MS Access - a relational database management system tool
Creating a New Database
Start Access
When Access is first opened, a dialog box will appear. To create a new database, select New Blank Database.
You have several choices. But when you try to create one, Access first prompts you for a name, and for a
place to save your file.
Name your databases something useful. Don't use Database1.accdb because
they will be difficult to find if someone else has used the same default names.
Press Create and the Database Window appears.
Microsoft Office Access 2007 creates files in a new file format that cannot be opened with earlier versions of Access.
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Objects in the Access Database Window
Continuing with our color schema in which we use
terms relevant to entity relationship models
and their correlates in Access
and, when appropriate, their correlates in Excel
an Access Table
(an entity set or a worksheet)
is a collection of data about a specific topic
-
Tables organize and store data into
entities in Entity Relationship Models
records in Access
rows in Excel.
and
attributes in Entity Relationship Models
fields in Access
columns in Excel.
- all databases contain one or more tables
type
|
⇒
|
⇓
|
ERModel entity set
|
composed of entities
|
which have attributes
|
Access tables
|
composed of records
|
which have fields
|
Excel worksheets
|
composed of rows
|
which have column cells
|
a Query is generated to view, change, and analyze data from one or more tables
- Queries retrieve and process your data
-
Queries can combine data from different tables, update your data,
and perform calculations on your data
a Form is an object designed primarily for data input and display
- Forms control data entry and data views
- Forms provide visual cues that make data easier to work with
a Report is an object designed for formatting, calculating, printing
and summarizing selected data
-
Reports turn the data in your tables and queries into
documents for communicating ideas
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Views of each object
Tables
Design View and Datasheet View
An entity set
is the list of given entities/records
within a given entity class that are currently in the database/table.
In Access, an
entity set is a
table.
Primary and Foreign Keys
-
a Primary Key is a set of
attributes/fields
that uniquely identifies
an entity/a record.
-
a Foreign Key is a copy of the Primary Key of one entity class that appears as
an attribute in another entity class
a field in another table
and helps define the
relationship between
entities
records
in the two
classes
tables
-
these keys link together the related
entity classes/tables
in a relational database
Queries
Design View, Datasheet View and SQL (Structured Query Language) View
Forms
Design View, Form View and Datasheet View
Reports
Design View, Print Preview and Layout Preview
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Plan the Database First
- Determine the need or purpose of the database
- Decide which kinds of things (the tables) the database should include
- Specify the fields that comprise the tables and determine which fields in each table contain unique values
- Decide how the tables are related to each other, then review and finalize the design
- Construct and relate the tables and populate the database with sample data
- Create forms, queries, and reports to use with the data
Access Database Design Help
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