1 Chapter 17 Creating a Database. Practical Computer Literacy, 2 nd edition Chapter 17 2 What’s...

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Chapter 17

Creating a Database

Practical Computer Literacy, 2nd edition Chapter 17

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What’s Inside and on the CD?

• In this chapter, you will be introduced to Microsoft Access and its powerful tools for:

– Entering and updating information– Deleting information– Sorting data– Searching for specific data– Creating reports


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How is data organized in a database?

• Database software like Microsoft Access can be complex but is useful for organizing many types of data

• An Access database consists of tables

• Each table is similar to a stack of index cards


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• Each card in the stack contains similar information, which relates to a single entity.

• A database record is equivalent to one index card.


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• Data can be displayed in different ways

• The table view is a grid of rows and columns

• Each row contains one record, equivalent to one index card


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• Each cell in a row contains the data for one field

• The table is composed of all fields in all rows, equivalent to the entire stack of index cards


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What’s in the Access window?

• To start Access:– Click Start

– Click All Programs

– Click Microsoft Office

– Click Microsoft Office Access 2007

• Getting Started with Microsoft Office Access window appears – use it to:– Connect to Microsoft Office Online

– Search for an existing file

– Create a new database

– Open an existing database


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• With Access, you typically don’t create a new database but open an existing one to add to or edit data it contains

• Unlike other Microsoft programs, Access databases are not displayed as they will be printed

• Access provides several tools used to create, modify, and display data


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• Tools, used to create tables and simple queries, are contained in the Navigation Pane on left side of the database window

• Access offers many different ways to use each tool

• Access is a complex software

• In order to simplify introduction, some basic ways to use most common tools will be introduced



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How do I create a new database or open an existing database?

• Creating a database is different from a document, worksheet, or presentation

• In Access you first save an empty database then create elements of database

• Elements include:– Tables– Reports– Forms– Queries


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• Database needs to be saved only once

• As you add or change data, changes are automatically saved

• When finished, just close it


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• If database is already created, select name from Getting Started with Microsoft Office Access window

• To open database:– Use More files link on Getting Started with Microsoft

Office Access window– Select storage device– Select file name– Click Open



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How do I create a table using a Table Template?

• You must specify the structure of tables, records, and fields before you can enter data

• Table Templates make it easy to create tables for common business and personal databases.

• A table contains records– Each record contains one or more fields

• Each field contains a type of data such as name or data


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• After you create the database, make sure that Table is selected in the Objects list

• Double-click Create table by using wizard

• Select the most appropriate table type


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• Have Access create a primary key, which is a field that uniquely identifies each record

• Save the table

• Give the table a unique name– Not necessarily the same name for the database


• If you are saving to a floppy disk or USB flash drive, do not remove it until the Access window closes

• To open the database the next time you start Access, click the file name from the Getting Started with Microsoft Office Access window


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How do I enter and edit data in a table?

• Once fields are defined for table, data for each entity becomes one record, or row, in table

• If table is not open, double-click the name of the table in the Navigation Pane

• An empty record is always displayed at bottom of table


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• Each time record added, a new empty row appears

• Make sure data is consistent - for example, don't use MI and Michigan in same database

• To edit data, click cell containing data


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• Use left and right arrow keys to move insertion point within field

• Use Backspace and Delete to delete text to left or right of insertion point

• To delete entire record:– Right-click row header– Click Delete Record on shortcut menu– Click Yes button



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Can I import data into a database?

• You can import data from files created with other software– Worksheets created with Excel– Databases created with older versions of Access– E-mail address books created with Outlook– Comma-delimited files

• A comma-delimited file, sometimes referred to as a CSV file, is data separated by commas


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• Many software applications offer an export option that creates a comma-delimited file

• Import a CSV file by selecting the Import text file from the External Data tab and then select the file


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How do I create a table in Design View?

• If Table Templates don’t meet your needs for a table design, you may create your own in Design View

• When you create your own table, you must specify a data type for each field

• A data type determines what kind of data can be entered into the field


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• Use Text data type for fields that will contain data up to 255 characters in length

• Use Memo data type for fields that will contain variable length data, such as comments, notes, and reviews


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• Use Number data type for fields that will contain numeric data– Don't use Number data type for data that looks like

a number but will never be calculated– A telephone number field should be defined as

Text

• Use Date/Time data type for dates and times


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• If you have allowed Access to define the primary key– ID field is created using the AutoNumber data type– Unique number is automatically entered in field as

record is entered


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• Yes/No data can be useful for fields designed to hold simple Yes/No or True/False data– Example, use Yes/No data type for field “Subtitled?"

• After all fields defined, save and close table to begin entering data in new table



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How do I work with tables?

• Working with data in Access can be similar to working with data in an Excel worksheet

• You can add, delete, move, sort, and search for data

• Controls for these operations are on the ribbon


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• Operations for working with tables include:– Modify data– Insert a record– Delete a record– Move a field– Hide a field– Sort records– Search


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How do I create a query using a wizard?

• Data in a table can be manipulated in many ways, e.g.:– search a company database for products that cost

more than $10– create a query to search for records containing

particular data

• A query contains criteria that specifies what you want to find


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How do I create a query using a wizard?

• Use query to display some, but not all, fields in table

• The Query Wizard is a quick way to learn about simple queries and use them to locate data


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How do I create a query using a Wizard?

• Simple Query Wizard – What fields do you want in your query?– click a field– click button to add an individual field to query– click button to add all fields to the query– click button to remove an individual field from

query– click button to remove all fields from query


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• Simple Query Wizard – Would you like a detail or summary query?– Detail option shows all specified fields for records– The Summary option displays how many records match

your criteria

• Simple Query Wizard – What title do you want for your query?– Enter a title and click the Finish button to see the results of

your query


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• To refine search, specify query criteria – Example, to see only records of items costing more

then $10:• Close query window• Right-click query tab• Click Design View on shortcut menu• Type >10 in criteria row under Price field• Click Run button on Query Tools Design

contextual tab


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• When window closed after viewing results of query specified by query criteria:– Message asking - Do you want to save changes to

design of query ‘Query Name’?– Click Yes if you want to use same criteria every time

you use query

• After query is saved, you can use it repeatedly on all data that matches criteria specified



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1 Chapter 17 Creating a Database. Practical Computer Literacy, 2 nd edition Chapter 17 2 What’s...

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