M I C R O S O F T A C C E S S : P A R T 2 G E T T I N G I N F O R M A T I O N O U T O F Y O U R D A T A

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1 M I C R O S O F T A C C E S S : P A R T 2 G E T T I N G I N F O R M A T I O N O U T O F Y O U R D A T A Michael J. Walk ALC Instructor michael@jwalkonline.org SUMMARY Now take your access database and turn it into an information machine! Learn how to take hundreds of thousands of pieces of information from multiple tables and extract, organize, summarize, and analyze only the information you want. Then learn how to put that information on a visually appealing report. Prerequisites: all topics covered in Part 1, including: 1. What an Access database is and how it is different from Excel. 2. The purpose of and creation process for basic tables, queries, forms, and reports. 3. Basic knowledge of different data types. 4. How to create dropdown and check boxes in your tables. 5. How to switch between object views (e.g., for forms: design view, form view, and layout view).

2 TABLE OF CONTENTS Summary... 1 How to Use This Handout... 3 Click Paths... 3 Keyboard Directions... 3 Importing Tables into Access... 4 Queries... 5 SELECT QUERIES select/create a sub-set of records and fields that meet a given criteria... 5 ACTION QUERIES alter or manipulate the data in your tables(s)... 6 Database Planning... 8 Criteria Syntax... 9 Exercises... 10

3 HOW TO USE THIS HANDOUT This handout serves as a point of reference for your workshop. However, you may also use the handout after the class is over to help you remember how to perform some of the tasks covered during the workshop. CLICK PATHS Throughout this handout, you will be given directions to perform a series of mouse clicks also called a click path. For instance, to save a change to an Access object, you should click on the File tab in the ribbon, then click on Save. In this handout, that click path is displayed using a bold font for the words to click on connected by a single right-pointing arrow ( ): File Save In some cases, you must find the correct section of the ribbon before clicking on an icon or button. In these cases, the ribbon section will be highlighted in gray, for example: External Data Import & Link Excel In this example, Import & Link is a ribbon section. KEYBOARD DIRECTIONS You also will be given directions to press certain keys on your keyboard. There are two kinds of key press sequences: (1) simultaneous and (2) sequential. 1) Simultaneous key presses refers to keys you have to hold down together to perform a task. Simultaneous key presses are displayed using the plus sign (+) between the keys to be pressed typed in caps. For example, the find box is opened by pressing CTRL + F. CTRL stands for the control key. ALT stands for the alternate key. WIN stands for the windows key (only applies to PCs with windows keys). 2) Sequential key presses refers to keys you have to press in sequence (one after the other it is not necessary to hold them down). Sequential key presses are displayed using a pipe character ( ) between the keys to be pressed typed in caps. For example, one way to save your file under a new file name is to type ALT, then F, then A. This would be displayed as: ALT F A. If you like keyboard shortcuts, Microsoft Office has provided a very robust listing of them at: I provide a lot in this workshop, but their list exhaustive.

4 IMPORTING TABLES INTO ACCESS Importing data into Access was also covered step-by-step in Access Part 1; therefore, general instructions are given here. You can import many different types of files into Access. Note that copying and pasting doesn t work as expected in Access. You must use Access s import functionality to bring external data tables into your database. You can import from an Excel spreadsheet, from other Access databases, from text files, from Outlook, or other types of databases (e.g., SQL, Oracle, etc.). 1. External Data Import & Link 2. Choose file type: a. Access, Excel, SharePoint, Text, XML, and much, much more 3. For Excel Importing: a. Locate data source (using Browse) b. Choose to import table (or to link 1 table) c. Next > d. Indicate whether the first row contains column headings or not e. Next > f. Place cursor in first column, edit properties i. Name ii. Data Type (Access will attempt to interpret the data automatically, but you may have to change these data types see data types in the Access Part I handout) iii. Indexed (speeds up searching if you typically use a particular field for searching) 1. No: not indexed 2. Yes (Duplicates Ok): Indexes the field, allows duplicates in the field 3. Yes (No Duplicates): Indexes the field, does not allow duplicates *like a Primary Key* g. Next > h. Choose whether to add primary key, select primary, or have no primary key i. Next > j. Type a name for the table (should be self-explanatory) k. Finish l. You should receive a message telling you whether or not the import process was successful. m. Choose whether or not you would like to save the import steps for a later time (recommended if you ll be doing the import more than once). You can even create an Outlook event that will remind you to perform the import. { We will import data for this class together. Some points during the import: 1) Ratings sheet of RYRData_for class.xlsx a. Data Types i. RatingID Double 1 A linked table maintains a link (or connection) to the original file, but does not actually hold any of the data in your database. When you change the contents of the Excel spreadsheet, the linked table in your database will also change automatically.

