Microsoft Access 2010 Beginning Written By: Jeff Hutchinson

Transcription

1 Microsoft Access 2010 Beginning Written By: Jeff Hutchinson

2 Introduction Course Description Learn the basics of database design by creating and modifying tables, managing databases, understanding database relationships, creating and running queries, designing forms and generating reports. The class engages students in business-oriented case studies addressing database design, creation, querying and reporting. For a prerequisite, it is helpful to have a working knowledge of Excel and computers, Excel Beginning is recommended prior to taking this class. Course Outline SESSION 1 Chapter 1 - Exploring Access Chapter 2 - Creating Tables Introduce Field Properties SESSION 2 Chapter 3 Modifying Field Properties Chapter 4 - Working With Tables Chapter 5 - Editing Tables SESSION 3 Chapter 6 - Finding And Filtering Data Chapter 7 - Creating Relationships Chapter 8 - Queries, Forms And Reports OPTIONAL Appendix A - Database Terminology Appendix B - Identify The Key Fields Appendix C - Glossary Appendix D Answers Learning Process All modules in this course will follow these basic steps for learning: Theoretical discussion of the topic. Example of a topic in a presentation. Step-by-step completion of the topic as a class. Practice to review skills located at the end of the chapter. Homework is recommended to better understand the concepts. Highlights in Document Commands, keyboard combinations and specific menu choices are highlighted in bold. These are the most important text statements in the and Practice Exercises. For example, the word Insert bolded text (Example: Insert ribbon tab) is the most important statement in the text string and Shift F1 is a keyboard command that is highlighted for emphasis. Access 2010 Beginning Rev: 1.0 Date: 5/6/2011 Page i

3 Introduction About the Author Jeff Hutchinson is a computer instructor teaching a variety of classes around the country. He has a BS degree from BYU in Computer Aided Engineering and has worked in the Information Technology field supporting and maintaining computers for many years. He also owned a computer training and consulting firm in San Francisco, California. After selling his business in 2001, he has continued to work as an independent computer instructor in California and Utah. Jeff Hutchinson lives in Utah and provides training for the Utah Valley University Community Education system, offering valuable computer skills for the general knowledge of students, career development, and career advancement. Understanding the technology and the needs of the students has been the basis for developing this material. Jeff Hutchinson can be contacted at JeffHutch@Excel-Networks.com or (801) Released Version This documentation is based on Microsoft Access Access 2010 Beginning UVU The latest revision of this introductory book is Access 2010 Beginning Rev: 1.0 Date: 5/6/2011 Copyright This material is the sole property of Jeff Hutchinson through his company, Excel Networks. Any copying, duplication or reproduction of this document must be approved by Jeff Hutchinson in writing. However, students can use the material in and out of class for personal development and learning. Exercise Download The exercises are posted on a web site and can be downloaded to your computer. Please do the following: Step 1 - Open Internet Explorer. Step 2 - Type the web address: Step 3 - Go to the home page and look for the link called Exercises. Page ii Access 2010 Beginning Rev: 1.0 Date: 5/6/2011

4 Access Beginning Step 4 - Click in the Access 2010 Level 1 UVU download file. Step 5 - Click the Run button. Step 6 - Choose the Run button again. Step 7 - Choose the OK button. Step 8 - Click the Unzip button. Step 9 - Choose the OK button. Step 10 - Choose the Close button. Access 2010 Beginning Rev: 1.0 Date: 5/6/2011 Page iii

5 Introduction Step 11 - The files are now located in the C:\Data folders on your computer. If there are any questions or problems, you can contact Jeff Hutchinson at JeffHutch@Excel-Networks.com Page iv Access 2010 Beginning Rev: 1.0 Date: 5/6/2011

6 Access Beginning Table of Contents Access 2010 Beginning INTRODUCTION... I Course Description... i Course Outline... i Learning Process... i Highlights in Document... i About the Author... ii Released Version... ii Copyright... ii Exercise Download... Error! Bookmark not defined. CHAPTER 1 - EXPLORING ACCESS Using the Interface Opening an Existing Database Using the Ribbon & Contextual Tabs Using Database Objects Using the Navigation Pane Opening a Database Object Using Tabbed Documents Using the Status Bar Using the Options Dialog Box Closing and Exiting a Database... 8 Practice 1 - Exploring Access... 9 CHAPTER 2 - CREATING TABLES Using Database Templates Creating a New Database Designing Tables Creating a Table in Datasheet View Creating a Table in Design View Adding Field Names Assigning Data Types Adding a Field Description Access 2010 Beginning Rev: 1.0 Date: 5/6/2011 Page v

7 Access Beginning 5.2 Changing the Column Width Changing a Font Attribute Changing a Cell Effect Using Alternate Background Colors Selecting a Column Moving a Column Hiding a Column Unhiding a Column Freezing a Column Practice 1 - Editing Tables CHAPTER 6 - FINDING AND FILTERING DATA Sorting Records Finding Specific Records Finding Records using Wildcards Using Replace Using Filter By Selection Applying/Removing a Filter Using Filter Excluding Selection Using the Search Box Using Quick Filter Using AutoFilter Practice 1 - Finding and Filtering Data CHAPTER 7 - CREATING RELATIONSHIPS One-to-One One-to-Many Many-to-Many Using Related Tables Creating a Relationship between Tables Orphan records Setting Referential Integrity Inner and Outer Join Queries Viewing Subdatasheets Deleting a Join Line Printing the ER diagram with Microsoft Access Access 2010 Beginning Rev: 1.0 Date: 5/6/2011 Page vii

8 Introduction Practice 1 Create Student Training Database Practice 2 Create Recipe Database Practice 3 Create a Phone List Database CHAPTER 3 MODIFYING FIELD PROPERTIES Using Field Properties Limiting Field Size Setting Number Formats Setting Date/Time Formats Setting Yes/No Formats Setting Default Values Setting Validation Rules Creating an Input Mask - Wizard Creating an Input Mask Manually Creating a Custom Input Mask Typing a Lookup List Modifying Lookup Properties Setting a Primary Key Using Multi-valued Fields Saving a New Table Practice 1 - Setting Field Properties CHAPTER 4 - WORKING WITH TABLES Using Datasheet View Navigating Fields in Tables Using Field Templates Adding Records Moving through Records Selecting Records Editing Records Saving Records Deleting Records Displaying a Totals Row in a Table Practice 1 - Working with Tables CHAPTER 5 - EDITING TABLES Changing the Row Height Page vi Access 2010 Beginning Rev: 1.0 Date: 5/6/2011

9 Introduction Practice 1 - Creating Relationships CHAPTER 8 - QUERIES, FORMS AND REPORTS Using Queries and Recordsets Using the Simple Query Wizard Creating a Query in Design View Using Forms Using the Form Button Adding a Record using a Form Using Reports Using the Report Button Using Print Preview - Reports Practice 1 - Using Simple Queries Practice 2 - Creating Basic Forms Practice 3 - Creating Basic Reports Practice 4 - Setting Field Properties APPENDIX A - DATABASE TERMINOLOGY A.1 Fundamentals of database terminology A.2 Create an Entity Relationship Diagram A.3 Naming Conventions A.4 Use Prefixes A.5 No Spaces Allowed A.6 Are Naming Conventions Case Sensitive? A.7 Other Considerations Practice 1 - Database Terms Practice 2 Naming Prefixes Practice 3 Naming Conventions Practice 4 The Problem with Spaces APPENDIX B - IDENTIFY THE KEY FIELDS B.1 Key Types B.2 Frequently Asked Questions about Key B.3 Identifying the Keys on your Worksheet B.4 Make Adjustments to the Worksheet B.5 Identifying Key Fields and Making Adjustments Page viii Access 2010 Beginning Rev: 1.0 Date: 5/6/2011

