Database File. Table. Field. Datatype. Value. Department of Computer and Mathematical Sciences

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1 Unit 4 Introduction to Spreadsheet and Database, pages 1 of 12 Department of Computer and Mathematical Sciences CS 1305 Intro to Computer Technology 15 Module 15: Introduction to Microsoft Access Objectives: Learn how to use Microsoft Excel. Learn how to create relational database Learn how to use relational database. Introduction First of all you need to understand how Microsoft Access breaks down a database. These are the keywords used in Access database structure: Database File, Table, Record, Field, and Datatype. Here is the Hierarchy that Microsoft Access uses in breaking down a database. Database File Table Database File: This is your main file that encompasses the entire database and that is saved to your hard-drive or floppy disk. For examples: Database1.mdb, PatientDatabase.mdb Table: A table is a collection of data about a specific topic. There can be multiple tables in a database. For examples: Patients, Employees Field Datatype Value Field: Fields are the different categories within a Table. Tables usually contain multiple fields. For examples: Student LastName, Student FirstName Datatypes: Datatypes are the properties of each field. A field only has 1 datatype. For examples: FieldName: Student LastName Datatype: Text Task 1: Starting Microsoft Access In this task, we will learn how to start Microsoft Access and use commands from File menu to create, save, open, and print database. Activity 1.1: Create a new database Look for Access icon on the desktop or from All Programs menu from the Start button. After you click on Access icon either from the desktop on from All Programs menu, a Microsoft Access startup window will appear with Getting Started pane window on the right side as shown in Figure 1. Figure 1: Access Startup window

2 Unit 4 Introduction to Spreadsheet and Database, pages 2 of 12 Select New in the File menu from the menu bar. The right pane window will switch from Getting Started to New File. Select Blank database from New File window as shown in Figure 2. Figure 2: Access Startup Window A File New Database dialog box will appear as shown in Figure 3. The purpose of this dialog window is for you to save the new database that you want to create to a file. So, type in Database1 to the File name: textbox and click on Create button. Make sure the destination of the file that you want to save is your flash drive. You should see Database Window appears as shown in Figure 4. Click New button to create a new table. 2 1 Figure 3: File New Database Dialog Box Figure 4: Database Window Activity 1.2: Create a new table The following are steps for creating a table in Access: 1. In Database Window, select Tables icon from the command icon list on the right panel. 2. Click on the New icon from the tool bar of Database Window as shown in Figure 4.

3 Module 14: Introduction to Microsoft Access, page 3 of New Table dialog box will appear as shown in Figure 5. Then, select Design View from the right window. 4. Click OK button to accept the selection to create a new table in the design view. 5. Table window should appear with a titled of Table1 : Table as shown in Figure Figure 5: New Table Dialog Box 5 Figure 6: Table Window Activity 1.3: Define each field in the table Table is divided into three columns and several rows as shown in the below figure. The three columns are: 1. Field Name: 2. Data Type: 3. Description: Naming Conventions When naming your database tables and fields: Use single words; do not use spaces If needed, use underscores ( _) as word separators; do not use special characters, such as $, or Naming is case-sensitive; that is, FirstName is not the same as first name In this activity you will create a database to store information of patients. Use the following steps to create a table named Patient Table as follows: 1. In the cell of the first row under the column Field Name, type in PatientID 2. Press enter or click at the cell in the first row under column Data Type. You will see a list of data types in a drop-down menu with Text data type is shown. Since we want the value of PatientID to be a unique number, we will select AutoNumber as PatientID Data Type.

4 Unit 4 Introduction to Spreadsheet and Database, pages 4 of In the next row under the column Field Name, type in LastName 4. Press enter or click at the cell in LastName row under column Data Type and select Text as the data type. 5. Repeat Step 3 and 4 for FirstName, Address, City, State, and ZipCode with Data Type as Text except ZipCode is of type Number. 6. Determine the primary key -- a field that can be used to uniquely identify each record in the table. The primary key also allows you to connect information from one table to another. Each patient is assigned a PatientID number that will be a unique identifier. To indicate that PatientID is the primary key, select PatientID field and click the Primary Key button from the Access window toolbar. You should the key icon in front of PatientID field. 7. Save the table by selecting Save from File menu. Name this table Patient Table and click OK button. The title of the table should change to Patient Table as the below figure. 8. Ensure that you have set up the table correctly by entering sample data. First, switch to the Datasheet View by clicking on View icon drop-down menu in the top left corner of the Access window as shown below. View icon 9. In the Datasheet View, enter information of five patients in the Patient Table as follows: 10. Save and close the table. Activity 1.4: Create more tables You will now create two more tables as you did in Activity The Therapy Table and the Appointment Table. 1. Create Therapy Table, which has two fields: TherapyName (Text data type) TherapistName (Text data type)