5 ii. RiderID Text iii. TimeSent Date/Time iv. Rating Integer v. BusRoute Integer vi. Complete Yes/No b. Primary Key RatingID c. Change Complete Lookup display to check box 2) Riders sheet of RYRData_for class.xlsx a. Data Types i. RiderID Text ii. DOB Date/Time iii. Subscribed Yes/No iv. FirstRating Date/Time b. Primary Key RiderID c. Change Subscribed Lookup display to check box 3) Bus Lines.xlsx a. Data Types i. Number Integer b. Primary Key Number } QUERIES SELECT QUERIES SELECT/CREATE A SUB-SET OF RECORDS AND FIELDS THAT MEET A GIVEN CRITERIA 1. Basic Select Query: covered in Access Part I 2. Parameter Query: create placeholder criteria that will ask the user for input every time the query is run. For example, create a query that retrieves all records with last names that begin with [criteria]. a. Create menu b. Query Design c. Select the appropriate table(s) and/or query(ies) from which you wish to retrieve data, click add d. When finished adding table(s) and/or query(ies), click Close e. Move the fields you wish to select to the design grid in the desired order f. In the criteria row under the desired field in the design grid, type the following (replace message here with your user prompt, e.g., [Type First Letter of Last Name:] [Message Here] g. Edit the query as desired h. Save the query i. Run the query j. Notes: i. You can specify MANY parameters for your queries, the more parameters you specify, the more prompts will be generated.

6 ii. If the user does not type a value in the prompt box, Access will look for null values in the table to match against. If you wish to allow your user to bypass your criteria to select ALL records, then type the following: Like * & [Message Here] & * iii. Parameter queries can be used with other operators (Like, Between And, etc.) 3. Totals Queries: allows the user to summarize the data by grouping records together on one or more fields and then aggregating one or more fields. a. Create a select query to retrieve the information that fits your criteria. b. On the Query Tools Design Ribbon, look for the Totals button c. Click it d. This will add an extra row to the design grid that says, Total e. The default value for each field in the total row is Group By (this means that you will be grouping records with similar values in that particular field) f. Change the value of the Total row for each field until it meets your needs: i. Group By: group records together that have similar values in this field ii. Sum: add together the values in this field for any records that have been grouped iii. Avg: Find the average of the grouped records iv. Min: Find the minimum value in the grouped records v. Max: Fine the maximum value in the grouped records vi. Count: count the number of records in the group vii. StDev/Var: Standard deviation or variance viii. First/Last: Find the first or last record in the group, depending on how the query is sorted. ix. Expression: you have provided a typed mathematical expression in the field box x. Where: use this field as a criterion; do not involve it in the grouping or totals. g. Save the query h. Run the query i. Notes: i. The query will always retrieve the live data, so, any time the data changes, the query results will change ii. Blank values will not count in the aggregate functions or expressions that you have provided 4. Top Values Query: This query reduces the total number of rows that are returned in your query results to reflect an absolute number of records or a percentage of records taken from the top of the result set. a. In query Design View b. Design Query Setup Return c. Pick your desired number of records to return or type in your own d. SORT your query results so that the records you want are at the TOP of your query ACTION QUERIES ALTER OR MANIPULATE THE DATA IN YOUR TABLES(S) 1. Make Table: takes the records and fields you ve specified from one table or query and creates a new table (or overwrites and existing table) with the selected data a. Create a Select Query that meets your criteria b. In the Ribbon, select Make Table

7 c. Provide the name of the table d. Save the query e. Run the query 2. Append: take the records and fields you ve specified from one table or query and adds them to an existing table. a. Create a Select Query that meets your criteria b. In the Ribbon, select Append c. Select the table to which you want to append your data (you can specify to which field in the destination table you want each field in the source table to append to; however, if your field names match exactly, Access will provide the information for you) d. Make sure the Append To: row in the design grid contains the correct field names for the destination table. e. Save the query f. Run the query 3. Delete: deletes records from the chosen table that match the given criteria a. Create a Select Query that will select the records you want to delete i. (You only need to design your query to select the particular field(s) upon which you will place your deletion criteria. b. In the Ribbon, select Delete c. Save the query d. Run the query 4. Update: updates field values for records that meet your criteria a. Create a Select Query to select the records you wish to update based on a field(s) (if applicable) b. In the Ribbon, select Update c. Save the query d. In the Update To: row in the design grid, type in the value or formula that to create the new values for that specific field. e. Run the query