10 Access Beginning APPENDIX C - GLOSSARY APPENDIX D ANSWERS INDEX Access 2010 Beginning Rev: 1.0 Date: 5/6/2011 Page ix

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12 Chapter 1 - Exploring Access A database is any collection of information organized into a group. The information should be organized in a way that allows for easy retrieval. For example, a telephone book is a non-computerized database of information. It is organized in alphabetical order and includes information such as names, addresses, and telephone numbers. Other examples of non-computerized databases include address books and inventory lists. Electronic databases can be maintained on a computer. Computerized databases allow you to manipulate large amounts of data quickly and easily. They simplify tasks such as searching for specific data, organizing and sorting data, and making corrections or changes to data. In Microsoft Access 2010, the database information is stored in data tables. Every data table has a structure that provides for the collection, organization, storage, and retrieval of data. These tables of information are contained in a database file. Each database file can have numerous data tables. A data table consists of fields and records. Fields are categories of information. For example, in an address table, you may maintain names, addresses, cities, states, and zip codes. Each of these categories is a field in the address database. The set of fields containing the data for a single entry is called a record. For example, Charles Hardy, 1234 Main St., Bridgeville, NY, is a record in the address data table. Each piece of information in the record is stored in a field and is referred to as a field value. NY is the field value for the State field in this particular record. An address table would most likely consist of a number of records, and the data values for each record would be stored in the appropriate fields. Access is a relational database application. A relational database contains a large amount of data that is split into numerous tables; each table should include only the information pertinent to one subject, such as Customer, Orders, or Items. As a result, each table is smaller; more manageable; and, in turn, more efficient. These tables can then be joined together to make them related. When tables are related, you can access information from any field in any related table, eliminating the need to add the same information to more than one table. In addition, you can create reports, forms, and queries from data stored in any related table. You can get help on an Access task or feature by using the Microsoft Office Help button, where you can search both online and offline sources to provide assistance and training, and answer your questions about Office products. 1.1 Using the Interface When you open Access the name of the application appears in the title bar at the top of the window. Access opens with the Getting Started task pane. From here you can open an existing database, or create a new database. In addition you can search for help using the Microsoft Access Help button. Page 1

13 Chapter 1 Exploring Access Many of the objects in the Access window display brief descriptions called ScreenTips that pop up whenever you point to them. The Access Interface 1.2 Opening an Existing Database An Access database is a collection of information organized into a number of objects including tables, queries, forms, reports, pages, macros and modules. When you want to work with an Access database, you must first load the database file into memory. This process enables you to open all the tables or other objects within that database. You can view or edit an existing database by opening it from disk. You do not need to remember the file name because the Open dialog box displays a list of folders and files in the current drive and folder. You can select the desired database file from the list, or you can type the name of the database you want to open. If the database resides in a different drive or folder, you can use the Folders or Favorite Links list to select the correct location. The folders and files residing in the selected location appear in the box to the right of the Folders list. If necessary, you can resize the Open dialog box. While the Open button opens the selected database, the Open list provides additional options. For instance, if you want to protect the original version of a database from modifications, you can open a copy of a database or open the database as read-only. The Files of type list in the Open dialog box enables you to open files created in other programs. For instance, you can open a file created in Excel in Access. Page 2

14 Access Beginning The Views button at the top of the Open dialog box allows you to change views. You can choose to have files displayed as icons or a list. 1. Open an existing database from a specific drive and folder location. 2. Office 2010: Click File ribbon tab.( (Office 2007: Click ) 3. Click Open 4. Click Folders 5. Click the student data drive (C: Drive) 6. Double-click to open the student data folder (C:/Data folder) 7. Scroll as necessary and click Chapter1-2 Start.accdb 8. Click 9. Click the Security Options dialog box, if necessary. 10. Click on the Security Option of Enable this content, if necessary 11. Click 1.3 Using the Ribbon & Contextual Tabs All Microsoft Office 2007 applications use a new interface element called the Ribbon, which appears at the top of the application window when you open a database. The Ribbon is the primary replacement for the menus and toolbars used in previous versions of Microsoft Office. The Ribbon is made up of a series of command tabs that contain groups of related commands. In Access 2010, the main command tabs are Home, Create, External Data and Database Tools. In addition to the standard command tabs, Access 2010 uses another user interface element called the contextual command tab. Depending on which object you are working with, one or more contextual command tabs may appear in the Ribbon, next to the standard command tabs. For instance, when a Datasheet is active the Datasheet contextual command tab becomes available. 1. The Chapter1-2 Start database should be open. 2. Click Create ribbon tab. 3. Double click Customers from the Navigation Pane on the left side of the screen. 4. Click Datasheet contextual ribbon tab 5. Notice that you can use the options on the Datasheet tab to change the object view, to create new fields, to specify data type and create relationships. Select the External Data tab and the Database Tools tab and try to familiarize yourself with the options available. Page 3

15 Chapter 1 Exploring Access 1.4 Using Database Objects An Access database file can contain objects such as tables, queries, forms, reports, macros, and modules. Database objects are created to input, edit, retrieve, display, and print data. You can include up to six different object types in an Access database. A description of each of these object types is listed in the following table: Object Type Object Purpose Table Query Form Report Macro Module This object type defines the structure of an Access database. Tables display multiple records in rows and columns. Information in these records can be entered, edited, stored, and retrieved. A way of requesting selected information from a table. When you run a query, a selected set of records, called the recordset, appears. You can then edit or print the recordset. A screen display you can create to show selected fields in a record. Forms allow you to enter, view, and edit data. You can use a form as an alternative to displaying data in rows and columns. A design for printed data. Reports can include lists and mailing labels, as well as database reports. Reports can also perform mathematical operations and calculate summaries. A stored set of Access commands that can be repeated as a unit to automate database functions. This object type stores Visual Basic for Applications Edition programming code that can be used to further customize and enhance database functions. When you open a database, all objects in the database are grouped under one of the object types listed in the preceding table. The object types Table, Query, Form, and Report, along with their corresponding objects, appear in the Navigation Pane. 1.5 Using the Navigation Pane When you open a database or create a new one, the names of your objects appear in the Navigation Pane on the left side of the application window. It replaces the database window from earlier versions of Access and can also be used instead of switchboards, the screens previously used to navigate around a database. The Navigation Pane displays tables, queries, forms and reports in filtered lists. You can change the objects included in the list by clicking the list header and selecting the category or group of objects you want to display. A number of predefined categories are available, and it is possible to filter the groups within categories in various ways. Selecting the Queries object type displays all query objects in the database and selecting the Forms object type displays all the form objects. Page 4

16 Access Beginning The Navigation Pane Use the Navigation Pane to select an object type. 1. Click the arrow in the Navigation pane header 2. Click Tables object type 3. Click the Forms object type and the Reports object type to display their object lists. Then, click the All Access Objects in the program to redisplay all Access objects. 1.6 Opening a Database Object You can open a database object to view the data stored in it. The view in which the data appears depends on the type of object you open. Tables and queries appear in Datasheet view. Forms appear in Form view. Reports display the data in Print preview. Macros and modules run programs attached to the object. Open a database object. If necessary, display the Tables object list in the Navigation Pane. 1. Double click Customers, if necessary 2. Click the Close button on the Customers Table window title bar to close the Customers table. 3. Display the Forms object list. Select the Orders Entry Form object, if necessary, and then double-click it to display the form in Form view. Close the Orders Entry Form window. 4. Display the Reports object list to display the Orders Report object in Print preview. Close the Orders Report window without saving changes, if prompted. Page 5

