MS Access 97 Tutorials
Microsoft Access is an application used to create computer desktop databases for the Microsoft Windows family. The MS Access 97 platform is the most popular and a favorite among Windows users for creating database information as it maintains transparently with current versions of Access.
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The Access Database
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Microsoft Access is a relational database management system that stores and views data in a way that makes information easy to retrieve later. For example, the information in your phone book is a database, a simple collection of information.
The four basic modules of a Microsoft Access database are Tables, Forms, Reports and Queries:
Tables
Access data is stored in tables regarding a specific topic. If you are storing information about a pet, you would have a table called Pet and it might have columns for name, age, breed and so on.Forms
To easily view, enter or change data directly in a table, a Form is produced. When you open a Form, Access retrieves the data from one or more tables and displays it on the screen.Reports
Similar to an Excel spreadsheet, a Report portrays data a certain way for print rather than just viewed on the screen. Reports can be used to create mailing labels, group data or calculate totals.Queries
A query retrieves data from one or more table and displays the results as a source of records for forms and reports. Queries also update or delete multiple records at the same time and can perform custom calculations.
Creating a Basic Access Database
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The first time you begin a project for MS Access 97, a blank database should be created. Select "Microsoft Access" from the Microsoft Office 97 Suite, then choose "Blank Database." Microsoft Access will match related records from the table you create so that you can bring them together in a form, report or query.
Tables are needed in a database for storing the main units of data. To create a table, click on the "Tables" tab on the Access main screen, then click the "New" button. Choose the "Design View" and provide data in the Field Name, Data Type and Description fields.
Once a new table is created, a Form is needed for displaying your data. Click the "Forms" tab on the Access main screen, then select the "Form Wizard." At the bottom of the dialog box, select the name of the table you just created and move each of the fields from the Available Fields side over to Selected Fields.
Create a Report to show all of your new table's information. From the "Reports" tab on the Access main screen, click the "New" button. Select the "Report Wizard," then select the new table. Click the "OK" button, then select all of the fields in the new table by moving them all over to Selected Fields.
In the final step, create a Query from the Access main screen for retrieving your data. Click on the "Queries" tab, then choose the "New" button. Choose the "Simple Query Wizard" option, select the new table for the query and then indicate which fields in the table will appear in the query output.
The Access database now includes tables with data, queries to retrieve data, forms to enter data and reports to display data. Information that may have existed on scattered notes can now be tracked and formatted.
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