User Services. Microsoft Access 2003 II. Use the new Microsoft

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1 User Services July 2007 OBJECTIVES Develop Field Properties Import Data from an Excel Spreadsheet Create Relationships Create a Form with a Subform Create Action Queries Create Command Buttons Create a Switchboard Create a Macro Use the new Microsoft Access 2003 Task Pane to find What s New in Microsoft Access For example, view information on object dependencies, error checking and backing up your database. Microsoft Access 2003 II Introduction Microsoft Access 2003 is a powerful tool to organize, manipulate and present data. Topics will include developing field properties, importing an Excel spreadsheet and MS Access tables, creating a lookup table and working with the Relationship Builder. Also included will be in-depth coverage of queries and forms, working with relational queries, creating a Master Switchboard and a macro. These exercises will allow participants to accomplish enhanced data analysis. Getting Help The ITS Help Desk is a service provided to all Mississippi State University students, staff, and faculty. The ITS consultants are available to help with various computer-related problems as well as provide answers to computer and technologyrelated questions. Visit the Web site at for handouts and resolutions to common computer problems. If you cannot find an answer to your question on the Web or you do not have access to the Internet, please call at (7:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday). You may also contact the ITS Help Desk at 108 Allen Hall or by at helpdesk@msstate.edu. Instructors Harriet Foley hvf1@its.msstate.edu Cesar Zamora caz11@msstate.edu

2 Table of Contents Table of Contents Microsoft Access 2003 Interface and Windows... 3 Creating Database... 9 Import Data Default Date Relationships Lookup Table Relationship Builder Relational Query Form with Subform Action Queries Make-Table Queries Delete, Append Query Basic Forms Advanced Forms Switchboard Manager Macros PowerPoint Slides

3 Database Window Microsoft Access 2003 Title Bar, Menu Bar and Tool bar Title Bar Menu Bar Tool bar Open Database Print Spelling Undo Analyze Relationships Help New Database Save Print Preview Format Word, Excel Large Icons New Object A database is the container for your data and associated objects. It includes tables, queries, forms, reports, pages, macros and modules. When Access is open you are working in one database, but each database can contain many tables, queries, forms, etc. Database Window Database Window Tool bar Objects Menu New Object Shortcuts Category Button List Area for Objects (table names, query names, form names, report names) Default Group 3

4 Tables Table Window A collection of data about a specific topic. Tables organize data into rows called records and columns called fields. Records and fields combined make up the table. Design View Field Name Column Data Type Column Description Column Row Selector Field Properties Data Types Text ch - Default Memo ,000 ch Number - Numeric values Date/Time - Date and time data Currency - Monetary data Auto number - Automatic Number increments Yes/No - Logical Values, also True/False, On/Off OLE object - Pictures, graph, sound, video Hyperlink - Link to an Internet source Lookup wizard - Displays data from another table. Field Properties Field Size - Text - limits size of field to specified ch. Numeric - Allows specification of numeric type Format - format data Input Mask - Sets data entry into a predefined format Decimal Places - Sets number of decimal places Caption - Replaces field name on form and report if used. Default Value - Fills in automatically on data & form entry if placed here. Validation Rule - Data is validated based on rules placed here. Validation Text - Message displayed if Validation Rule broken. Required - Specify if data must be entered. Indexed - Speeds up data access and can limit data to unique values. 4

5 Tables Table Window in Datasheet View Field Names Record selector Space for 1st record Record Navigation Buttons 1st Record Current RecordNext New Record Record Previous Record Last Record Table Views Form Views Query Views Summary of Views Report Views 5

6 Forms Form Window The form is where you normally enter, display and edit your data. It provides greater flexibility than a table. As you enter data into a form you are simultaneously adding it to the table. Form View Design View Most forms just have a detail section, but a form can also have form header, page header, page footer and form footer. 6

7 Queries Query Window A query is either a question about the data stored in your tables or a request to perform an action on the data. Design View Field List Pane can be resized with mouse Criteria for field Query Design Grid Show Check Box DataSheet View Results of Query 7

8 Reports Report Window Reports give you control in presenting your data. They are exceptionally good for sorting and grouping data and for providing subtotal and summary calculations. Print Preview Design View 8

9 Open Microsoft Access 2003 Create Database and a Table In todays workshop we will learn several advanced features of Microsoft Access. First we will create a new database, then we will import one Microsoft Excel table and two Microsoft Access tables into it. The data will already be entered in these tables. 1. Open Microsoft Access In the Task Pane select Create a new file. 2. Under New select Blank database. 3. In the File New Database dialog box select Desktop for the Save in: box. Type Advising in the File name: box. 4. Click Create. 9

