How to Alter Table Relationships in Access
Microsoft Access provides you with all the tools you need to create extremely powerful databases. One feature is table relationships. You can connect the fields between two related tables in order to combine the two tables for queries, forms, and reports. After a relationship is created, you may want to change or delete the relationship. This includes changing the type of relationship between two tables. You can quickly alter any existing table relationships through the relationship screen in Microsoft Access.
Other People Are Reading
Instructions
-
-
1
Open an existing database with at least one existing relationship between two tables. If you don't have an existing relationship, drag the field from one table to the related table once the relationships screen is open.
-
2
Open the relationships screen by clicking the relationship icon on the toolbar. The icon looks like three small squares positioned like a triangle.
-
-
3
Right-click the thin black line that connects any two fields. Press "Edit Relationship."
-
4
Change the tables and/or queries by using the top two drop-down boxes. Change which fields are related by using the drop down boxes below each table or query name.
-
5
Press "Join Type" to select what type of relationship you want between the fields.
Option 1 allows you to return rows in a query where both joined fields are the same.
Option 2 allows you to return all rows from the first table or query and only returns rows from the second table where the related fields are the same.
Option 3 returns all rows from the second table or query and only returns rows from the first table where the related fields are the same.
Press "OK" when finished. -
6
Press "OK" to save your changes.
-
1
Tips & Warnings
If the "Edit Relationship" doesn't appear, single-click the thin black line with your left mouse button first to highlight the line. Right-click the line after it's highlighted.
Save a copy of the original database before altering relationships. These can drastically affect how queries run and may cause the deletion or alteration of records.
