Logon then turn your monitor off!

Creating a database A way of keeping information

Start the database program Start > Programs > Microsoft Office > Access

Create the new database Type in ‘members’Click ‘Create’

Now create a table to hold the data Double click ‘Create table in design view’

Enter some fields What’s a field? A field is the name of one bit of data – for example ‘Surname’ Type ‘Surname’ here. (No not your surname – the word ‘Surname’)

Now tell it what type of field Click here to get the ‘Text’ field type to appear in this column. Is ’50’ too long? The longest surname in school is 15 characters long! Change it to 20

Create more fields First Name (length 15) Gender (length 1 – you will enter M or F) Address line 1 (You work out how long to make it. Think of the longest you know and add a few extra) District (How long?) Town (How long?) Postcode (postcodes can be 9 long)

Add a ‘Date of birth’ field Type ‘Date of birth’ here Then click here and click the V after the ‘Text’ which appears

Select ‘Date/Time’

Now choose the type of date Click here and then on the ‘V’ which appears Choose ‘Medium Date’

Add a membership number

Make it a ‘Primary key’ Click this icon What’s a Primary Key? A field which is a primary key has to have unique entries – no two the same. Autonumber fields are always unique.

Save the table Use File > Save Type in a table name e.g. ‘Member list’ Click ‘OK’

Starting your database again Choose Start > My Documents Find your database file – it should be called ‘members’ and will look like Double click the file Choose ‘Yes’ then ‘No’ then ‘Open’

Putting data in the database Try double clicking this.

The table of data You could just click in the table and enter data but… …there’s a better way Click this cross to close the table.

Creating a form to enter data Select this ‘object’ …then double click ‘Create form by using wizard’.

Creating a form (2) Click this … …then click ‘Finish’.

Entering data in a form. Ignore this Type your details Type M or F e.g. 12-Jan-1987 Type your details Click this for the next one Smith Joseph M 12-Jan Feather drive Harold Hill Romford RM3 7FG

Entering data in a form. Oops there’s a mistake! That should be ‘Drive’ not ‘drive’ To fix it just click where the mistake is and correct it. Smith Joseph M 12-Jan Feather drive Harold Hill Romford RM3 7FG 16 Feather rive16 Feather Drive