10 Import Data Importing A Data table into Microsoft Access from Microsoft Excel 1. Data can easily be imported into Microsoft Access. From the File pull-down menu select Get External Data and Import. 2. In the Import dialog box change Files of type: to Microsoft Excel. In the Temp folder on the Desktop double click on the Major Excel file. After this Excel file is imported into MS Access it will become a lookup table. 3. In the Import Spreadsheet Wizard: a. Select Show Worksheets and Next. b. c. d. e. f. Select First Row Contains Column Headings and Next. Keep In a New Table. Click Next Accept the defaults. Click Next. Click on Choose my own primary key and select ID, if not already chosen. Click Next. Name the table Major. Click Finish. 4. The Design View and Data Sheet View of the Major Table will appear as follows: Close the table. 10

11 Import Data Importing Data Tables into Microsoft Access From Another Database 5. Import the Visit and Student Information tables. From the File pull-down menu select Get External Data and Import. In the Import dialog box change Files of type to: Microsoft Office Access. Select MSU102 MS Access database from the Temp folder on your Desktop. Click Import. Select Visit Information and Student Information tables. Click OK. The design view and datasheet view of these tables will appear as shown below. A relationship will be created between the primary Student Information table and the secondary Visit Information table. Visit Information Student Information 11

12 Default Date Default Date A default date will be added to the Student Information table. The Student Information table already has a mask for Date of Birth of the students. 1. Open Student Information in Design View. 2. Select the Updated field. 3. Click in the Default Value box. 4. Click the Build button. The box that is displayed is called the Expression Builder. 5. Click the = sign. 6. Double-click the + next to Functions. 7. Single-click Built-In Functions. 8. Select Date/Time in the middle box. 9. Double click Date in the right-hand box. 10. Click OK. The Date setting will put the current date into the Updated field as the default value. The user can override this entry and type another date if desired. 11. Close the table. 12

13 Relationships Advantages of a Relational Database There are two reasons to set relationships between tables. Either for a table lookup or to handle multiple occurrences of data. Table Lookup A field in one table can be used to look up data in another table. This keeps from having to store the same data in multiple places. Only the key field from the lookup table is inserted into the main table. If data is updated in the lookup table it will be updated throughout the table(s) it is linked to. Multiple Occurrence of Data Another reason to set a relation is to handle multiple occurrences of data. In our system design, there are multiple occurrences of visits that each student has had to the Student Health Center. Information about each visit should be entered on a separate line and in a separate table from the demographic data about each student. The two tables could be linked together by a field such as the students NetID. This prevents duplication of the demographic data in tables. You want to limit repetitive data entry. In place of large tables with duplicated data, you create smaller separate tables. You join them only when you need to. Queries are used to join the tables together. Normalization Normalization is the process of achieving the optimum design in a database. This makes the database easy to manipulate and search, as well as helping to insure data integrity. The three most common steps of normalization are First Normal Form, Second Normal Form and Third Normal Form. First Normal Form is the most basic level of normalization. To meet the requirements of this level, each of the column (field) values must be atomic (store a single value.) If your database has a field for courses and lists two or three courses in each field it is not in first normal form. In addition, groups of columns cannot be repeated, so your table could not have visit1, visit2, etc. and be in first normal form. 13

14 Relationships Relationships There are three types of relationships in Access: One-to-Many, Many-to-Many and One-to-One. One-to-Many A one-to-many relationship is the most common type of relationship. In a one-to-many relationship, a record in Table A can have many matching records in Table B, but a record in Table B has only one matching record in Table A. Many-to-Many In a many-to-many relationship, a record in Table A can have many matching records in Table B, and a record in Table B can have many matching records in Table A. This type of relationship is only possible by defining a third table (called a junction table) whose primary key consists of two fields - the primary key from both Tables A and B. A many-to-many relationship is really two one-tomany relationships with a third table. One-to-One In a one-to-one relationship, each record in Table A can have only one matching record in Table B, and each record in Table B can have only one matching record in Table A. This type of relationship is rarely used, because most information related in this way would be in one table. You might use a one-to-one relationship to divide a table with many fields, to isolate part of a table for security reasons, or to store information that applies only to a subset of the main table, for example, a second address. 14