17 Chapter 1 Exploring Access 1.7 Using Tabbed Documents In Access 2010 you can display database objects in tabbed documents instead of overlapping windows. Using tabbed documents helps to keep open objects visible and accessible. New databases in Access 2010 display tabbed documents by default; databases created in earlier versions use overlapping windows by default. You can enable or disable tabbed documents using Access Options. When you open an object, it appears in a single pane as a tabbed document. Opening further objects will create additional tabbed documents in the application window. To move among the objects you simply click the tabs at the top of the documents. Tabbed documents 1. If necessary, select All Access Objects in the Navigation Pane. 2. Double-click Customers 3. Double-click Items 4. Double-click Data Entry Form 5. Double-click Orders Report 6. Select the Close button on the active object tab. 7. The object tab closes. 8. Notice that the active object tab is orange in color and the tab title is displayed in bold type. 1.8 Using the Status Bar As with previous versions of Access, you can display a status bar at the bottom of the application window which displays status messages and progress indicators. In Access 2010, the status bar has two other standard functions: you can change the view of the active window using the controls on the right of the status bar, and if you are viewing an object that supports variable zoom, a report for instance, you can zoom in and out using the slider on the right of the status bar. Page 6

18 Access Beginning 1. If necessary, open the Customers table. 2. If the buttons are not available Right-Click on the status bar to turn the buttons on. 3. Click the Design View button on the status bar. 4. Click the Datasheet View button on the status bar. 5. You can use the buttons on the status bar to view the Pivot Table View and Pivot Chart View. 1.9 Using the Options Dialog Box There may be times when you want to make changes to the way items appear in the application window or Datasheet. For example, you may want to change the display of recently-used documents on the Getting Started task pane from four documents to more or less than that. The Access Options dialog box allows you to make interface changes as well as many other types of changes in the way Access works. You can alter the way error and spelling checks are performed, how tables and queries appear, and how the keyboard performs to name a few. The Access Options dialog box plays an integral part in allowing you to customize Access based on your personal needs. The Access Options dialog box 1. Use the Access Options dialog box. 2. Office 2010: Click the File ribbon tab.(office 2007: click the Office button Page 7

19 Chapter 1 Exploring Access 3. Office 2010: Click Options.(Office 2007: Click Access options ) 4. Click the Current Database option, if necessary 5. Click Display Status Bar to deselect it 6. Select the Datasheet option, select the Font color list under Default colors and select a dark blue color from the palette. Then, select the Background color list and select a light blue color from the palette. You may be prompted to close and re-open the database in order for the changes to take effect. 7. Click 8. Notice that the status bar no longer appears. 9. Open the Customers table and notice the changes to the display. 10. Close the Customers table. 11. Open the Access Options dialog box and select the Display Status Bar option on the Current Database page. Then, display the Datasheet page and change the default font color in the Font color option to Black and the background color in the Background color list to White. Select OK to close the Options dialog box Closing and Exiting a Database It is important to remember that you cannot have more than one database open at a time. When you have finished working on a database, you can close it using the Office button. If a database object has been modified but not saved, an Access dialog box will prompt you to save the changes before closing. 1. Close a database. 2. Office 2010: Click the File ribbon tab.(access 2007: Click the Office button ) 3. Click to close the database 4. Office 2010: Click the File ribbon tab.(access 2007: Click the Office button ) 5. Select the Exit Access button. Page 8

20 Access Beginning Practice 1 - Exploring Access 1. Start Access, if necessary. 2. Open Chapter1 Practice1.accdb. 3. Add the Print Preview button to the Quick Access Toolbar. 4. Open the Navigation Pane, if necessary. 5. Select the Queries, Forms, and Reports object types to view the objects in each; then, select Access All Objects. 6. Open all the tables. 7. Use Access Options to change the Background color. 8. Resize the Navigation Pane so that it is half its original width. 9. Hide the Navigation Pane. 10. Open the Trainer report. 11. Use the slider on the Status Bar to zoom in. 12. Close the Trainer report. 13. Use Close All to close the remaining open objects. 14. Reset your usage data, return the background color to white, and remove the Print Preview button from the Quick Access Toolbar. 15. Close the database. Page 9

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22 Chapter 2 - Creating Tables 2.1 Using Database Templates When you create a database in Access, you are creating a container for related tables, forms, queries, reports, and other database objects. You can create a new database manually or with the help of a Database Template. If you create a new database manually, you must then create your own tables, queries, and other objects. To save time, you can use a Local or Online Template. Access 2010 offers several database templates you can use to quickly create a database. The templates include pre-formatted database objects, such as tables, forms, and reports. A variety of business and personal database templates are available on the Template Categories section on the Getting Started task pane. If you use any template, Access creates not only the database, but also the tables, queries, and other objects in it. After you have used a database template, a link to it appears under the Open Recent Database section in the Getting Started task pane. Using the Database Wizard to create a new database 1. Use a template to create a new database. 2. Click Local Templates 3. Click Contacts template 4. Type: Contacts, if necessary. The name appears in the File name box. 5. Click 6. Click the student data drive, if necessary 7. Double-click to open the student data folder, if necessary 8. Click Page 11

23 Chapter 2 Creating Tables 9. Click 10. Open the Navigation Pane, if necessary 11. When you open the Navigation Pane, it is a good idea to select Show All, in order to display all the objects in the database. You can double-click any object in the Navigation Pane to open it. You can now enter data directly into the new database, or modify it to meet your needs. 12. Close the Database. 2.2 Creating a New Database You can create a new database in Access without using a template; however, you must then create the tables, queries, and other objects in the database. When you create a new database, you must specify the desired file name, as well as where you want to store the database file. After you have created the database, the Database window opens. The Ribbon command buttons allow you to open objects, modify the design of existing objects, and create new objects. The Navigation Pane bar in the Database window allows you to access the following object types: Tables, Queries, Forms, and Reports. 1. Create a new, blank database. 2. Click the Blank Database icon 3. Type: Company 4. Click 5. Click the student data drive, if necessary 6. Double-click to open the student data folder, if necessary 7. Click OK 8. Click Close 9. Open the Navigation Pane, if necessary 2.3 Designing Tables In Access, there are five steps to designing a table. The first step is to develop a thorough understanding of the system, including all the data to be entered and all the reports, statistics, labels, and other output you want to generate. It is helpful to gather all the forms you use for input and all the reports generated from the data. This process serves two purposes. First, these forms and reports are invaluable when you begin detailing exactly what information you want stored in each table. Second, once you have collected a set of these forms, you can make sure that every item of information on your reports is either included in your database or can be derived from data in your database. The second step is to determine how many tables you need and what information to store in each table. Once you have gained an overview of the system, you are ready to Page 12

