choose the required view To switch between query views for a query that is already open, choose one of the following methods: Right-click the query tab, and then choose the required view On the Home tab, in the Views group, click the arrow on the View button, and then choose the required view The Design tab When you are in Design view the Design tab in the Ribbon will show several useful groups. Command buttons in the Results group allow you to change the view and run the current query. Command buttons in the Query Type group allow you to select which type of query you are designing. Copyright 2011 Fircroft College - All rights reserved. 83

84 Command buttons in the Query Setup group allow you to show and hide tables, and add and delete rows and columns. Command buttons in the Show/Hide group allow you to show and hide various components in the query design. Types of queries There are different types of query each serving a different purpose: Select queries display data from one or more tables; in the Query Type group, these include Select and Crosstab Action queries change the data in underlying data tables; in the Query Type group, these include Make Table, Append, Update and Delete Parameter queries prompt the user to supply criteria, which the query then uses; these are in effect Select or Action queries that ask the user for some details before running Running existing queries To run an existing query that is not already open: In the Navigation pane, double-click the required query To run a query that is already open in Design view In the Results group, click the Run button To re-run a query that is already open in Datasheet view Press the F5 key Using the Query Wizard to create a simple select query The easiest way to create a simple select query is to use the Query Wizard. Note that if you are selecting fields from more than one table, a relationship must already exist between the tables. A query has to be based on existing tables and queries. To start a new query: In the Ribbon, click the Create tab In the Other group, click the Query Wizard button The New Query dialog box is displayed. 84 Copyright 2011 Fircroft College - All rights reserved.

85 You will see that Access has four query wizards to choose from. Choose Simple Query Wizard Click OK The Simple Query Wizard is started. The first stage is to choose the fields that you want to include in the query. You can pick fields from a single table, or from multiple tables. For each table that you want to pick fields from: Open the Tables/Queries list box, and then choose the required table or query For each field that you want to include: In the Available Fields list, double-click the required field; alternatively you can click the field and then click the > button Copyright 2011 Fircroft College - All rights reserved. 85

86 Note that if you change your mind about any of the fields, you can easily move them between the Available Fields and Selected Fields lists. When you have chosen all the required fields: Click Next Note: If you see a message saying that tables are not related, then you cannot continue. You will need to set up the relationship first, and then start the wizard again. Presuming table relationships are in place, the next stage of the wizard allows you to choose to show details or a summary. Choosing to show the details of every record, means that the details of every individual matching record will be displayed. If you have included a number field in the query, choosing Summary allows you to choose to show a total, average, maximum value, etc., rather than the details of every record. Choose the Detail option Click Next 86 Copyright 2011 Fircroft College - All rights reserved.

87 In the final stage of the query you can choose a name for the query, and also choose what to do next; run the query or modify the design. In the What title do you want for your query box, type a meaningful name for your query Choose the Open the query to view information option or the Modify the query design option as required Click Finish The query will be saved and either run or opened ready for modification. Creating a query in Design view You can create a new query from scratch in Design view. To create a query in Design view: In the Ribbon, click the Create tab In the Other group, click the Query Design button The Show Table dialog box will be displayed. Copyright 2011 Fircroft College - All rights reserved. 87

88 You can use tables and queries to create new queries. Click the Tables, Queries or Both tab as required At this point, you need to add all the tables/queries that you intend to use when creating the new query. However, you can add more tables later and hide tables that you do not use. For each table/query that you want to add: In the list of Tables/Queries/Both, click the required table or query, and then click Add When you are ready: Click Close A new query will be opened in Design view. 88 Copyright 2011 Fircroft College - All rights reserved.