5 Module 14: Introduction to Microsoft Access, page 5 of b. Select TherapyName as the primary key. In this case, each therapy has a unique name, so TherapyName field will uniquely identify each record in the table. 3. c. Name and save the table as Therapy. Switch to the Datasheet View and fill the table with data as shown in the right figure. Close Therapy Table and then create Appointment Table, which has four fields: AppointmentID (Autonumber data type) Date (Date/Time data type) PatientID (Number data type) TherapyName (Text data type) Select AppointmentID field as the primary key because it uniquely identifies each record in this table. Name and save this table as Appointment, and close the table. (Do not enter any data into the Appointment Table for now.) Activity 1.5 Use lookup wizard to limit data entry choices We can limit the data entry choices in a particular column by using the Lookup Wizard to create a drop-down list box that looks up values in another table. A drop-down list box helps to eliminate typographical errors and duplicate data entries. To create a drop-down list box in the Appointment Table for TherapyName field, do the following: 1. Open the Appointment Table. In the Appointment Table s Design View, use the drop-down list to change the data type of TherapyName to Lookup Wizard. 2. In the first window of Lookup Wizard, as shown in the right figure, select I want the lookup column to look up the values in a table or query and then click on Next button. Why did I use the Lookup Wizard? You have limited the data entry choices in one column. Now, when you enter data in the TherapyName field of the Appointment Table, the list of available therapies from your Therapy Table will be displayed as a drop-down list. 3. Answer Lookup Wizard s questions as follows: Which table or query should provide the values for your lookup column? Select Table: Therapy Table. Make sure that Tables is selected in the View box. Click on Next button as shown in the right figure.

6 Unit 4 Introduction to Spreadsheet and Database, pages 6 of 12 Which fields contain the values you want included in your lookup column? Select TherapyName field from the Available Fields box and click the > button to move it to the Selected Fields list. Then click on Next button as shown in the figure below. How wide would you like the columns in your lookup column? Adjust the widths of your column if needed and click on Next button again. Rename or accept the lookup column label, and click on Finish button. (If the Save option pops up, click on Save.) 4. Change to Datasheet View. Click in the cell under TherapyName to view the drop-down list. Now, if you want to change the name of a therapy, you only need to make that change once in Therapy Table, rather than in every appointment record associated with that therapy! Close Appointment Table. Activity 1.6: Relate tables so that data are only entered once Relating two tables allows the information in one table to be accessed from the other table. To relate two tables: 1. Go to Database1 window (choose Database1 from Window menu in the menu bar if you are not already there). 2. Choose Relationships button from the toolbar. You will see Relationships window as shown below. 3. Remember that in Activity 1.5, you related Appointment and Therapy Tables. You should now see that relationship in the Relationships window. If no tables are displayed in Relationships window, right-click in Relationships window and choose Show All from the Relationships menu. Show All will display every table in your Relationships layout.

7 Module 14: Introduction to Microsoft Access, page 7 of To show the Patient Table, right-click in Relationships window to display a menu as sown in the right figure and select Show Table From Tables tab, select Patient, and then click on Add button, and then click on Close button. 5. Drag PatientID field from Patient Table to PatientID field in Appointment Table. When Edit Relationships window appears, check Enforce Referential Integrity, and then select Create. Now the two tables are related by PatientID. 6. Right-click on the join line that connects the Appointment Table and Therapy Table to edit the relationship. Select Edit Relationship. Select Enforce Referential Integrity, and then select OK. Save the relationships you have created, which should now look similar to the following figure: 7. Close Relationships window and select Save if the Save window appears. Referential integrity is a system of rules that Microsoft Access uses to ensure that relationships between records in related tables are valid and that you don t accidentally delete or change related data. Why did I relate the tables? Now that Patient Table and Appointment Table are related through their PatientID fields, information about the patient does not need to be entered every time a new appointment is made. Activity 1.7 Create a form to enter and display your data Now you will create a form to more easily enter and display your data -- in this case, patients information and their appointments -- using the Form Wizard. 1. Select Forms from the Object menu and then select New. Choose Form Wizard from the list of methods for creating a form. Leave Choose the table or query where the object s data comes from: blank and click OK.

