Beginning Level Microsoft Access (Database) Cleveland Heights - University Heights Schools Summer 1999
Index Database Introduction 1 Creating Tables 3 Entering Information in Records 6 Creating Forms 9 Deleting Records 12 Sorting Records 13 Reports 14 Printing Reports 16 Copyright 1999 CH-UH Schools Authored by: Hannah Reid Jim Harmon Technology Specialists, CH-UH Schools Cleveland Heights-University Heights, Ohio
Database Introduction A database allows the management of large quantities of information. Examples for personal use can be for storing addresses, recipes, or music and video collections. For school, student addresses and records can be organized efficiently by using a database. Information can be stored easily and accessed by catagory. Parts of a Database Tables - A collection of information about a specific topic Forms - Provides quick way to view information all at once Queries - Provides information based on specified conditions Reports - Provides printed copies of your database Getting Started Determine the purpose of the database. What type of information should the database record, and how is the information going to be accessed? What type of fields will be needed? Putting this type of information on paper may help with the planning of the database. Once these things are determined a database can be created. Opening Microsoft Access 1. Click once on the Start Menu 2. Click on Programs 3. Click on Microsoft Access 1
Getting Started 1. When you open Micrsoft Access, the Microsoft Access Window appears. 2. Click on the radio button next to Blank Database. Click on OK. 3. The File New Database window appears. 4. Put in the location of the area that you want to Save in. 5. Put in the File Name. 6. Click on the Create button. 7. Access creates a blank database. A window will appear with the name of the database that you just created in the top. 2
Creating Tables A table is based on fields that have specific names. Fields contain a speicifed catagory of information. All information that you include in the database is entered in a field. To create fields: 1. Click on the Tables tab and then click on New. 2. The New Table window appears. 3. Highlight Datasheet View. 4. Click on OK. 5. The Table1: Table window appears. 3
Changing Field Names 1. Double click Field 1 to highlight the name. 2. Type in the new name that you want the field to have. (In this case, we want the field to say Student Name.) 3. Hit the enter key on the keyboard. 3. Repeat this in the next four fields. Use the following field names: Period; Address; Home Phone; Work Phone. CH-UH Staff Development Workshop 4. Your table should now look like this:*** 4
Saving and Closing the Table 1. Click on X to close the window. 2. The Save Window will appear. Click on Yes. 3. The Save As window will appear. 4. Give the table a name. 5. Click on OK. 6. A warning will come up that you have not defined a primary key. Don t worry about this now. 7. Click No. 8. You will end up back at the main database menu that looks like this: Note: The name of the database- and the name of the table. Closing Access 1. Click once on the File Menu. 2. Click once on Exit. 3. Access will close. 5
Entering Information in Records Information in a database is kept in records. Records contain all of the information pertaining to a student that you set up in the fields portion of your table. To create records in a database and fill in the fields: 1. Open Microsoft Access. 2. Open an existing database (in this case we called it student database.) 3. The Database window will appear. 4. Make sure that the Table tab is selected. 5. Double click on the table that you named. 6. The opened table appears. 6
6. The opened table appears. Notice that the record right now says that you are on record 1 of 1. As you add records, this number will change depending on the number of records that you add. Also note that Access automatically assigns an ID number for each student. This will be numbered in 1, 2, 3... order. 7. Click once in the first field under student name and type in the student s name. 8. Use the tab key to move to the next field, period. Type in the period. 9. Use the tab key to move to the Address field type in the address. 10. Use the tab key again and fill in the phone number and parent work phone number. When you are finished your table should look like this: 7
11. Continue typing information until you have created 5 records. It should look like this: 12. Go to the File menu and click Save to save any changes that you have made. 13. When you are finished, click on the X to close the window. 8
Creating Forms Form view allows you to customize the records in a view that is conveinient and easy for you to use. You control the interface, rather than having the information in just spreadsheet form. To create forms: 1. Click on the Forms tab in the database window. 2. Click on the New button. 3. The New Forms window appears. 4. Make sure AutoForm: Columnar is highlighted. 5. Click on the upside down triangle to chose which table you are going use for information. Select the name of your table. 6. Click on the OK button. 7. Your form will appear. It should look like this: 9