8 DATABASE PLANNING Gopher Wood, Ltd. Objective: We want to create a database in order to keep track of our customers, products, and orders. Basically, we want to be able to know what customers have bought what products when, and we want to be able to contact our customers, look up products, and view individual orders. Tables, Fields, and Relationships: Customers CustID (primary key) FirstName LastName BusPhone Address City State ZipCode Discount Active Orders OrderID (primary key) Date CustID Total Shipped PayMethod PayMethods Code (primary key) Description Active Surcharge Products ProdID (primary key) Description Cost RetailPrice QtyOnHand BinID Taxable Transactions TransID (primary key) OrderID ProdID Qty Price Tax Total Discounts Discount ProdStorage BinID (primary key) Shelf Isle Capacity

9 CRITERIA SYNTAX For all data types, if you want to find all records with a SPECIFIC (EXACT) VALUE, simply type that value into the criteria box 15 find all records with a value of 15 Wilson find all records with a value of Wilson (Access will change this statement to Wilson because it knows it is text) 2/3/2008 find all records that have a date of 2/3/2008 (Access will change this statement to #2/3/2008# because it knows you re talking about a date) Yes find all records that have a value of Yes (for Yes/No data types, Access will leave Yes as it is; for text data, Access will change this to Yes, because it is a string of text) For all data types, if you want to find records that match a DISCRETE SET OF VALUES, you can use the In operator In(10,12,14,16) find all records with a value of 10, 12, 14, or 16 In( PA, MD, NJ, VA ) find all records with a value of PA, MD, NJ, or VA (Notice the quotes surrounding the options; these must be added for Access to treat the options like text.) For any numerical data (including dates, the following syntax can be used) where you want a RANGE OF VALUES: <15 find all records with a value less than 15 >15 find all records with a value greater than 15 <>15 find all records with a value that is not 15 (can also use Not 15) Between 15 And 20 find all records with a value between 15 and 20, inclusive Between 1/1/2008 And 1/31/2008 find all records with a date in January 2008 To EXCLUDE A VALUE, SET OF VALUES, OR RANGE OF VALUES, use the Not operator Not 15 find all records that are not equal to 15 (equivalent to <>15) Not Wilson find all records that are not Wilson (Access will change to Not Wilson ) Not Between 1/1/2008 And 1/31/2008 find all records that are not in January of 2008 Not In( PA, MD, NJ, VA ) find all records that are not equal to PA, MD, NJ, or VA To create a WILDCARD (OR FUZZY) SEARCH, use the Like operator and the wildcards (* or?) Like W* find all records that begin with W and are followed by anything Like *W find all records that end with W and begin with anything Like *W* find all records that contain a W Like W?? find all records that start with a W that is followed by 2 characters

10 EXERCISES 1) Create a Make-Table Query a. Create a make-table query that selects all the fields for every record in the Ratings table that was incomplete. b. Name your destination table according to its purpose so you will remember what data is contained in that table. c. Make sure you specify the relationships after you make this new table. 2) Create a Delete Query a. Create a delete query that deletes any records from the Ratings table that were incomplete. 3) Create an Update Query a. Add a field to the Ratings table that will hold the hour of the rating. i. Create an update query that calculates the hour using the Hour() function. b. Add a field to the Ratings table that will hold the day of the week of the rating. i. Create an update query that calculates the day of the week of the rating using the Weekday() function. 4) Create a Parameter Query a. Create a parameter query that extracts all the Ratings that occurred during a date range. b. The query should include all fields from the Ratings table and prompt the user for the date range (e.g., Between [start date] And [end date]). The resulting records should be sorted in chronological order. 5) Create a Totals Query Calculate the average Satisfaction Rating per bus route for only those routes that Quick Bus types. 6) Create a Totals Query Part II Calculate the average Satisfaction Rating and count of ratings per bus route for all Local Bus routes between any two dates (the query should prompt the user for the starting and ending dates). 7) Create a Total Query Part III a. Calculate the average Satisfaction Rating and count of ratings per hour of day (e.g., 1 PM, 2 PM, 3 PM, etc.) but only for Weekdays (no Saturdays or Sundays) and for MARC ratings. 8) Create a Top Values Query a. Find out who has been providing the most ratings to RateYourRide. Create a top values query that presents the top 5 Riders names, dates of birth, total complete ratings.