24 Access Beginning begin designing your database. The most important decision you must make before you begin creating tables is how many tables you want the database to include. The third step is to design the tables by selecting the fields you want to include, the type of data you want to store in each field, and the size of the fields. Once you have developed an overview of your application and a list of tables, you can make a preliminary list of fields, based on the categories of information that each table will include. You can refine the list by considering the following: if the data is to be sorted or selected, it should be in a separate field; if the data is to be calculated from other fields, you do not need to store it in its own field; and, if the table is to be linked to another table, both tables should contain common fields. The fourth step is to create the table structures by defining the name, data type, and size of the fields. The fifth and final step is to enter sample data. This step is important because it helps you determine whether or not the table fields are the correct size and if all the necessary fields have been included. You can then modify the tables as necessary. 2.4 Creating a Table in Datasheet View When you create a new table, you can use either Datasheet or Design view, use table templates, import data from another data source, or link to data in another data source. Datasheet view displays a grid of rows and columns. Field names are entered as column headings. A table in Datasheet view 1. If necessary, display the Tables object list in the Navigation Pane. 2. Click the Create ribbon tab 3. Click the Table icon 4. Notice that the Datasheet Tab automatically appears on the ribbon when a datasheet is displayed. 5. The new table appears in the Table object list in the Navigation Pane. 6. Close the table without saving. 2.5 Creating a Table in Design View You can also create a table in Design view. When you create a table in Design view, you have more control over the database design. Page 13

25 Chapter 2 Creating Tables The Design view window is split into two panes. The upper pane displays a design grid. You can use the rows and columns in this design grid to enter the field names, data types, and field descriptions for each field in the table. The small box to the left of each field name is the row selector. A black triangle in the row selector indicates the current field. The lower pane displays the properties of the selected field. A property is a characteristic of a field, such as the number of characters a field can contain. Access automatically assigns default field properties, which you can modify as desired. Create a new table in Design view. 1. Click Create ribbon tab. 2. Click 2.6 Adding Field Names Field names are entered into the Field Name column in the Design view window. Field names are labels that identify the data stored in a field. For example, the OrderNumber field will most likely contain order numbers. Field names can be up to 64 characters long and can include letters, numbers, and spaces. (Field names, however, cannot begin with a space.) Field names cannot contain a period (.), an exclamation point (!), a back quote (`), brackets ([ ]), or ASCII control characters. In addition, field names within a table must be unique. Making field names descriptive and meaningful can help with data entry and data retrieval. However, you should avoid long and complicated field names because they can be cumbersome to remember and difficult to reference when performing database functions. 1. If necessary, create a new table in Design view and select the first blank cell in the Field Name column. 2. Type the field name of: OrderNumber 3. Press [Down] 4. Type ProductID and Quantity as the next two field names; pressing [Down] after each. Page 14

26 Access Beginning 2.7 Assigning Data Types The field data type tells Access what kind of values you plan to store in a field and how much storage space to set aside for the field. Although you can change a data type after a field contains data, doing so may erase some or all of the information in the field. The following table describes the available data types: Data Type Text Memo Number Date/Time Currency AutoNumber Description Text is the default data type; a text field can contain any combination of letters, numbers, punctuation marks, and spaces. The default width is 50 characters and the maximum length is 255 characters. A memo field is similar to a text field, except that a memo field can contain up to 65,535 characters. You can use memo fields for notes or long descriptions in a database. A number field can contain only numeric characters, a comma (used as a thousand separator), a period (used as a decimal point), and a hyphen (used as a negative number sign). You should use a number field only when you want to perform calculations using the field values. For example, even though zip codes and telephone numbers consist of numeric characters, you would not use them in calculations; therefore, they should be entered in text rather than number fields. The Date/Time data type is used for dates and/or times. Access automatically validates all entries to ensure that they are valid dates and/or times. For example, Access will not allow you to enter 2/31/99 because February does not have 31 days. Date/Time fields are useful in performing calculations on dates and times. The Currency data type is similar to the Number data type and can be used in calculations. However, the values in a currency field can have a maximum of four decimal places and automatically appear with dollar signs and thousands separators (commas). You should use currency fields whenever possible because they use fixed point calculation, which is faster than the floating point calculation used in number fields. The AutoNumber data type allows Access to automatically assign a unique number (consecutively from 1) to each record in the database. You cannot manually enter a value into an AutoNumbered field or change a number Access has assigned to a record. You use this data type when you want a unique identification number for each record. Page 15

27 Chapter 2 Creating Tables Data Type Yes/No OLE object Description A Yes/No data type is used to signify one of two conditions, Yes or No. You use a yes/no field when only two possibilities (i.e., True or False) exist for a field value. The OLE object data type allows you to either embed an object created in another Windows application or create a link to such an object. You use an OLE object data type for graphics, spreadsheets, or sound files. Hyperlink Lookup Wizard A Hyperlink data type is used to store a link to anywhere you choose. The link could go to an Internet page, a Word document on an intranet, or even a form in the current database. A hyperlink field can contain a description, an address, and a sub-address [separated by number signs (#)], as well as up to 2,048 characters; only the address, however, is mandatory. The Lookup Wizard data type allows you to create a lookup field. A lookup field displays a list of values that are either stored in another table or created by you. A lookup field allows you to choose values from a list during data entry, thereby reducing repetitive typing and eliminating typing errors. Assigning a data type 1. Click in the Data Type column for the Quantity field 2. Click the down arrow 3. Click Number Page 16

28 Access Beginning 2.8 Adding a Field Description You can use the Description column in the design grid to enter a description for each field. The description appears on the status bar when the field is accessed on a form. You can enter brief comments as to the purpose of the field or the data that should be stored in it. 1. Continue using the Company Database. 2. Click in the Description column for the OrderNumber field 3. Type the description of: Enter the order number 4. Type the following description for the ProductID field: Enter the catalog number of the item. 5. Close COMPANY.ACCDB. Practice 1 Create Student Training Database 1. Use the Students Local Template to create a database. Name the database Student1 and save it to the student data folder. 2. Use the Navigation Pane to display objects by type, then select All Access Objects. 3. Open the Students table. 4. After you have viewed the table, close it. Then, close the Student database as well. 5. Create a blank database named Training and save it to the student data folder. 6. Create a new table in Design view. 7. Add the following fields and their corresponding data types to the table: Field Name ProjectID ClientID CourseName StartDate EndDate TrainerInitials Cost Data Type Text Text Text Date/Time Date/Time Text Number 8. Enter the following description for the ProjectID field: Enter the ProjectID assigned by Marketing.. 9. Set the ProjectID field as the primary key. 10. Save the table as Project. 11. Close the database. Practice 2 Create Recipe Database 1. This will be a single table database and will contain the fields necessary to organize your recipes. 2. Possible fields are RecipeID, Description, Ingredients, serving size, etc. Page 17

29 Chapter 2 Creating Tables Practice 3 Create a Phone List Database 1. This will be a single table database and will contain the fields necessary to organize your phone and addresses. 2. Possible fields are ID, Name, Home Phone, Cell Phone, Address, etc. Page 18

30 Chapter 3 Modifying field properties 3.1 Using Field Properties Each field has a set of properties that control the way it stores, handles, and displays data. Since forms and reports you create use the fields in your tables, setting field properties in the early stages of building a database can save you time later on; you will have less design work to do in later stages if you set the desired field properties before you create any forms and reports. You normally set field properties when you create a table in Design view. If you have created and saved a table using default field properties, you can open the table in Design view to change its property settings. The properties available in the Field Properties pane depend on the data type assigned to the selected field. Some of the property types you can set are listed in the following table: Property type Field Size Format Decimal Places Input Mask Caption Default Value Validation Rule Validation Text Required Description Limits a Text field to a specific number of characters; limits a Number field to a specific type of number Controls the way values appear in Datasheet view Available for Number and Currency fields only, determines how many decimal places will appear in the field; this property type has no effect on Number fields using the General format Creates a pattern for data entered into the field (such as adding hyphens within a telephone number) Creates a label other than the field name; the caption will appear in the table and on forms and reports Specifies the value you want to appear in the selected field in all new records Forces data entered into the selected field to meet a specified requirement; for example, you can specify that the Credit Limit field not be over $10,000 Creates an error message to appear when the data entered violates a validation rule Specifies that the field cannot be left empty Access 2010 Beginning Rev 1 10/31/2010 Page 19