89 The tables that you chose are shown in the top half. All relationships between chosen tables will also be indicated. The bottom half of the Query tab shows a grid where you set up the filter and sort criteria. For each field required in the query: Set up the Field, Show, Show and Criteria options as required Further details for setting criteria can be found in the Setting criteria section. Saving a new query To save the new query: Press Ctrl+S The Save As dialog box will be displayed. In the Query Name box, enter a meaningful name for your query Click OK or press Enter Modifying a query You can modify an existing query. Be aware, however, that editing a query may affect any forms or reports that are based on that query. To modify a query: If the query is already open, switch to the Design view; otherwise in the Navigation pane, right-click the query name, and then choose Design View Edit the query selection and sort criteria as required Press Ctrl+S to save the new design Saving a modified query To save a modified query at any time, choose any of the following methods: Press Ctrl+S Right-click the tab for the query, and then choose Save If you close a query with unsaved changes, or switch views, Access will prompt you to save the changes. Copyright 2011 Fircroft College - All rights reserved. 89

90 Setting criteria The explanations in this section can be used to help you when you are setting up a query, or modifying an existing query in Design view. For each field that you want to use in the query: Click the next free Table box, and then choose the table that the field belongs to Click the Field box, and then choose the required field These two boxes may seem to be in the wrong order, but you could just open the Field box and choose the field there; all fields listed with their associated table name first, for example, Salespeople.First Name. Choosing the Table first limits the Field list to fields in the chosen table. For each field that you choose, you can set the following criteria: Sort choose to sort the records using this field; if you leave it blank or choose not sorted, this field is not used in the sort process Show if ticked, the field is shown in the resulting datasheet; if not tick it is not show sometimes fields are used as selection criteria, but not displayed Criteria this is where the actual criteria are set it can be quite simple like >10 or much more complicated or used to add alternative criteria where one or the other may apply, for example, id>100 or Last Name=Smith Note that if you wanted to sort by more than one field, Access sorts by the fields in order from left to right. So if you wanted to sort by Last Name and then ID, you would need to make sure that the Last Name field comes before the ID field. To move a column: In the criteria, click the column header of the column that you want to move the whole column will be selected Drag the column to its new position Learning about how to set criteria is the important skill. The next table shows a selection of common criteria to use. 90 Copyright 2011 Fircroft College - All rights reserved.

91 Operator Example Description * *land land* The asterisk can be used to replace anything. The examples mean anything ending in land and anything starting with land. * * *land* Enclosing a word or phrase with asterisks means like. The example means anything like land, i.e. anything with land anywhere in the field. NOT NOT Mr Negates the expression. The example means values not equal to Mr. IsNull IsNull Not IsNull IsNull means that the field is completely empty. Note that a field with only a blank space in it looks empty, but is not empty. >, >= >6 >=6 >=GL <, <= <6 <=6 Greater than and greater than or equal to are often used for numerical values, but can also be applied to text values where they are work alphabetically. Less than and less than or equal to are use mostly for numerical values, but can also be applied to text values. OR <6 OR >10 OR is used to combine criteria, where either part can match. The example means less than 6 or greater than 10. AND >=2 AND <7 AND is used to combine criteria where both parts must be matched. The example means greater than or equal to 2 and less than 7. There are many more functions that can be used in criteria. When you enter criteria, Access will try and understand your entry, but will often convert it to the correct format. For example: =Harrison to = Harrison >23/05/2008 to >#23/05/2008# sm* to Like sm* Using Or for alternative criteria You can use the or row to set up alternative criteria in queries. The important thing to think about here is the use of the Criteria fields. If you have criteria on the same Criteria row, they are automatically combined with And. Copyright 2011 Fircroft College - All rights reserved. 91

92 The next example would mean SalespeopleID=1 AND Mileage>300. However, splitting criteria on different rows, means OR. The next example would mean either SalespeopleID=1 OR Mileage>300. This means that records where the mileage is over 300 would be shown even if the SalespeopleID is not 1. Also records where the SalespeopleID is 1, irrespective of the mileage will be shown. Using Totals and Group by If you show the Totals row in a query design, you can group records by specific fields rather than showing the detail for each one. For example, if there were six journeys on one day, you could show six rows with all the details for each one, or just group the journeys together, and then show the total mileage for the day. To show and hide the Totals row: On the Design tab, in the Show/Hide group, click the Totals button An extra row will be added to the Design view. By default all the Totals boxes are set to Group By; this means that each one is grouped individually, which in turn means that all the details for records will be displayed. 92 Copyright 2011 Fircroft College - All rights reserved.

