How to Query Blank Fields in Access

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Microsoft Access provides individuals with the ability to quickly query a database for a variety of relevant information. This software is particularly useful in professional applications in which a large amount of data is stored inside of a database and must be accessed on a regular basis. Using Access, individuals can design a variety of custom queries which are uniquely tailored to their specific database needs.

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In some situations, it may be relevant to query blank fields. Fortunately, configuring Microsoft Access to query blank fields can be accomplished quickly and easily. Setting up Access query to include blank fields requires only a moderate level of experience with this software and should be accessible to all users.

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Access Query Criteria: Getting Started

The first step on the path to querying blank fields is to open your preferred database within Access. Once you have completed this process, you can begin customizing your query tools by clicking on the available "Create" tab and selecting "Query Design" from the resulting options. When the "Show Table" box appears, select the specific table in question and click the "Add" button in order to begin adding a new table to query. You can now close the "Show Table" box by pressing the corresponding "Close" button.

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Access Query: Include Blank Fields

Now that you have created a new table, you can add relevant fields to your query by selecting a field name and dragging it over into the query column. If you are planning on using any blank fields, you will need to add the relevant query criteria at this point. In order to do so, you can click on the corresponding "Criteria" field box and type the phrase "Is Null" into it. This is what you need to use, because Access "isblank" doesn't perform the function you're looking for, this is a function in Excel, though.

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Testing Your Current Setup

After you have completed this process, it is time to test your current arrangement. In order to do so, use the "Run" button to run the query, incorporating the blank fields. In the corresponding query data sheet, you can view how the blank fields were queried during the execution phase. If you have any further questions about this process, Microsoft maintains an extensive set of support documentation that can help you further refine and tweak your actions to ensure optimal results from your software at all times. Microsoft products also have a large user support base, which should allow you to search relevant forums in order to find advice and tips from current users who may have encountered similar problems or challenges themselves.

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