31 Chapter 3 Modifying the Field Properties Property type Allow Zero Length Indexed Description Determines whether or not you can enter quotation marks ( ) in a Text, Memo or Hyperlink field to indicate that there is no data for that field Speeds up retrieval of data in a field; all primary key fields are automatically indexed 3.2 Limiting Field Size Setting a field size limits the number of characters or the type of characters you can enter into a field. After typing the maximum number of characters allowed, further keystrokes are not permitted. The Field Size property is available only for Text, Number, and AutoNumber data types; all other data types have default sizes that are set automatically. For a Text field, the field size is the maximum number of characters you want to allow in the field, up to the maximum of 255 characters allowed by Access. For a Number field, you can select one of the following Field Size options: Field Size Size Range Decimal Places Byte 0 to 255 (no fractions) None; data is rounded Integer to (no fractions) None; data is rounded Long Integer -2,147,483,648 to 2,147,483,647 (no fractions) None; data is rounded Single -3.4x10 38 to 3.4x10 38 Up to 7 Double x to 1.797x Up to 15 Replication ID Globally unique identifier Not available Decimal to Up to 28 Page 20 For an AutoNumber field, only the Long Integer and Replication ID options are available. 1. From the Student Data directory, open Chapter3-2 Start.Accdb. 2. Open the Customers table in Design view. 3. Scroll as necessary and click in the Credit Limit field 4. Click the General ribbon tab, if necessary 5. Click in the Field Size box 6. Click Field Size 7. Click Double 8. Save the changes to the table. 9. Change the size of the Postal Code field to 8.

32 Access Beginning 10. Save the table; a Microsoft Office Access warning box will warn you that some data may be lost. Since there are currently no entries in that field with more than seven characters, you can select Yes. If there had been more than eight characters in any existing record, the extra characters would have been deleted. 11. Close the Customers table. 3.3 Setting Number Formats The Format property affects how data appears in Datasheet view, not how it is stored in the table nor how it is used in calculations. If a Number data type field is formatted with 0 decimal places, for example, a value of 1.5 would appear as 2 in the datasheet; if the value is multiplied by 2 in a calculation, however, the answer would be 3, not 4. The available formats for fields with Number data types are listed in the following table: Format General Number Currency Euro Fixed Standard Percent Scientific Description Displays a number exactly as it is entered; this is the default format Displays a dollar sign, a thousands separator, and two decimal places; the defaults for this format are determined by the system settings Displays a euro sign, a thousands separator, and two decimal places; the defaults for this format are determined by the system settings Displays at least one digit and is rounded to the default number of decimal places; the defaults for this format are determined by the system settings Displays a thousands separator and is rounded to the default number of decimal places; the defaults for this format are determined by the system settings Multiplies the number by 100, displays a percent sign (%), and is rounded to the default number of decimal places; the defaults for this format are determined by the system settings Expresses numbers in standard scientific notation (as multiples of exponents of 10) Page 21

33 Chapter 3 Modifying the Field Properties Selecting a number format 1. Display All Access Objects in the Navigation Pane. Notice the Customers table has a Customers form (Data Entry Form) and a Customers report (Orders Report) associated with it. Open the Customers report and the Customers form and notice the formatting in the Credit Limit fields. Then open the Customers table in Datasheet view and notice the formatting in the Credit Limit field. Close the Customers table. 2. Open the Customers table in Design view. 3. Scroll as necessary and click in the Credit Limit field 4. Click the General ribbon tab, if necessary 5. Click in the Format box 6. Click Format 7. Click Currency 8. Click the Property Update Options button next to the Format property and select the Update Format everywhere Credit Limit is used command. In the Update Properties dialog box, select Yes to update the associated form and report so that the number format setting is applied to the corresponding bound controls. 9. Save your changes; then, switch to Datasheet view. Scroll to the Credit Limit column. Notice that the values are now formatted as currency. 10. Close the Customers table. Open the Customers form and the Customers report and notice the changes to the formatting in the Credit Limit field. 3.4 Setting Date/Time Formats You can also change the format of a Date/Time field to change the way the date or time appears in the table. The available formats for Date/Time fields are listed in the following table: Page 22

34 Access Beginning Format General Date Long Date Medium Date Short Date Long Time Medium Time Short Time Description The default format; if the value is only a date, no time appears; if the value is only a time, no date appears The day and month names are spelled out (e.g., Tuesday, July 4, 1995) The month name is abbreviated, and the name of the day is omitted (e.g., 04-Jul-95) The date appears as numbers separated by slashes (e.g., 7/4/95) The time is displayed as hours, minutes, and seconds, separated by colons, and followed by an AM or a PM indicator (e.g., 6:30:15 PM) The time is displayed the same as in the Long Time format, except that no seconds appear (e.g., 06:15 PM) The time is displayed as hours and minutes, separated by a colon, in 24-hour clock format (e.g., 18:30) 1. Open the Customers table in Design view. 2. Scroll as necessary and click in the Contract Date field 3. Click the General tab, if necessary 4. Click in the Format box 5. Click Format 6. Click Medium Date 7. Save the table and switch to Datasheet view. Scroll as necessary to the Contract Date field; notice its format. 8. Switch back to Design view. 3.5 Setting Yes/No Formats A Yes/No field is limited to either a positive or a negative response and can be displayed as a text box, a check box, or a combo box. You select the display of the field on the Lookup page in the Field Properties pane. If the Yes/No field displays its values in a text box, you can select one of three Yes/No data type formats: True/False, Yes/No, and On/Off. Regardless of the format selected, the positive responses of True, Yes, and On are equivalent, just as the negative responses of False, No, and Off are equivalent. Consequently, if the Yes/No field is set to the True/False format and a user enters Yes, Access automatically converts it to True. When a Yes/No field displays a check box, a selected check box indicates a positive response and a deselected check box indicates a negative response. The check box is the default setting for a Yes/No field. Page 23

35 Chapter 3 Modifying the Field Properties Selecting a Display Control property 1. If necessary, open the Customers table in Design view. 2. Scroll as necessary and click in the Catalog Sent field 3. Click the General tab, if necessary 4. Click in the Format box 5. Click Format 6. Click Yes/No, if necessary 7. Click the Lookup tab 8. Click Display Control 9. Click Text Box 10. Save the table, and switch to Datasheet view. Scroll to the Catalog Sent field; notice the text values. Click in any field with a Yes value; notice that the actual stored value is Click in any field with a No value; notice that the actual stored value is 0. Then, double-click the 0 value, type true, and press the [Down] key. Notice that the true entry changes to a Yes. 12. Switch to Design view and display the Lookup tab. Change the Display Control property of the Catalog Sent field back to Check Box. Then, save the table. 3.6 Setting Default Values When you set a default value for a field, that value automatically appears in the field for all new records. You can, however, modify the default field value as needed when entering a new record. A default value can save you time when entering data. For example, if a table stores the names and addresses of clients and most of the clients have addresses in New York, you can set the default value of the State field to NY. If you then enter a new record for a client in Connecticut, or if a client moves out of New York, you can change the value in the State field just for that individual record. Setting a default value for an established table, however, does not modify existing records. Page 24