93 You can change the Total setting to something else, for example, for a numerical field you may want to show the total value (Sum) for the grouped data. Matching records in related tables An important step is to match the records from one table to the corresponding record in the related table. This is done by setting the criteria correctly. Note that you do not have to do this if the relationships between the relevant tables are already set up. If you do follow this process, Access will automatically set up the relevant relationships. Assuming that you have a SalespeopleID field in the Travel table that is related to the ID field in the Salespeople table, you need to match the two fields. Also, you will probably not want to show the field. The match that you want is: Salespeople.ID=Travel. SalespeopleID The next two examples give you the same result. Note that Access will automatically add square brackets [] to table and field names when you use them in the criteria box; you can also enter them yourself. The table and field names are separated by a full stop. Renaming a query To rename a query: Make sure that the query is closed In the Navigation pane, right-click the query name, and then choose Rename Copyright 2011 Fircroft College - All rights reserved. 93

94 The query name becomes editable. Edit the name as required, and then press Enter Access will automatically update any links to forms and reports so that they all keep working with the new query name. Deleting a query You can delete an existing query, but be aware! Deleting a query will mean that any form or report that is based on the query will no longer work. To delete a query: Make sure that the query is closed In the Navigation pane, right-click the query name, and then choose Delete Access will ask you to confirm the deletion. If you are certain, choose Yes 94 Copyright 2011 Fircroft College - All rights reserved.

95 Creating Forms Objectives Understand what a form is Create a default form, a split form, and a multiple form Use the Form Wizard Save, edit, rename and delete forms About forms All the data in a database is stored in tables. A form, which can be based on a table or query, can provide a more convenient way to add and edit data compared to the rows and columns of a datasheet. Any data that you add or edit in a form is changed in the underlying table. If the form is based on a query with related tables, the data is updated in all the relevant tables. Different types of default forms A default form shows a single record at a time. If you base the form on a table, and the table is related to another table, then Access will also display a datasheet under the form. The records in the datasheet are those that relate to the current record in the form. If you view a different record in the form, the related records in the datasheet will change with it. If the table is not related to another table, the datasheet will not be displayed. Copyright 2011 Fircroft College - All rights reserved. 95

96 A default split form shows a single record in a form, plus the data table. Note that the datasheet section contains all records, not just those related to the current record shown in the form. The user can add and edit records in either part of the display. A default multiple form shows several records at a time, like a datasheet, but still easier for the user! 96 Copyright 2011 Fircroft College - All rights reserved.

97 Form views There are three form views: Form view shows the actual form where users can add and edit data Layout view - the form is open and shows data, but you can make nearly all the changes you would want to make to a form Design view shows the form layout with no data, and allows every detail of the form to be modified To open a form in a specific view: In the Navigation pane, right-click the form name, and then choose the required view To switch between form views for a form that is already open, choose one of the following methods: Right-click the form tab, and then choose the required view On the Home tab, in the Views group, click the arrow on View button, and then choose the required view Creating forms There are several ways to create a form: Use the Form, Split Form and Multiple Form options - these create forms automatically from a table or query Use the Form Wizard - this allows you to choose fields from one or more tables and/or queries, and also to choose the layout and style for the form Create the form from scratch in Design view Copy an existing form and then modify the design Creating a form from scratch in Design view is the hardest way to create a form. It is usually better to use one of the other methods and then modify the design to suit your requirements. When you use the Form, Split Form and Multiple Form options, Access creates a default form based on the current table or query. If you want to base a form on a query, it is very worthwhile to set up and test the query thoroughly first. Creating the form is then just a simple click of a button. If the query is exactly right, you will not need to edit the form design. Copyright 2011 Fircroft College - All rights reserved. 97