15 Look up Table Lookup Table 1. Open the Student Information table in Design View. Click in the Major row and select Lookup Wizard... from the drop down box in the Data Type column. 2. In the first dialog box of the Lookup Wizard select I want the lookup column to look up the values in a table or query. 3. Choose Table: Major in the next dialog box. Click Next In the next dialog box select all fields. Click Next. In the following dialog box select Major for What sort order do you want for your list? Click Next. In the next dialog box of the Lookup Wizard leave the Hide key column checked. Click Next. 6. Leave the title Major in the text box for What label would you like for your look-up column? Click Finish. 7. Click Yes when the next dialog box asks The table must be saved before relationships can be created. Save now? Assign majors to your students in datasheet view. Close the table. 15

16 Defining Relationships Relationship Builder Relationships can be created in queries or at the table level. Unless you do not want your relationships to always exist, you should create your relationships at the table level. You can use the Relationship Builder to do this Click the Relationships icon to open the relationship window. You will see the Lookup relationship that we just created. Click the Show Tables icon on the toolbar to add tables to the window. 3. Click on Visit Information followed by the Add button to add the Visit Infomation table to the Relationships window. The three tables shown below should be in the Relationships window. Click on the Close button in the Show Table window. 4. Next we want to create the relationship for each single record in the Student Information table that links to multiple records in the Visit Information table. We will set up a one-tomany relationship. Each student in the Student Information table can have many visits in the Visit Information table. To link tables, the primary field from one table is linked to a foreign key field in the secondary table. 16

17 Relationship Builder 5. To create the relationship between the primary key NetID in the Student Information table (the primary table) and the foreign key, NetID, in the Visit Information table (related or secondary table), click on NetID in the Student Information table and drag it to NetId in the Visit Information table. The two fields did not have to have the same name, but they do need to be the same type. 6. The Edit Relationships dialog box opens. This is a one-to-many relationships. There is only one NetID and record for each student in the Student Information table, while in the Visit Information table there are many NetID s and records referring to the same student. After the relationship is set up, queries can be created that draw from both tables. Check Enforce Referential Integrity. The user will be prevented from entering a record in the Visit Information table if there is not a matching NetID record in the Student Information table. Referential Integrity is enforced based on the key fields. When Enforce Referential Integrity is checked, Microsoft Access won t let you create orphans in your secondary table. Select Cascade Update Related Fields. By doing this changes in the primary key in the Student Information table will automatically be transferred to the Visit Information table. Click on the Join Type button. 17

18 Relationship Builder 7. Your choice here will influence query results. Click on the third and most popular choice. This will include all records from the Visit Information table and only related records from the Student Information table. Click OK. 8. Click Create to create the relationships between the two tables. 9. Now in the Relationships window, a new line is visible, displaying the one-to-many relationship. The one is on the Student Information, primary table side and the many is on the Visit Information, related table side. 10. Close the Relationships Window. 18

19 Relationship Builder Enforce Referential Integrity 1. Try entering a record with the NetID abc1 in the Visit Information table. Access won t let you enter it because it doesn t exist in the primary table. Referential Integrity is enforced based on the key fields. When Enforce Referential Integrity is checked, Microsoft Access won t let you create orphans in your secondary table Close the Visit Information table Open the Student Information table and add a record with NedID abc1. Fill in the other fields with data. Close this table. 4. Return to the Visit Information table, Open View, and enter a record with NetID abc1. This student can now be entered in the related or secondary table. Cascade Update Related Fields 1. Open the Student Information table and your Visit Information table and place them side by side. 19

20 Relationship Builder 2. Change jtt2 to aaa5. When you move to the next record in the Student Information table the changes will automatically be transferred to the Visit Information table. Change aaa5 back to jtt2. 3. Close the two tables. 20

21 Relational Query Automatically Filling in Data From One of Two Joined Tables If a query brings in data from two or more tables, some of the fields can be automatically filled in. When setting up the query, select the foreign key of the linked field rather than the primary key. The fields from the Primary table will be automatically filled in. A form can be based on this query and the fields will be automatically filled in also. 1. In the Database window click on the Queries tab. Double-click Create query in Design View. Add the tables Visit Information and Student Information to the Query grid. Close the Show Table dialog box. Open the query and field windows so you can see all the variables. 2. From the Visit Information table add NetId, the foreign key with the many symbol next to it. From the Student Information table add First_name, Last_name, Major and City. Return to the Visit Information table and add VisitId, Date, Time and Diagnosis. Visit Information NetId Student Information First_name Last_name Major City Visit Information VisitID Date Time Diagnosis 21

