Cycles & Life Cycles College of Alameda Copyright © 2007 Patrick McDermott
The Database Life Cycle Data Bases also have a Life
The Traditional Method Planning Requirements Gathering Conceptual Design Logical Design Physical Design Construction Implementation and Rollout Ongoing Support
Nontraditional Methods Prototyping Rapid Application Development (RAD) eXtreme Programming (XP) Agile Modeling (AM)
Keeping Your Information Accurate Restricting the Type of Data in a Field Restricting the Amount of Data in a Field Specifying the Format of Data in a Field Restricting Data by Using Validation Rules Creating a Simple Lookup List Creating a Multi-Column Lookup List Updating Information in a Table Deleting Information from a Table Preventing Database Problems
Access Points You can set properties that restrict the type and amount of data that can be entered into an Access database. You can replace specific words or phrases by using the Replace command, or quickly enact conditional changes by running an action query. The Data Type setting restricts entries to a specific type of data: text, numbers, dates, and so on. The Field Size property for the Text, Number; and AutoNumber data types restricts the number of characters allowed in a text field or the number of digits allowed in a number or AutoNumber field. The Input Mask property controls the format in which data can be entered.
Access Points You can use a validation rule to precisely define the information that will be accepted in one or several fields in a record. At the field level, Access tests each entry against the rule when you attempt to leave a field. At the table level, Access tests the content of several fields against the rule when you attempt to leave a record. In both cases, Access rejects any entry that doesn't comply with the rule. For fields with a fixed set of possible entries, you can use a lookup field to ensure that users enter the right information. This helps prevent inconsistencies, thus making it easier to sort and search your data. You can use an update query to quickly perform an action, such as replacing the contents of a field, based on the results of a query.
Access Points You can use a delete query to quickly delete records that meet specific criteria. You should always back up your database before running a delete query, and you must exercise caution when deleting records in this way. The effects of a delete query can be far-reaching, and you can't recover deleted records. There are several utilities that you can use to keep your database running smoothly— Compact And Repair Database, Performance Analyzer, Database Documenter, and Microsoft Office Diagnostics. You can keep your application healthy by taking advantage of these utilities before Access indicates there is a problem with your database.