98 Creating a default form To create a default form: In the Navigation pane, click the table or query on which you want to base the form In the Ribbon, click the Create tab In the Forms group, click the Form button Access will automatically create a form; all the fields from the table or query will be included. The form will be shown in Layout view. Creating a default split form To create a default split form: In the Navigation pane, click the table or query on which you want to base the form In the Ribbon, click the Create tab In the Forms group, click the Split Form button Access will automatically create a form; all the fields from the table or query will be included. The form will be shown in Layout view. Creating a default multiple form To create a default split form: In the Navigation pane, click the table or query on which you want to base the form In the Ribbon, click the Create tab In the Forms group, click the Multiple Items button Access will automatically create a form; all the fields from the table or query will be included. The form will be shown in Layout view. Saving and closing a new form To save and close the new form: Press Ctrl+S, then in the Save As dialog box give the form a meaningful name, and then click OK Press Ctrl+W to close the form Using the Form Wizard To create a form with the Form Wizard: In the Ribbon, click the Create tab In the Forms group, click the More Forms button, and then choose Form Wizard The Form Wizard will be started. 98 Copyright 2011 Fircroft College - All rights reserved.

99 The first stage is to choose the fields that you want to show in the form. You can base the form on any existing table or query, and then choose available fields. For each table that you want to pick fields from: Open the Tables/Queries list box, and then choose the required table or query For each field that you want to include: In the Available Fields list, double-click the required field; alternatively you can click the field and then click the > button Note that if you change your mind about any of the fields, you can easily move them between the Available Fields and Selected Fields lists. When you have chosen all the required fields: Click Next Note: If you see a message saying that tables are not related, then you cannot continue. You will need to set up the relationship first, and then start the wizard again. Presuming table relationships are in place, the next stage of the wizard allows you to choose to show details is displayed. You can choose a layout for the form. Copyright 2011 Fircroft College - All rights reserved. 99

100 The following layouts are available: Columnar - each field is on a separate line, one record displayed on the form Tabular - the labels are displayed across the top of the form with the records displayed in rows underneath - multiple records are displayed on the form Datasheet - the records are displayed in exactly the same way as they would be in the Datasheet view of a table Justified- like columnar, but the fields are lined up for a better presentation For each layout, clicking the option will show a miniature view of what the form will look like. Choose the required form layout Click Next The next step allows you to choose a style for the form. 100 Copyright 2011 Fircroft College - All rights reserved.

101 The best thing to do is to choose the styles and look at the preview until you find one that you like. Choose the required form style Click Next In the final stage of the wizard you can choose a name for the form, and also choose what to do next; open the form or modify the design. In the What title do you want for your form box, type a meaningful name for your form Choose the Open the form to view or enter information option or the Modify the form s design option as required Click Finish The form will be saved and opened either for data entry or for modification. Copyright 2011 Fircroft College - All rights reserved. 101

102 Modifying a form design To modify a form design, choose the Layout or Design view: Renaming a form To rename a form: If the form is already open, switch to the Layout or Design view; otherwise in the Navigation pane, rightclick the form name, and then chose Layout View or Design View Modify the form as required Press Ctrl+S to save the changes Make sure that the form is closed In the Navigation pane, right-click the form name, and then choose Rename The form name will become editable. Edit the name as required, and then press Enter Deleting a form To delete a form: Make sure that the form is closed In the Navigation pane, right-click the form name, and then choose Delete Access will ask you to confirm the deletion. If you are certain, choose Yes 102 Copyright 2011 Fircroft College - All rights reserved.

103 Creating Reports Objectives Understand what a report is Create a basic report Use the Report Wizard Save, edit, rename and delete reports About reports All the data in a database is stored in database tables. A report, which can be based on a table or query, is normally the final collation of information extracted from database tables. It should have a clear layout and style, ready for printing and presentation to others. If you create a report based on a query that asks for user input, the same user input will be required when the report is run. Report views There are four report views: Report view shows the actual report as users will see it Print Preview shows how the report will be printed and gives you some page layout options Layout view - the report open and data is shown, but you can make changes to form layout Design view shows the report layout with no data, and allows every detail of the report to be modified To open a report in a specific view: In the Navigation pane, right-click the report name, and then choose the required view Copyright 2011 Fircroft College - All rights reserved. 103