22 Form with Subform 3. Run the query. 4. Add new information to the query window, datasheet view, using an existing NetId. Add the NetId jtt2 and click the tab key. The information from the Student Information table is automatically filled in the query window. Add new data for the visit. The new data on visit information is automatically populated to the Visit Information table. A form created from this query would also automatically fill in fields from the Student Information table. The new data on Visit Information would also be automatically entered into the Visit Information table. 5. Close the query and save it. Creating a Form with a Subform 1. Click on the Forms tab. Double-click Create form by using wizard. 2. Select Table:Student Information and move all the fields to Selected Fields. Select Table: Visit Information and move all the fields to Selected Fields. Click Next. 22

23 Form with Subform 3. View your data by Student Information. Leave the default Form with subforms. Click Next. 4. Select Datasheet for the Layout of your subform. Click Next. 5. Choose a style and click Next. 23

24 Form with Subform 6. Click Finish. 7. Now you can view your main form with a subform on it. Notice there are two navigation bars. Close the form when finished testing it. 24

25 Action Queries Action Queries There are two types of queries in Access: Select and Action. Select queries display data and action queries alter data. The action queries are: Delete, Update, Append and Make Table. The next three queries we will look at are the Make Table, Delete and the Append queries. These three queries are often used together to provide a very useful function: removing outdated records and storing them in an archive table. This is called Archiving Records. We will follow a three-step process: first we will use a Make-Table query to create a table. Second, we will use a Delete query to remove the records we copied from the first table. Finally, we will create an Append query to copy records from our main table to our archive table in the future. Make-Table Query Our fi rst step will be to create a Make-Table query. 1. Make sure all tables and forms are closed. 2. Select the Queries object in the Database window. 3. Click New. 4. Select Design View. 5. Click OK. 6. Add Student Information table to the Query window. 7. Close the Show Tables window. 8. Add all of the fields to the Query grid. Double-click the title bar of Student Information. Click and drag the highlighted fields to the first column and release the mouse button. Notice that Access spreads out the fields automatically. 25

26 Make-Table Query We will archive all records prior to January 1, Locate the Criteria cell of the Updated field. 10. Type <1/1/1999 in the Criteria cell. 11. Click Query on the Pull-down menu. 12. Select Make-Table Query Type the name tblarchivedrecords in the Table Name: text box. This will be the name of the table with archived records. Notice that you can save the table to another database to help keep the size of this database small. Click OK. Close the query without running it. Say Yes to save changes to the set up of the query. 26

27 Make-Table Query 18. Name the query qrymakearchive. 19. Click OK. Now we will run the query to make another table identical to our original table, but only containing records that meet the criteria specified in the Updated field of the criteria row. 20. Double-click the query, qrymakearchive in the Queries object window within the Database window. 21. Click Yes in the warning window. 22. The next warning window will tell you how many records are going to be pasted. A message warns you there is no undo. (But you can always delete the new table.) 23. Click Yes. 24. Switch to the Tables object in the Database window. 25. Open the tblarchivedrecords table and verify that there is one record. 26. Close the table and click the Queries object. 27. Open qrymakearchive in Design view. 27

28 Delete, Append Queries Delete Query With the Archive table created and our initial record copied it is time to move to the second step: deleting the copied record from the original table. The Delete query can be a very dangerous query in that it will destroy information permanently. We will not save this delete query. 1. With the Make-Table query in Design View, click Query in the pull-down menu. 2. Select Delete Query. 3. Run the query by clicking the red exclamation point. 4. Click Yes in the warning box. The records have now been deleted from table Student Information. Because this Delete query can cause problems if run accidentally we will not save it. Append Query Now we will create a query that will append records to our table in the future. 1. Click Query on the Pull-down menu. 2. Select AppendQuery. 3. Leave tblarchivedrecords as the Table Name:. This is the table we will be appending records to, the archived table. 4. Click OK. 28

29 Append Query We will now add a parameter to the query so that we can set the date range for the archived records: 5. Locate the Criteria cell for the Updated field. 6. Delete the 1/1/ Right click in the cell, click Zoom. Type Between [Beginning Date:] And [Ending date:] Click OK. 8. Click File on the Pull-down menu. 9. Click Save As Name the query qryappendstudents. 11. Click OK. 12. Run query qryappend Students and test it with todays date. To complete the archiving of records, you would set up a Delete Query. The delete query would be run each time after running qryappendstudents to delete those students who were just archived. 29