Changing How Your Form Looks (Layout) You can customize the way that your form will look, so that is easy for you to glean information from the form. This is called chaning the design layout. To change the design layout: 1. Click on the Change View Icon in the left hand corner of the toolbar. 2. Click once on Design View. 3. The Form1: Form window appears. 4. Click on the field that you want to move. The handle boxes will appear, showing that the field is hightlighted. 5. To make the field larger: Click on the corner handle boxes and drag. 6. To move the field: Click and drag in the center of the field and put the box where you want it. 7. To make the form larger: a. Right click on the Form Footer bar. A menu will appear. Click once on Form Header/Footer. The Form Header and Form Footer will disap pear. b. Click and drag down on the edge of the form to make it larger. c. Right click on the bottom edge of the form. A menu will appear. d. Click again on Form Header/Footer. The header and footer will appear on the form again. 10
Saving the Form Be sure to save the form you just created. To save: 1. Click on the File Menu and choose Save. The Save dialogue box will appear. 2. Type in the name of the form. 3. Click on OK. 4. Click on the File Menu and then Close. Entering Data in Form View 1. Open up the form that you want to enter data into. 2. The form will open. 3. Click in the field that you want to enter data. To Get a New Record 1. Look for the record number at the bottom of the form. 2. Click through the records until you come to the end of the records that you have entered. 3. Click on the New Record Icon. A new record will appear. 11
Deleting a Record 1. Find the record that you want to delete. 2. Go to the Edit Menu and select Delete Record OR Click once on the Delete Record Icon on the toolbar. CH-UH Staff Development Workshop 3. A window will appear asking you if you really want to delete the record. 4. Click on the Yes button. Note: This also works in the table view the same way. Special Note: It does not matter what view you are in: table or form. Any information changes that you do, or new records that you add, will be added to each view. 12
Sorting Records You can change the order that records are in so that pertinent information that you are looking for is highlighted. This will help you find and analyze data. To sort records: 1. Make sure you are in the table view. 2. Click on the field where the information is to be sorted. When you click on that field, the entire column will be highlighted. 3. Click once on the Record menu, then Sort, then choose whether you want as cending order or descending order.*** 4. The column will automatically rearrange itself according to the order that you picked. ***Special Note: Ascending order is A through Z and 1 through 9. Descending order is Z through A and 9 through 1. Sorting Records Shortcut Follow steps 1 and 2 above. When you are ready to sort, use the sort icons located on the shortcut toolbar. Ascending Order Descending Order 13
Reports Reports allow you to display and print out information in a professional looking document. Reports are designed in two different forms: columnar and tabular. Columnar - Fields are listed down the left side of the page and the information for each record is listed beside each field name. Tabular - Fields are listed across the top of the page and the information for each record is listed in columns running down the page. 14
Creating Reports 1. In the student database: database window, click on the Report tab. 2. Click on New. 3. The New Report Window will appear. 4. Click on AutoReport: Columnar or AutoReport: Tabular, depending on which one you want. 5. Click on the upside down triangle to chose the table that you want the report based on. 6. Click on OK. 7. Access will automatically set up your report. 15
Saving Reports 1. Go to the File Menu and click once. 2. Click on Save. The Save Report menu will appear. 3. Type in the file name for the report. 4. Click on the Save button. CH-UH Staff Development Workshop Printing Reports 1. Go to the File Menu and click once. 2. Click on the word Print. The print window will appear. 3. Click on OK. Your report will print out. 16
Creating Labels Using Microsoft Access and Microsoft Word You can create mailing labels using addresses from an Access database. To do this: 1. Open Microsoft Word 2. Click on the Tools menu, then on Mail Merge 3. The Mail Merge window will appear 4. Click on Create then click on Mailing Labels 5. Click on the Active Window button 6. Next go to step 2 and click on Get Data then Open Data Source 7. Change Files of Type to All Files then open your database. 8. Word will display all of the tables in that database. Click on the table that you want and then click on OK 9. Click on Setup Main Document 10. Choose the label option that you want 11. The create labels window will appear. Click on the Insert merge Field and select the fields that you want to appear on your label in the format that you want them to appear. 12. When you are finished, click on OK 13. Go to step 3 and click on Merge 14. Chose the records that you want to make labels with 15. Click on Merge 16. The screen will show you a document with your created labels. 17. Print labels by going to File, then clicking on Print. 17