104 To switch between report views for a report that is open, choose one of the following methods: Right-click the report tab, and then choose the required view On the Home tab, in the Views group, click the arrow on View button, and then choose the required view Creating reports There are several ways to create a report: Use the Report button to create a basic default report - this creates a report automatically from a table or query Use the Report Wizard - this allows you to choose fields from one or more tables and/or queries, and also to choose the layout and style for the report Create the report from scratch in Design view Copy an existing report and then modify the design Creating a report from scratch in Design view is the hardest way to create a report. It is usually better to use one of the other methods and then modify the design to suit your requirements. If you want to base a report on a query, it is very worthwhile to set up and test the query thoroughly first. Creating the report is then just a simple click of a button. If the query is exactly right, you will not need to edit the report design. Creating a default report To create a default report: In the Navigation pane, click the table or query on which you want to base the report In the Ribbon, click the Create tab In the Reports group, click the Report button Access will automatically create a report; all the fields from the table or query will be included. The report will be shown in Layout view. 104 Copyright 2011 Fircroft College - All rights reserved.

105 The Property Sheet may be displayed or hidden, and if displayed, any of the available tabs could be displayed. Saving and closing a new report To save and close the new report: Press Ctrl+S, then in the Save As dialog box give the report a meaningful name, and then click OK Press Ctrl+W to close the report Using the Report Wizard To create a report with the report wizard: In the Ribbon, click the Create tab In the Reports group, click the Report Wizard button The Report Wizard will be started. The first stage is to choose the fields that you want to show in the report. You can base the form on any existing table or query, and then choose available fields. For each table that you want to pick fields from: Open the Tables/Queries list box, and then choose the required table or query For each field that you want to include: In the Available Fields list, double-click the required field; alternatively you can click the field and then click the > button Note that if you change your mind about any of the fields, you can easily move them between the Available Fields and Selected Fields lists. When you have chosen all the required fields: Click Next Copyright 2011 Fircroft College - All rights reserved. 105

106 Note: If you see a message saying that tables are not related, then you cannot continue. You will need to set up the relationship first, and then start the wizard again. Presuming table relationships are in place, the next stage of the wizard allows you to choose to group data. If you do not add any grouping, all the details for each record will be displayed individually. If you add grouping, you can collate the records. For each grouping required: In the list of fields, click the field to select it, and then click the > arrow In the next example, the data will be grouped by EventDate by month. 106 Copyright 2011 Fircroft College - All rights reserved.

107 Click Next The next step allows you to sort records. For each sorting criteria that you want to apply: Open the next free list box, choose the required field to sort by, and then if you want to change the sort order, click the Ascending button You can also add summary options. For example, for numerical fields, you may wish to show the total sum, or average for the field. To change the Summary options: Click the Summary Options button Copyright 2011 Fircroft College - All rights reserved. 107

108 For each field that you want to summarise: Click the relevant box so that it is ticked When you are ready: Click OK You will be returned to the Report Wizard dialog box. Click Next The next step allows you to choose a layout for the report. The options will vary depending on whether you have chosen any grouping or not. 108 Copyright 2011 Fircroft College - All rights reserved.

109 For each layout, clicking the option will show a miniature view of what the report will look like. Choose the required layout option You can also choose a page orientation: Choose Portrait or Landscape as required; if the final report looks wrong, you can easily change this setting later You can also choose to adjust field widths so that all fields will fit on one page: As required, change the Adjust the field width so all fields fit on a page option so that it is ticked or not ticked When you are ready: Click Next The next step allows you to choose a style for the form. Copyright 2011 Fircroft College - All rights reserved. 109

110 The best thing to do is to choose the styles and look at the preview until you find one that you like. Choose the required style Click Next In the final stage of the wizard you can choose a name for the report, and also choose what to do next; preview the form or modify the design. In the What title do you want for your report box, type a meaningful name for your report Choose the Preview the report option or the Modify the report s design option as required Click Finish The report will be saved and opened either as a preview or for modification. Modifying a report design To modify a report design: If the report is already open, switch to the Design or Layout view; otherwise in the Navigation pane, rightclick the form name, and then chose Design View or Layout View Edit the report as required Press Ctrl+S to save the changes 110 Copyright 2011 Fircroft College - All rights reserved.

