Using Microsoft Access Microsoft Access is a database program. Databases allow you to organize store and present a group of related information, for example address lists, student lists, inventories and student records such as report cards. To start Microsoft Access you go to START – PROGRAMS – MICROSFOT OFFICE and choose Microsoft Access 2003

Using Microsoft Access When you start Access, you will get an empty screen like this. This because you have to either load in a database you have worked on or saved or start a new one We are going to start a new one by going to FILE and NEW

Using Microsoft Access To start a databa se from scratch we will choose Blank Databa se

Using Microsoft Access Access now needs to know what you intend to call this new database. This is because Access (and most databases) operate directly off the hard drive and therefore need to know what name to save the information for this new database right at the start. I have navigated to the folder I want to use and given the database the name addresses.mdb Then I will click the Create button

Using Microsoft Access Access has created the file for the new database. It now wants to know how we wish to set up the various parts of our database Choose Design View

Using Microsoft Access This is the screen it then presents to you. What it wants you to do is enter the various categories or fields you want for your database and tell it what type of information it is (computers are SOOO dumb!) Click in the first row of the first field

Using Microsoft Access Type in the name of the first heading (First Name). Then click in the second column and the default of Text appears with a bunch of options below Access is suggesting that this might be a text field (as opposed to numbers) and the various options it is suggesting can be accepted unless you feel brave and want to tinker

Using Microsoft Access I’m not brave so I accept the default and type in all the other category names

Using Microsoft Access When you are done, click the red X You will be asked to name the table Say Yes

Using Microsoft Access Fill in the Name you wish to call your Table and then say OK

Using Microsoft Access You will then be dropped back into the main screen we started off in However note that our Addresses table has been added to the list Double click it to see what we have created

Using Microsoft Access Notice that what we have done is to create what looks to be an empty spreadsheet It has category names across the top and 1 empty row in it, waiting to be filled in