36 Access Beginning You can set a default value by entering the desired value or expression in the Default Value box. An expression consists of operators (i.e., =, +, -, *, /) and/or values. If you create a default value for a Text field, the default text must be enclosed in quotation marks (" "); for example, "Net 30". Values for Date fields must be enclosed in number signs (#); for example, #1/15/95#. If you do not enter the number signs, however, Access will automatically enter them. 1. If necessary, open the Customers table in Design view. 2. Scroll as necessary and click in the Catalog Sent field 3. Click the General tab 4. Click in the Default Value box 5. Type yes 6. Press [Enter] 7. Save the table and switch to Datasheet view. Scroll to display the Catalog Sent column in the new record row; notice that the Catalog Sent field for the new record is checked. 8. Then, switch back to Design view. 3.7 Setting Validation Rules Databases can contain incorrect information due to data entry errors. One method of controlling the accuracy of data is to impose restrictions on the values entered into a field. You can impose restrictions on data entered into your table by creating validation rules in the Validation Rule box of one or more fields. When you enter data into a new record or modify data in an existing record, Access checks each field for existing validation rules. If an entry does not meet the conditions of the corresponding validation rule, a warning box notifies you of the error. When you set a validation rule, you use the Validation Text box to specify the text you want to appear in the warning box. Setting a validation rule is different from setting the data type or field size properties. Access uses data type and field size properties to determine that the correct type of data is being entered. Validation rules are more specific in their restrictions. For example, you can create a validation rule to ensure that numbers entered in a particular field are between 500 and Page 25

37 Chapter 3 Modifying the Field Properties Creating a validation rule with validation text 1. If necessary, open the Customers table in Design view. 2. Scroll as necessary and click in the Credit Limit field 3. Click the General tab, if necessary 4. Click in the Validation Rule box 5. Type <= Click in the Validation Text box 7. Type The Credit Limit may not exceed $10, Save the table; a Microsoft Office Access warning box informs you that data integrity rules have been changed. Select Yes. 9. Switch back to Datasheet view. Create a new record; scroll as necessary, enter in the Credit Limit field, and press [Enter]. Select OK. 10. Press [Esc] twice to delete the new record and switch back to Design view. 3.8 Creating an Input Mask - Wizard Input masks control how data is entered into a table, as well as the format in which it is stored. You can use an input mask to control how many characters are entered into a field; define each individual character as numeric, text, or either; and specify each individual character as mandatory or optional, as well as add literal characters to format the entry. Since the input mask controls the values users can enter into a field, it often makes data entry easier. Page 26 You can create an input mask by entering the criteria directly into the Input Mask box. However, it is often easier to use the Input Mask Wizard to set the property for you. The Input Mask Wizard offers several predefined input masks for items such as dates and times, ZIP codes, telephone numbers, etc. In addition, you can modify any predefined input mask to meet your needs. 1. If necessary, open the Customers table in Design view. 2. Scroll as necessary and click in the Phone Number field 3. Click the General tab, if necessary

38 Access Beginning 4. Click in the Input Mask box 5. Click the Build button 6. Click Phone Number, if necessary 7. Click 8. Click Placeholder character 9. Click _ 10. Click 11. Click Without the symbols in the mask, like this:, if necessary 12. Click 13. Click 14. Save the table and switch to Datasheet view. Create a new record and tab to the Phone Number field; type ; notice that the input mask controls how the number is entered, as well as how it is formatted. 15. Press [Esc] twice to delete the new record and close the Customers table. 3.9 Creating an Input Mask Manually An input mask controls what values you can enter in a field, as well as how the data will appear. Although it is usually easier to use the Input Mask Wizard, you may need to create an input mask that is not included in the list of predefined masks in the Input Mask Wizard. Access allows you to create an input mask by entering criteria directly into the Input Mask box. When you create an input mask manually, you use special characters to define it. These special characters act as placeholders, controlling the type of character that can be entered into each position, as well as which characters are required. For example, the (999) input mask allows you to enter only digits, and the area code is not required; consequently, both ( ) and (804) are valid entries for this input mask. The following table defines some of the special characters that can be used in an input mask. To define a literal character, enter any character other than one of those shown in the table. If you want to define a character listed in the table as a literal character, you must precede that character with a backslash (\). Character Description 0 A required numeric entry (0-9); plus and minus signs are not allowed 9 An optional numeric entry (0-9) or space; plus and minus signs are not allowed # An optional numeric entry (0-9) or space; plus and minus signs are allowed L A required alphabetic entry (A-Z)? An optional alphabetic entry (A-Z) A A required alphabetic (A-Z) or numeric (0-9) entry Page 27

39 Chapter 3 Modifying the Field Properties Character Description a & C An optional alphabetic (A-Z) or numeric (0-9) entry Any character or space; entry required Any character or space; entry optional < Causes all characters that follow to be converted to lowercase > Causes all characters that follow to be converted to uppercase! Enters the input mask from right to left, instead of from left to right \ Causes the character that follows to be displayed as a literal character 1. If necessary, open the Reps table in Design view. 2. Click in the INITIALS field, if necessary 3. Click the General tab, if necessary 4. Click in the Input Mask box 5. Type >LLL 6. Save the changes to the table and switch to Datasheet view. Create a new record, select the INITIALS field (if necessary), type abc, and press [Enter]; notice that the completed entry is formatted as all caps. 7. Press [Esc] to delete the new record and close the Reps table Creating a Custom Input Mask The Input Mask Wizard provides a list of predefined input masks. If you frequently use an input mask that is not included with the predefined masks in the Input Mask Wizard, however, you may want to create a custom input mask. You may want to use an input mask, for example, to ensure that product numbers are always correctly entered. You can create and save a custom input mask in the Input Mask Wizard, where it is available to tables and forms at any time. In this way, you will only need to create a custom input mask once. 1. Open the Items table in Design view. 2. Click in the Product ID field, if necessary 3. Click the General tab, if necessary 4. Click in the Input Mask box 5. Click the Build button 6. Click 7. Click 8. Type Product Number 9. Press [Tab] Page 28

40 Access Beginning 10. Type! Press [Tab] 12. Type _ 13. Press [Tab] 14. Type Click 16. Scroll as necessary and click Product Number 17. Click 18. Save the changes to the table and switch to Datasheet view. Create a new record, type into the Product ID field, and press [Enter]; notice the custom input mask. 19. Press [Esc] to delete the new record and close the Items table Typing a Lookup List You can increase data accuracy by adding a lookup field to a table. The user can then select the desired value from the lookup list, rather than having to type it. The values in a lookup list are usually stored in a field in a different table. If you want the initials of the sales representative to appear in the Sales Rep field of the Customer table, for example, you can create a lookup to the Initials field in the Reps table. If the desired data is not stored elsewhere, you can type the lookup list values. The Lookup Wizard creates a combo box field for the lookup list; a combo box field displays a drop-down list that displays all of the available data values. By default, a lookup field does not limit input to values on the lookup list; the user can type an entry not on the list if desired. However, you can limit a field to only those values on the lookup list. A lookup list can contain multiple columns. If you are typing a new list of values, you can designate the number of columns desired and then type the desired values into each column. In addition, you can add a second field to a lookup list. For example, if you are creating a lookup list in the Customer table, you can add both the Initials and the Last Name fields from the Reps table to the lookup list. Using the Lookup Wizard Page 29