8 Unit 4 Introduction to Spreadsheet and Database, pages 8 of Answer the Form Wizard s questions as follows: Which fields do you want on your form? From Available Fields box, select the fields that you would like to appear on your Patient Information form. Use the > and >> (select all items) buttons to move your selections from Available Fields list to Selected Fields list. (Use the Tables/Queries drop-down list to indicate which table you are selecting the fields from.) From the Table: Appointment Table Patient Table Therapy Table Select: AppointmentID, Date, and TherapyName PatientID, LastName, FirstName, Address, City, State, and ZipCode TherapistName Then click Next. How do you want to view your data? Select by Patient Table which will order the records by patient. In the window on the right, Form Wizard window will show you how your form will appear. Select Form with subform(s) and then Appointments appear as a subform click Next. Because they are organized by Patient. (Each patient has a collection of appointments.) What layout would you like for your subform? Select Datasheet and then click Next. What style would you like? Choose a style for your form and then click Next. What titles do you want for your forms? Name your form Patient Information. You can leave the default name for the subform. Make sure that Open the form to view or enter information. is selected so you can get a first view of the form. Then click Finish.

9 Module 14: Introduction to Microsoft Access, page 9 of 12 At this point, your form should look like the following figure: 3. You may want to use Design View to adjust the size of the form and the Appointment subform if they are not the right size: To adjust the size of the form, select Design View toggle button. Click on the edge of the form and use the arrows to expand its width. If all the fields aren t visible in Appointment subform, click on the edge of it and use the handles/arrows to expand its width. Since the subform is laid out in Datasheet form, you only need to adjust the column widths if necessary. 4. You may also move elements on the form, and change the appearance of labels: To move elements, use your mouse to drag them to the desired location. To change the appearance of labels, right-click on a label and select Properties from the menu. Choose Format and navigate to Font Name to change the font. Select the desired font, and then close the Properties window to see your change. 5. To see the working form, switch to Form View by selecting it from View menu (or click View toggle button). Enter the appointment information for your five patients, as listed below: Why did I create these forms? To make entering patients appointments so much easier -- and now you re ready to do it! Notice that the TherapyName field has a drop-down list, and that the cost automatically fills in after you choose a therapy.

10 Unit 4 Introduction to Spreadsheet and Database, pages 10 of 12 Last Name First Name Therapy 1 Therapist 1 Therapy 1 Date Therapy2 Therapist2 Therapy2 Date Nobody Joe Shiatsu D. Morewill 12/10/2007 Pilates J. Goodman 12/11/2007 Doe Jane Ultrasound N. Tasety 12/12/2007 Ultrasound N. Tasety 12/20/2007 Somebody Mike Whirlpool J. Goodman 12/1/2007 Storm Bob Shiatsu D. Morewill 12/2/2007 Shiatsu D. Morewill 12/6/2007 Smith John Pilates J. Goodman 12/12/2007 This is what your final form might look like: Activity 1.8 Generate Reports To view data about the patients and staff, you will create two reports -- one showing all the patients information, and one showing each therapist and which appointments he or she attended to. You will create the Patient Information Report first. 1. Select the Reports button from the Objects menu. Select Create report by using wizard, then select New. 2. Choose Repeort Wizard from the list of methods for creating a form. Leave Choose the table or query where the object s data comes from: blank and click OK. 3. Select Table: Patient Table from the Tables/Queries drop-down list. From the Available Fields list, move all the fields over t o the Selected Fields list. Click Next.

11 Module 14: Introduction to Microsoft Access, page 11 of Answer the Report Wizard s questions as follows: Do you want to add any grouping levels? Click Next. What sort order do you want for your records? In the first drop-down list, select LastName so that the list will be ordered by LastName. Ascending already appears next to the dropdown list, so you don t need to select it. Select FirstName in Ascending order, and PatientID in Ascending order. How would you like to lay out your report? Make the selections as indicated in the right figure and click Next. What style would you like? Choose a style and click Next. What title do you want for your report? Title your report All Patients Information.

12 Unit 4 Introduction to Spreadsheet and Database, pages 12 of Click the Print Preview button or select Print Preview from the View menu to see your report. Here is what it might look like: Print out the report to be turn in at the end of the module. Lab 15 Exercise 1. Create a Therapists Productivity Report that look like the following: Turn in reports in Activity 1.8 and exercise problems.