DATABASE BASICS

D ATABASE S OFTWARE – ACCESS  Allows you to:  Input data  Edit data  Verify data  Sort data  Find data  Analyze data  Report data

U SES OF D ATABASES - B USINESSES  Maintain employee records  Control inventory  List suppliers and customers  Generate  Payroll checks  Invoices  Financial statements

U SES OF D ATABASES - S PECIALIZED  Mass mailings  Form letters  Mailing labels

U SES OF D ATABASES - H OME  Address book  Greeting card lists  Recipe files  Personal libraries  Track private collections  Coins  Stamps

A CCESS D ATABASE M ANAGEMENT S YSTEM INCLUDE :  Database information - Actual data entered into database  4 database objects : 4 database objects ObjectUse TablesTo Store Data QueriesTo find, retrieve, and combine data FormsTo view, enter, and edit data easily ReportsTo analyze, format, report, or print data

O RGANIZATION OF A CCESS DBMS  File extension.accdb (Access Database)  The database file is composed of all the database objects.  Not a separate file for each object  Database objects provide a structure through which you can store or manipulate the data.  You can have more than one of each type of object in a database (several tables, several forms, several queries, several reports etc.)

W HAT IS A D ATABASE ?  An organized collection of information related to a specific topic that is kept together in a single file.  Different from Excel: Excel is a flat file; non-relational Introduction to Database (Video)

W HAT IS A R ELATIONAL D ATABASE ?  Allows you to store categories of data in separate tables, yet combine data from any of the tables.  Advantages of Relational Databases  Reduces duplication  More accurate and reliable data  Faster data entry  Multi-users simultaneously  Viewing and sorting variety  Quick professional reporting

A CCESS OR E XCEL ? FeatureExcelAccess Layout Provides a natural tabular layout for easy data entry Tabular layout as well as the ability to create customized data entry screens Storage Limited to 65,000 records per sheetStores any number of records up to 2GB Linked Tables Manages single lists of informationAllows links between lists of information to reduce data redundancy Reporting Limited to the current spreadsheet arrangement of data Creates and saves multiple presentations of data Security Limited to file security options such as marking the file read only or protecting a range of cells Allows users to access only the records and fields they need Multiuser Capabilities Does not easily allow multiple users to simultaneously enter and update data Allows multiple users to simultaneously enter and update data Data entry Provides limited data entry screensProvides the ability to create extensive data entry screens called forms