41 Chapter 3 Modifying the Field Properties 1. Open the Orders table in Design view. 2. Click in the Data Type column of the Shipping Method field 3. Click Data Type arrow Text 4. Click Lookup Wizard Check the button: I will type in the values that I want. 6. Click 7. Type the number of columns of 2 8. Press [Tab] 9. Type Type the following values into the lookup list, pressing the [Tab] key to move to the next column or row as needed: 11. Click 12. Click Col1, if necessary 13. Click Col1 Col2 1 UPS 2 DHL 3 FedEx 4 US Mail 5 Emery 14. Click 15. Save the table and switch to Datasheet view. 16. Select the Shipping Method field for the first record; then, select 1 UPS from the lookup list. Press [Down], type 1 into the Shipping Method field of the second record, and press [Down] again. 17. For the third record, type 2 and press [Down]. 18. For the fourth record, type 3 and press [Enter]. 19. Switch back to Design view Modifying Lookup Properties You can use the Lookup page in the Field Properties pane to modify the properties of a lookup list. If the lookup list was manually typed, you can use the Row Source property to edit it or add to it. Column values are separated by semi-colons (;) and text entries are enclosed in quotation marks ("). The Bound Column property indicates which lookup column is used to store field values. For instance, if the lookup list consists of two columns, and column 1 is the bound column, the data in column 1 will be stored in the lookup field. Although you may want the values in the bound column to be stored in the field, they may be confusing and uninformative to the user; the descriptive text in an unbound field may have more meaning. You can suppress the display of the bound column and Page 30

42 Access Beginning display only the descriptive text in the unbound column of a lookup list by changing the width of the bound column to zero (0 ) in the Column Width box. By default, a lookup field allows the user to add data values to the lookup list simply by typing them into the field. You can limit data entry to just those values on the lookup list by selecting Yes in the Limit to List box; the default value of No allows free entry. 1. If necessary, open the Orders table in Design view. 2. Click in the Shipping Method field, if necessary 3. Click the Lookup tab, if necessary 4. Click in the Column Widths box 5. Change the text in the Column Widths property to 0";1". Then, change the Limit To List property to Yes. 6. Save the table and switch to Datasheet view. Notice that all entries in the Shipping Method field now display the text values. Select the next record in which the Shipping Method field is blank and select Emery from the lookup list. Press [Down], type the letter u, and press [Down] again. Notice that Access completes the entry. 7. Type Post Office, and press [Down]; a Microsoft Office Access message box informs you that the text entered is not on the list. Select OK and press [Esc] twice. 8. Although text values appear in the field, the data actually stored in it is the numeric values in the bound column. Right-click any field in the Shipping Method column, select Text Filters, then select Equals..., type UPS, and press [Enter]. Notice that no records are found; even though UPS appears in several fields in the datasheet, it is not the actual data stored in the field. Click the Toggle Filter button on the Home tab to display all records. 9. Now right-click any field in the Shipping Method column, select Text Filters, then select Equals..., type 1, and press [Enter]. The filter now works, because you filtered for data actually stored in the field. Click the Toggle Filter button to display all records. 10. Save the Orders table Setting a Primary Key Access works most efficiently if you specify a primary key for each table. The primary key is a field or group of fields that uniquely identifies each record in the table. Therefore, the value of the key field, or the combined values of a group of key fields, must not be found in more than one record. Consequently, a LastName field would be a poor primary field, because several records may have the same last name; it would not, therefore, be unique. There are several advantages to setting a primary key. First, the primary key is automatically indexed, which makes information retrieval faster. Second, when you open a table, the records are automatically sorted in order by the primary key. Finally, a primary key prevents the entry of duplicate data because Access does not allow duplicates in the primary key field. Page 31

43 Chapter 3 Modifying the Field Properties Set a field as the primary key. 1. Click OrderNumber in the Field Name column 2. Click 3. Close the database Using Multi-valued Fields In Access 2010 it is possible to create a field that holds multiple values. This can be used to store a multiple valued selection from a list of choices, but only when the list of choices is relatively small. For example, if you are tracking issues, and the same issue is reported by multiple clients, you can create a lookup list to enter that data. When the combo box is selected, you can select or deselect check boxes to indicate your choices. The selections are then stored in the multi-valued field, and are separated by commas when displayed. In Access 2010, you can use the Lookup Wizard to create a multi-valued field. The Lookup Wizard takes you through the steps needed to create a lookup list. It automatically sets the appropriate field properties and creates relationships where necessary. 1. From the Student Data directory, open Chapter3-14 Start.Accdb. 2. Open the Items table in Design view, if necessary. 3. Type Color in the Field Name column 4. Click the mouse pointer in the data type column 5. Click and select Lookup Wizard 6. Click I will type in the values I want 7. Click 8. Type 1, if necessary 9. Press [Tab] 10. Type Green 11. Type the following values in the lookup list, pressing the [Tab] key to move to the next row as needed: Blue Black White 12. Click 13. Type Color, if necessary 14. Click Allow Multiple Values Page 32

44 Access Beginning 15. Click 16. Click 17. Click on the Status Bar 18. Notice that when you click in a record in the Color Column, an arrow appears. When you select the arrow, a lookup list appears. When you select the check boxes next to the required values, and click OK, the desired values appear in the field, separated by commas. 19. Close Chapter3-14 Start.Accdb Saving a New Table After you have designed the fields for a table, you must save the table before you can add any data. When you save a new table, you should give it a name that describes the records it stores. You can use up to 64 characters, including spaces. These characters can include letters, numbers, and spaces. They cannot contain a period (.), an exclamation point (!), a back quote (`), brackets ([]), or ASCII control characters. 1. Click 2. Type Line Items 3. Click 4. Close the Design view window. Notice that the table appears in the Navigation Pane. 5. Close the database. Practice 1 - Setting Field Properties 1. Open Chapter3 Practice 1.accdb. 2. Open the Payment table in Design view. 3. Set the Format property for the Payment Date field to Short Date. 4. Set the Format property for the Amount Paid field to Currency. 5. Set a validation rule for the Amount Paid field, so that it can only contain values greater than ten dollars. (Hint: Type >10.) Then, enter the following validation text: The amount paid must be greater than ten dollars. 6. Set the Format property for the Recorded field to Yes/No. 7. Set a default value of CHECK for the Type of Payment field. 8. Switch to Datasheet view, saving the changes. Select Yes to any Microsoft Office Access warning boxes. Notice the formats of the Payment Date and Amount Paid fields. Scroll to the new record row; notice that the default value of CHECK appears in the Type of Payment field. Create a new record with a Project ID of 11, a Payment Date of 4/1/03, and an Amount Paid of 5. Select OK when prompted with the validation text and replace the 5 with 25 in the Amount Paid field. Then, close the Payment table. 9. Open the Reps table in Design view. 10. Select the Initials field and create the following input mask: >LL. (This mask will require the data to be two letters and will automatically format them as uppercase.) 11. Switch to Datasheet view, saving the changes. Then, add the following new record: Initials pj Page 33

