Microsoft Access isn't in every user's software repertoire. Those who rely on it for their day-to-day work tend to know it very well. But a lot of users work with Access only occasionally, maybe for a special project or when their manager suddenly needs a slice of data presented in a slick-looking report. Those users are likely to spend as much time trying to get back up to speed on a certain feature or capability as they do actually producing the desired results--and they may tie up coworkers and help desk staff along the way.
A basic understanding of how to build a table, run a query, and generate a report will give such users a head start in tackling the occasional Access-based project or task. Here's a bare-bones look at what they need to get underway.
Easiest way to build an Access table
For less-experienced Access users, the Table Wizard probably offers the best starting point for creating a table. The wizard isn’t necessarily more efficient, but it gives novices an edge because specific knowledge about data types and field properties isn’t required. The user just needs to identify the type of data the table will store, and the wizard will make most of the decisions. To execute the Table Wizard:
- Press [F11] to display the Database window.
- Click the Tables button on the Database window’s Object bar.
- Double-click the Create Table By Using Wizard option.
The wizard will launch and present the first screen (Figure A), which lets the user specify a table, such as a mailing list or a list of employees or orders, and select from a list of fields relevant to that type of data. The wizard will then guide the user through the process of naming the table, assigning a primary key, creating any desired relationships to other tables, and entering data.
Query-building with wizards
Queries allow users to populate forms and reports and display only the data they need. Queries can be based on a single table, multiple tables, or on another query. Access offers a number of wizards to simplify the process of creating a query:
- The Simple Query Wizard creates a simple select query, with one limitation--you can’t conditionally limit data.
- The Crosstab Query Wizard walks you through the process of creating a crosstab query.
- The Find Duplicates Query Wizard locates duplicate entries and records.
- The Find Unmatched Query Wizard locates orphan records--child values (or foreign key values) in related tables that don’t relate to any parent value (or primary key value).
Choose one of the following methods to launch a query wizard:
- Click on the Queries shortcut in the Database window and then double-click the Create Query By Using Wizard shortcut. This launches the Simple Query Wizard (Figure B).
- Click on the Queries shortcut in the Database window and then click the New button on the Database Window toolbar.
- Choose Query from the Insert menu or from the New Object button’s drop-down list.
Play video
There are currently no comments for this post.