111 Printing a report To print a report that is already open, choose one of the available methods: If it is available, in the Quick Access toolbar, click the Quick Print button Click the Office Button, point to Print, and then choose Quick Print To use the Print dialog box to control the printout: Press Ctrl+P To print a report that is not open: In the Navigation pane, right-click the report name, and then choose Print Print Preview To view the Print Preview: If the report is already open, switch to the Print Preview view; otherwise in the Navigation pane, right-click the report name, and then choose Print Preview In Print Preview, all the page layout features can be used. Renaming a report To rename a report: Make sure that the report is closed In the Navigation pane, right-click the report name, and then choose Rename The report name becomes editable. Edit the name as required, and then press Enter Deleting a report To delete a report: Make sure that the report is closed In the Navigation pane, right-click the report name, and then choose Delete Access will ask you to confirm the deletion. Copyright 2011 Fircroft College - All rights reserved. 111

112 If you are certain, choose Yes 112 Copyright 2011 Fircroft College - All rights reserved.

113 File Formats Objectives Learn about file formats Open databases with different file formats Convert a database to Access 2007 file format Save databases in different file formats Microsoft Access file formats Microsoft Access 2007 has a new file format. You do not have to worry about this if you are only using this version of Access. However, if you use databases from different versions of Access, or share databases with other users who use different versions, you should note the following: A database created and saved in Microsoft Access 2007 format (*.accdb) cannot be used in an earlier version of Microsoft Access A database created and saved in earlier version of Microsoft Access can be used in Microsoft Access 2007 You can usually see what format a file is in by the extension part of the filename. Icon Extension Description.accdb Microsoft Access 2007 database files..mdb Microsoft Access and Microsoft Access 2000 database files. Opening database files with different file formats To open a database file with a different format: Close the current database In the Getting Started screen, at the top of the Open Recent Database list, click More The Open dialog box will be displayed. Copyright 2011 Fircroft College - All rights reserved. 113

114 Click the Microsoft Office Access button (or in XP open the Files of type list box), and then choose the required file type; choose Microsoft Office Access to show all Access databases Locate and open the required database file Access will open the database file. Converting a database to Access 2007 format To convert a database to Access 2007 format: Click the Office Button, and then choose Convert The Save As dialog box will be displayed. Optionally, in the File Name box, change the filename Locate and select the folder where you want to store the database file Click Save The database will be saved in the Access 2007 file format. You will see a warning about not being to share it with users of earlier versions of Access. Click OK 114 Copyright 2011 Fircroft College - All rights reserved.

115 Saving database files in different file formats To save the current database in a different file format: Click the Office Button, point to Save As, and then choose the required format: Access 2007 Database, Access Database, or Access 2000 Database The Save As dialog box will be displayed. Optionally, in the File Name box, change the filename Locate and select the folder where you want to store the database file Click Save The database will be saved in the new file format. Copyright 2011 Fircroft College - All rights reserved. 115

116 Basic Options Objectives Learn how to change the default user name and initials Learn how to set the default folder for documents Learn how to set the default file format Checking and changing the default user name and initials When you create databases, Access keeps track of the user associated with each one. You can personalise your copy of Microsoft Office with your own user name and initials. To check and change your user name and initials: Click the Office Button, and then click the Access Options button The Access Options dialog box will be displayed. If necessary, click the Popular tab The Popular tab will be shown. You need to look for the User name and Initials options. To change the user name and initials: In the User name box, enter your name In the Initials box, enter your initials Click OK 116 Copyright 2011 Fircroft College - All rights reserved.

117 Setting default folders for databases To change the default folder for databases: Click the Office Button, and then click the Access Options button The Access Options dialog box will be displayed. If necessary, click the Popular tab The Popular tab will be shown. You need to look for the Default database folder option. In the Default database folder box, enter the required folder name you can also click Browse, and then choose an existing folder or create new folder Click OK Setting default file format Access has different file formats for different versions of the program. If you are using Access 2007 to create databases, but have users with an earlier version of Access, you may want to change the default file format. Note that you can always save individual databases in different formats, so only do this if you want to use a different file format most of the time. To change the default folder for databases: Click the Office Button, and then click the Access Options button The Access Options dialog box will be displayed. If necessary, click the Popular tab The Popular tab will be shown. You need to look for the Default file format option. Copyright 2011 Fircroft College - All rights reserved. 117