30 Basic Forms Basic Forms 1. Make sure all the tables are closed and click the object Forms in the Database window. 2. Double-click Create form by using wizard. 3. Select Student Information in the Tables/ Queries text box. 4. Click >> to select all of the fields and click Next. 5. Select Columnar and click Next. 6. Select Expedition (or another style if you prefer) and click Next. Change the name of the form to frmstudentinformation. 7. Enter the following record using the form (try to enter data incorrectly and you will notice that our masks and validation rules still apply): 8. Close the form. Click on the Tables object. Open the table Student Information and check out your new record. Close the table. 30

31 Advanced Forms Advanced Forms We will add controls to our form. Up until now we have used forms to enter data into tables. Controls increase the usability of forms. Using the Command button you can add record navigation, record operations, form operations and report operations to your forms. 1. Go back to the Database window. 2. Select Forms. 3. Open the form frmstudentinformation. 4. Switch to Design View. 5. Maximize the design window and stretch the form to fill the window. Record Navigation - Go to Next Record 6. Click the Command button icon on the toolbox. 7. Click and drag in the Detail section of your form to make a small rectangle. The Command Button Wizard will open. 8. Select Record Navigation in Categories 9. Select Go to Next Record in Actions. 10. Click Next. 11. Click the Picture radio button, select one of the pictures by selecting its descriptive text. Click Next. 31

32 Advanced Forms 12. Name the button cmdnext. 13. Click Finish. Record Navigation - Go to Previous Record 14. Perform the same steps to add a Previous button to your form. Name it cmdprevious. Form Operations - Close Form 15. Place a third command button on your form. 16. Select Form Operations in Categories and Close Form in Actions. 17. Select a picture and name the button cmdexit. 18. Switch to Form View and test your buttons. Record Navigation - Find Record 19. Switch to Design View, click the Command button icon and draw another rectangle on your form. 20. Select Record Navigation in Categories and Find Record in Actions. Click Next. 21. Click the text radio button and type Search in the text box. Click Next. 22. Name the button cmdsearch and click Finish. 23. Switch to Form View and test the search button by first clicking in a field and then clicking Search. Notice that the button allows you to search in whichever text box on your form has focus. Close your form. 32

33 Switchboard Manager A switchboard is a special type of form. Switchboards can be set up so persons who are unfamiliar with Microsoft Access can still use your database. On a switchboard, buttons are placed on a blank form. The buttons give the user instant access to tables, forms, queries and reports. Switchboards can also be created using the Switchboard Manager. 1. Click on Tools, Database Utilities, Switchboard Manager. 2. When the following message appears, click on Yes. 3. In the Switchboard Manager dialog box, click on Edit. 33

34 Switchboard Manager 4. In the Edit Switchboard Page dialog box, change the Switchboard Name to Student Advising. Click on New. 5. In the Edit Switchboard Item dialog box, fill in and select options as shown. Click OK. 6. Once more click on New in the Edit Switchboard Page and Add a command to Exit Microsoft Access. Click OK. Close the Edit Swithboard Page and Close the Switchboard Manager. 7. Test out your new Switchboard. Note: To have your switchboard open automatically when opening your database, from the Tools pull-down menu select Start up... In the Display Form/Page textbox, select Switchboard. 34

35 Macros Macros Computers are great at repetitive tasks. In Microsoft Access a macro can be set to run repetitive tasks. One macro can run a series of commands. Once the macro is set up, it can be also be assigned to a button on a form. Macros can be used to open a form in edit mode, add mode or read only mode. You can use a macro to open or print a report or to close a form. A macro can be used to launch the main switchboard form. Macros can also be created to respond to form events, some action of the user on the form such as when a user tries to delete a record, the macro will automatically be started and ask the user to verify the deletion of a record. We will show you a simple macro that opens a form and a table. 1. Click on the Macro object. Click on the New button. 2. Click on the drop-down arrow in the Action column. Choose Hourglass. 3. In the next row of the Action column select OpenForm. Next to Form Name in the lower half of the Macro dialog box under ActionArguments choose frmstudentinformation. 35

36 Macros 4. In the next row of the Action column select Open Table. Select Student Information for the Table Name under Action Arguments. 5. For the next Action choose Beep. 6. Close the Macro window and select Yes when asked if you want to save changes to the design of macro Macro1? Name the macro Beep. Test out the macro by running it. Note: If a macro is named AutoExec, it will be the first element run when the database is opened. 7. Close the form and table. Close your database. 36

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