Microsoft Access 2000 & XP for Windows:  How to Create a Database

Tables & Forms

 

Start the Microsoft Access program by choosing Programs from the Start menu and then clicking on Microsoft Access. Then choose Start a New Database as shown below:

 
 

Then give the database a name (DBxxx where xxx are your 3 initials) and press the Create button.

IMPORTANT:   This will be the ONLY chance you get within the program to name and save your database (Access is different than other programs in this way -- there will be no "Save As..." option after this point.)  So name your database thoughtfully.   Of course, you can always get out of the program later, go to My Computer and to your disk, find the database file, and rename it there.  But this will not be while you are in the Access program.)

You will then be on the following screen:

Make sure that you have selected "Tables" under the Objects list on the left side of the window.

Double-click on "Create table in Design view" in the list in the right window

Tables

When you first begin a new database file, the program opens with a tabbed set of items from which to choose, the first of which is Tables. A Table allows you to look at all of the entries of the database at one time, with the fields as columns of information. In some databases, there is a special view called List View that is used for the same purpose. A table allows you to view field and record information in a grid format.

To create a new table.   First select the object called Tables in the left of the window. Then double-click on "Create table in Design view" in the list in the right window.  

You will then see the following screen:

 

Ignore the bottom box and focus on the top part of the screen.  Click in the first cell under Field Name and type in the first field -- here the field name Last Name has been typed into the cell.  Then click in the Data Type cell and specify the type of data that will go into the field  -- text, number, date, currency, etc.  Notice that Data Type is a pop-down menu from which you will choose these options as shown below:

 

Continue down the column until you have specified all your fields.

Then choose DataSheet View from the view menu, choose Yes to all changes, name the Table (or leave it as Table 1), and No to Primary Key (we are not using a Primary Key, so that part won't matter).  You will then be looking at blank boxes  in DataSheet View.  This is where you will type in your actual data -- the names of the students, or the names of the CDs, etc. Your blank DataSheet View screen table looks like this:

 
 

Entering or Changing Information. Click in the cell where you want the information to go. Then type the information.

Formatting the Font. Choose Font in the Format menu to specify font changes.

Resizing a Field Column. To resize a field so that you can see all text in the field, move your cursor up on the line in-between the column headings. The cursor will then change from a fat plus symbol to a split line with arrows. Click and drag the line to the left or right to resize the column.

Sorting in Table View. To sort records (alphabetically or numerically), first click on the field name of the data you want to sort so that the entire column of data for that field highlights.  Then choose Sort from the Records menu.

 

Your records can be sorted either ascending (A-Z or 1-10) or descending (Z-A or 10-1).

Looking at your Tables. When you have completed your DataSheet Table and close it, you will see any and all tables listed under the Tables object tab, in the list to the right of the Objects menu:

 

To view your table, just double-click on the table name in the list. To change anything about the design of the fields -- the name of a field or the type of field data (like number versus text), open the table, then under the View menu,  click on Design View. Once you are in the opened table, you can go back and forth from Datasheet View to Design View, depending on whether you are entering data or changing the design of the table.  Close the window with the X in the upper right corner to come back to this screen.

Forms

Form View allows you to look at one record at a time. This view is as if your screen was a filing card, called a "record". For your assignment, you only need to create a form and practice clicking through the cards in this view. In the process, notice that Form View is useful for looking at your database information one-card-at-a-time.

Creating a Form. To move to Form View, click on the Form tab under the Objects menu at the left, and then choose Create form by using wizard by double-clicking it in the list:

The following screen will appear:

Click on the pop-down menu under Tables/Queries and choose your table from the list --
the one above is simply Table1. 

Since your form is a basic form that will contain ALL the fields, click on the double-arrow button:    . This will cause ALL the fields to be selected for your new form:

When asked what type of layout, choose one.  In my example I'm choosing Columnar:

Columnar will set up a nice "card" with boxes that are your fields. Plan to use this type of Form on this assignment & on your skills exam. You may want to explore other options later, but for now focus on Columnar. 

Choose a form style from the list as shown below, and then click on Next:

You will see the following:

You now have the opportunity in the window above to give your form a name.  I'm naming this one "Form for Table 1".  Now click on the Finish button.  You should see your new form:

Entering or Updating Information. You can enter or update information in Form View by clicking in a field box and typing.

Moving through Records. You move through records (and enter information into new records) by pressing the arrow triangles in the lower left portion of the screen. Forward arrows (>) mean that you will advance forward through the "cards" of the database. Backward arrows (<) will go backward through the "cards". To jump to the first card or last card from any point in the cards, click on the respective arrows that have a line beside them in their icon picture: |< for first card, >| for last card.

Creating a New Record. Clicking on the forward arrow with the asterick (>*) will make a new blank record or card
for you. Then just type in any new information.

Closing & Saving a Form. After you have finished using the Form you created, click in the upper right X of the
Form screen. When it asks if you want to save changes to the Form, click on Yes.

To View a Created Form. Make sure you are in the Forms object area, then double-click on the Form that you want to open from the list of forms.  It will display that form.

To Change the Design of a Form after its Created. Make sure you are in the Forms area, then highlight the Form that you want to open from the list of forms. Then choose Design View from the View menu. It will display that form's design mode that lets you resize and move areas of the form around (a little bit tricky to do).

Now that you've completed this process, you are ready to try creating and using Filters. 

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Copyright 2004 by Dr. Edna H. Mory