Getting Started with Access 2007 1
A database is an organized collection of information about a subject. Examples of databases include an address book, the telephone book, or a filing cabinet full of documents relating to clients. An Access database is a computer-based equivalent of a manual database. Access makes it easy to organize and update information electronically. 2
Quiz Time! 1. Which of the following is an example of a manual database? A. Address book B. Telephone book C. Filing cabinet D. All of the above 3
This will be blank for you. When you start the program, Access displays the Getting Started with Microsoft Office Access page from which you can open an existing database or start a new one. The Open Recent Database section will be blank for you here at school because of your permission settings. You must click More and use the Open dialog box to locate the file you want. 4
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Quiz Time! 2. If a database you want to open does not appear in the Getting Started page, click the button to locate the database. A. View B. Open C. Window D. More 6
Quiz Time! 3. The error message that appears when you open a data file in Access is A. Save As B. Save As Read-Only C. Security Warning D. Options Warning 7
You must create a database file, or open an existing one, before you can enter any data or create any objects (such as tables or queries). The database file contains all Access objects, including tables, forms, queries, and reports You can reopen the Getting Started page at any time by clicking the Office button and selecting New. To start a new database, you can choose to create a blank database or create a database based on a template. 8
Quiz Time! 4. You must create a table before you can save your database. True False 9
TABLE: stores database record information; two views=design and Datasheet (which looks like an Excel Spreadsheet) FORM: a window for viewing the data in one or more tables; all information for one record on a single page QUERY: work with a portion of a table by limiting the number of fields and by selecting specific records; they pull answers from a table REPORT: formatted information from a table or query that you can send to a printer; detailed records, calculated values, totals, labels, and charts 10
Quiz Time! 5. The Basic Toolbar shows all of your created database objects. True False 6. Which database object stores all the record information? A. Table B. Form C. Query D. Report 11
All database information is stored in tables. Record: each row of an Access Table; a set of details about a specific item. Field: each column of an Access Table; provide the categories for the details describing each record. Field Name: each column is headed by one. Field Contents: the specific field data within a record. 12
Quiz Time! 7. Fields are the columns in a database. True False 8. Records are the rows in a database. True False 9. All the information about one person is A. a Field B. a Record C. a Field Content D. a Table 13
Datasheet View Design View 14
Field properties are the Characteristics of a field that determine how long an entry can be, how the entry will be formatted, whether there should be a default entry, and what can be entered. To edit an existing table s design, select it from the list of tables in the Navigation Pane and then right click it and choose Design View. You can also open the table in Datasheet view by double-clicking it from the Navigation Pane and then clicking the View button on the Home tab to switch to Design view. In Table Design view, you can edit the name, data type, and field description just as you did when you created the table initially. 15
Data type indicates the kind of data that a particular field is designed to hold. Common types include Text, Number, Date, and Memo. The Data type column tells you what kind of information your field can store. Click the drop-down arrow in this cell to choose from the list of data types. The field description is optional. You can use it to provide comments or hints about the intended use and/or limitations of the field. When a field is selected, its properties appear in the lower half of the Table Design view window. Field properties specify advanced options for the field. 16
Quiz Time! 10. You use the design view of the table to edit your fields. True False 11. The field description is optional. True False 17
When a table is printed, the table name automatically prints at the top of the table. So, name or rename every table to include your name. This ensures that your name is on every printout. 18
Quiz Time! 12. Include your name as part of the table name, so that your name prints on the table. True False 13. Every database has a unique name and every database object must also have a unique name. True False 19