1. Practical Office 2007 Chapter 10
Creating a Database
Practical Office 2007 Chapter 10

2. 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
Practical Office 2007 Chapter 10

3. 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
Practical Office 2007 Chapter 10

4. How is data organized in a database? Cont’d.
Each card in the stack contains similar information, which relates to a single entity
A database record is equivalent to one index card
Practical Office 2007 Chapter 10

5. How is data organized in a database? Cont’d.
Practical Office 2007 Chapter 10

6. How is data organized in a database? Cont’d.
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
Practical Office 2007 Chapter 10

7. How is data organized in a database? Cont’d.
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
Practical Office 2007 Chapter 10

8. How is data organized in a database? Cont’d.
Practical Office 2007 Chapter 10

9. What’s in the Access window?
To start Access:
Point to All Programs
Click Microsoft Office
Click Microsoft Office Access 2007
Getting Started window appears – use it to:
Connect to Microsoft Office Online
Search for an existing file
Create a new database
Open an existing database
Practical Office 2007 Chapter 10

10. What’s in the Access window? Cont’d.
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
Practical Office 2007 Chapter 10

11. What’s in the Access window? Cont’d.
Tools, used to create tables and simple queries, are contained in 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
Practical Office 2007 Chapter 10

12. What’s in the Access window? Cont’d.
Practical Office 2007 Chapter 10

13. How do I create a new database or open an existing database?
Creating database different from document, worksheet, or presentation
In Access you first save an empty database then create elements of database
Elements include:
Tables
Reports
Forms
Queries
Practical Office 2007 Chapter 10

14. How do I create a new database or open an existing database? Cont’d.
Database needs to be saved only once
As you add or change data, changes are automatically saved
When finished, just close it
Practical Office 2007 Chapter 10

15. How do I create a new database or open an existing database? Cont’d.
If database is already created, select name from Getting Started with Microsoft Office Access window
To open database:
Use Open Recent Database list
Or the More link
Select storage device
Select file name
Click OK
Practical Office 2007 Chapter 10

16. How do I create a new database or open an existing database? Cont’d.
Practical Office 2007 Chapter 10

17. 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 makes 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
Table Templates help to create fields correctly
Practical Office 2007 Chapter 10

18. How do I create a table using a Table Template? Cont’d.
Practical Office 2007 Chapter 10

19. How do I create a table using a Table Template? Cont’d.
Practical Office 2007 Chapter 10

20. How do I create a table using a Table Template? Cont’d.
A primary key is a file that uniquely identifies each record
It is important that no two records are ever assigned the same value for this unique field
Practical Office 2007 Chapter 10

21. How do I create a table using a Table Template? Cont’d.
It is best to have Access create the primary key
You can select your own primary key. A social security number may be a good candidate for a primary key
Each table is also assigned its own primary key. These fields are used to link tables together
Practical Office 2007 Chapter 10

22. How do I create a table using a Table Template? Cont’d.
When finished, completed table is displayed and ready for data entry
Title of each field is displayed at top of each column
First blank record appears as first row of fields in table
Practical Office 2007 Chapter 10

23. How do I create a table using a Table Template? Cont’d.
If using a floppy disk, leave it in the drive until Access finishes saving
If removed too soon, database may become corrupted and data may be lost
To reopen database
Click file name from Getting Started with Microsoft Office Access window
Or click the More link to display the Open dialog box
Practical Office 2007 Chapter 10

24. How do I create a table using a Table Template? Cont’d.
Practical Office 2007 Chapter 10

25. 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
Practical Office 2007 Chapter 10

26. How do I enter and edit data in a table? Cont’d.
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
Practical Office 2007 Chapter 10

27. How do I enter and edit data in a table? Cont’d.
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 the row header containing the record
Click Delete Record on shortcut menu
Click Yes button
Practical Office 2007 Chapter 10

28. How do I enter and edit data in a table? Cont’d.
Practical Office 2007 Chapter 10

29. How do I create a table in Design View?
If sample tables 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
Practical Office 2007 Chapter 10

30. How do I create a table in Design View? Cont’d.
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
Practical Office 2007 Chapter 10

31. How do I create a table in Design View? Cont’d.
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
Practical Office 2007 Chapter 10

32. How do I create a table in Design View? Cont’d.
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
Practical Office 2007 Chapter 10

33. How do I create a table in Design View? Cont’d.
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
Practical Office 2007 Chapter 10

34. How do I create a table in Design View? Cont’d.
Practical Office 2007 Chapter 10

35. 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
Practical Office 2007 Chapter 10

36. How do I create a query using a wizard? Cont’d.
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
Practical Office 2007 Chapter 10

37. How do I create a query using a wizard? Cont’d.
Simple Query Wizard – Step 1
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
Practical Office 2007 Chapter 10

38. How do I create a query using a wizard? Cont’d.
Simple Query Wizard – Step 2
Detail option shows all specified fields for records
The Summary option displays how many records match your criteria
Simple Query Wizard – Step 3
click the Finish button to see the results of your query
Practical Office 2007 Chapter 10

39. How do I create a query using a wizard? Cont’d.
To refine search, specify query criteria
Example, to see only records of items costing more then $10:
Right-click name of query
Click Design View on shortcut menu
Type >10 in criteria row under Price field
Click Run button on Database toolbar
Practical Office 2007 Chapter 10

40. How do I create a query using a wizard? Cont’d.
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
Practical Office 2007 Chapter 10

41. How do I create a query using a wizard? Cont’d.
Practical Office 2007 Chapter 10