45 Chapter 3 Modifying the Field Properties (Notice that Access automatically capitalizes the entry in the Initials field.) 12. Switch to Design view and use the Input Mask Wizard to apply the Phone Number mask to the Home Phone field. Then, save the table. 13. Select the Zip field and open the Input Mask Wizard. Add a new input mask named Short Zip. (Hint: Use the Edit List button and create a new mask using the New Record button.) Type the following input mask:!00000 with a sample data zip code of Then, apply the Short Zip input mask to the Zip field. 14. Switch to Datasheet view, saving the changes. Tab to the Zip field for the first record row and type Notice the input mask. 15. Tab to the Home Phone field, type , and press [Enter]; notice that the phone number is automatically formatted according to the input mask. Close the Reps table. 16. Open the Project table in Design view. Create a new field below the Trainer Initials field; name it Sales Rep and make it a lookup field. (Hint: Select Lookup Wizard from the Data Type list.) Select the option to type in the values. Then, type the following values for the lookup column: PJ, RJ, KM, and SH. Finish the Lookup Wizard. 17. Switch to Datasheet view, saving the changes. Add the following values to the Sales Rep column for the first four records: Project ID Sales Rep 1 RJ 2 SH 3 PJ 4 KM 18. Switch back to Design view. Add a new sales representative to the Sales Rep value list by typing ;"JW" after the last entry in the Row Source box. Then, change the value in the List Rows box to 5. (Hint: Use the Lookup tab.) 19. Switch to Datasheet view, saving the changes. Select the first empty Sales Rep field (in the Project ID 5 row) and select JW from the drop-down list. 20. Close the Project table. 21. Close the database file. Page 34

46 Chapter 4 - Working with Tables 4.1 Using Datasheet View When you open a table, it appears in Datasheet view by default. Datasheet view is useful when you want to enter, edit, or delete records. In Datasheet view, the table data is arranged in rows and columns, with the columns representing the table fields and the rows the individual records. Multiple records appear in the table. The small box at the far left of each row is the record selector; a black triangle in the record selector indicates the current record. 4.2 Navigating Fields in Tables In Datasheet view, you can use the mouse or the keyboard to move through the fields and records. If there are too many fields to display on screen at the same time, the window scrolls automatically as you move to the right or left. As you enter or edit data, you can use the [Tab] or [Enter] keys to move from field to field. You can also use the [Right] and [Left] arrow keys to navigate across fields. These keys are helpful because they allow you to keep your hands on the keyboard at all times, rather than having to switch back and forth from the keyboard to the mouse. However, the mouse is useful if you want to skip certain fields. You simply click in the field where you want to enter or edit data. The [Up] and [Down] arrow keys allow you to move from record to record. In addition, the navigation toolbar at the bottom of the datasheet allows you to select the first, last, next, or previous record, as well as specify a particular record you want to view. 4.3 Using Field Templates Access 2010 has a number of predefined fields that can be used when creating a table. The Field Templates task pane displays fields listed in categories, which you can drag and drop onto a table opened in Datasheet view. The field template defines the field name, data type, format and a number of field properties. 1. From the Student Data directory, open Chapter4-3 Start.accdb. 2. Open the Customers table in Datasheet view. 3. Click Datasheet ribbon tab. 4. Click New Field Located in the Fields & Columns group. 5. Click Address field. 6. Drag Address onto the Datasheet between the Fax Number and Address fields 7. Release the mouse button Page 35

47 Chapter 4 - Working with Tables 4.4 Adding Records A blank row follows the last record in an existing table. This blank row, the new record row, displays an asterisk (*) in the record selector. As soon as you begin entering data into the new record row, the asterisk in the record selector changes to a pencil to indicate that the record is being entered or edited, and Access creates another new record row below it. If there is no data in the table, only the new record row appears. It does not display an asterisk, however; rather, it displays the black triangle that indicates the current record. When you enter data into a row, the amount of characters you can enter is limited by the size of the field. The field size, however, can actually be larger than the column width in Datasheet view; if the field size is larger than the column width, the text scrolls as you type. After you have typed the desired information into a field, you can press the [Enter] or [Tab] key to save the record and move the insertion point to the next field. Page 36 Adding records in Datasheet view 1. Open the Items table in Datasheet view, if necessary. 2. Click in the Product ID field of the first row, if necessary 3. Type: Press [Enter] 5. Add the following records to the table, pressing [Enter] after each field: ProductID Product Description Unit Price shoes, soccer skates, hockey shoes, baseball Close the Datasheet view window. 4.5 Moving through Records If there are more records in a table than can be displayed in Datasheet view, a vertical scroll bar appears. You can use this scroll bar to view additional records. Access also provides a navigation toolbar at the bottom of the datasheet that can be used to select the first, last, next, or previous record in the datasheet, as well as to specify a particular record you want to view.

48 Access Beginning 1. Open the Items 2 table in Datasheet view. 2. Click icon to move to the last record in the database. 3. Click icon to move to the first record in the database. 4. Click icon to move to the next record in the database. 5. Click icon to move to the previous record in the database. 4.6 Selecting Records When you select any field in a record, that record becomes the active record. The current record is indicated by a change in color in the record selector. You can then edit any field in the record as desired. Selecting a record is different than making a record active. To select a record, you must select the entire row. Selecting a record is useful when you want to delete or copy it. For example, if you want to add a record containing almost identical information as the current record, you can select the current record, copy it, paste it into a new record, and then edit it as needed. 1. If necessary, open the Items 2 table in Datasheet view. 2. Click in the field. The field is selected and the record sellecor changes color. 3. Point to the left of the field. A solid, black, right-pointing arrow appears. 4. Click to the left of the field. The entire row is selected. 4.7 Editing Records You can edit records at any time. You cannot edit an AutoNumber field, however, because Access automatically generates the data in it. When you use the keyboard to access a field, the entire field is selected, and you can replace all data simply by typing new data. This is select mode. Access also allows you to edit individual characters within a field. To do this, you must switch to edit mode. In edit mode, the insertion point appears in the field. You can click in a field to access edit mode. While you are editing a record, a pencil appears in its record selector. The following table describes various keystrokes you can use to edit records: Keystroke [Up] [Down] [Right] [Left] Description Selects the same field in the previous record. Selects the same field in the next record. In select mode, selects the next field; in edit mode, moves one character to the right. In select mode, selects the previous field; in edit mode, moves one character to the left. Page 37

49 Chapter 4 - Working with Tables Keystroke [F2] [Ctrl+Enter] [Ctrl+ ] [Ctrl+Alt+Spacebar] [Ctrl+Shift+:] [Ctrl+;] Description Toggles between select and edit modes. Inserts a new line character in a field. Inserts the data from the corresponding field in the previous record. Replaces the data with the default data, if available. In select mode, replaces the field data with the current time. In select mode, replaces the field data with the current date. 1. If necessary, open the Items 2 table in Datasheet view. 2. Click in the field in the first row 3. Drag to select the number 6, the first character in the field 4. Type: 5 5. Press [Enter] 4.8 Saving Records Access automatically saves a new record or changes made to an existing record as soon as you move to the next field. You can also save a record manually. This option is useful if a record has numerous fields and you want to save the changes made to a field without leaving the field. You may also want to save a record manually to save changes made to automatically generated data. 4.9 Deleting Records When you no longer need a record, you can delete it. Deleting records saves disk space and keeps your tables smaller and more manageable. Deleting a record Page 38

50 Access Beginning 1. If necessary, open the Items 2 table in Datasheet view. 2. Scroll as necessary and click the record selector of the last record 3. Press [Delete] 4. Click 5. Close the Items 2 table Displaying a Totals Row in a Table Access 2010 has a new feature that allows you to add a totals row to a Datasheet. This can be used to count the number of items in a column, calculate a sum, average, or find the maximum or minimum value. (These are all examples of aggregate functions). A Totals Row in a table 1. Open the Items 2 table in datasheet view. 2. Click Home 3. Click 4. Click in the Unit Price field in the Total row 5. Click the down arrow 6. Click Sum 7. Notice that you can clear the totals row by clicking the Totals button in the Records section of the Home tab again. 8. Close the database. Page 39