Access 97 Essentials

Is this course for you?

This course is intended for anyone wishing to learn the fundamentals of using Microsoft Access 97.

It shows how you can use an existing Access database for managing, finding and displaying information. It goes on to show you how the Database Wizard can help youbuild your own database, and goes on to more detail about the 'building blocks' of a database, covering tables, forms, reports and queries. It shows how you can define relationships between items to form a relational database.

All the concepts are explained along the way, so you do not need to have previous database experience. We do assume that you are familiar with Windows and using simple Windows applications.

The course includes the following elements:

Lesson 1: Access 97 Tour

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Learn how to...	Tutor's summary
Start Microsoft Access Select a database Open a table in Design View Look at the field properties Switch to Table Datasheet View Move around a datasheet Open a form Switch to Form Design View View a query Switch to Query Design View View a report Switch to Report Design View Close a database Exit Access	In this lesson we take a tour around an Access database. I'll introduce you to some of the different components: Tables, Forms, Queries and Reports which make up a database. And as we go along I'll explain some of the terminology you'll meet as you work through the course.

Lesson 2: Tables 1

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Create a blank database Name a database. Create a table in Design View. Add a field name Specify the data type Control field size Prevent data being duplicated Set a primary field Save a table Start a new database from the file menu

In this lesson we look at how to create a database from scratch and set up a new table to contain your information. Getting the table correctly structured is important for keeping your information under control, We want each record in the table to follow the same format, and each field to have the correct type of information. We look at how to control what sort of information is stored in a field and how to get Access to check that the correct type of information has been entered in a field.

Lesson 3: Tables 2

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Open a table in a database Add a description to a field Select a row Insert a row Set a Required field Allow duplicate fields Set a format for a date field Add a currency field Add a Yes/No field Save updates to a table	In this lesson we carry on from the previous lesson and look at how to edit fields and add and insert new ones, including some special fields for date, currency or for simple Yes/No alternatives.

Lesson 4: Enter Records

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Fill in a fixed size field Fill in a text field Scroll the data sheet Fill in a date field Fill in a currency field Fill in a Yes/No field Control column width Delete a record Save and close a table Use the . Recently Used File. list	So far we. ve been concentrating on how to design a table by setting up fields and specifying the type of information they will contain. But of course, the table only becomes useful when it has some information in it. So in this lesson we. ll look at the basics of entering information (or data) into a table.

Lesson 5: Lookup Wizard

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Select a field which needs a lookup list Select Lookup Wizard Control number of columns in a list Add the Lookup values Change the Lookup column title Finish with Lookup Wizard Use a Lookup list to enter data.

Like other programs in the Microsoft Office suite, Access has a range of so-called . Wizards. which help to automate a range of tasks and procedures. Wizards can be particularly helpful for leading you through procedures which would otherwise be complex or easy to get wrong. In this lesson we look at the Lookup Wizard which allows you to add a drop down list to a field. This means that you can select the details from the list instead of keying it in.

Lesson 6: Getting Help 1

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Learn how to...	Tutor's summary
Display dialogue box help Use the What. s This? feature Use ScreenTips Display the Office Assistant Change the Office Assistant appearance Change the Office Assistant options Access tips	As you've probably realised by now, Access has a vast range of features. You don't need to memorise everything though, because Access will normally show you the information you need, either with on-screen prompts, or the ScreenTips. We also look at using the Office Assistant to find out information about topics and how to display the Tips for the day.

Lesson 7: Getting Help 2

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Learn how to...	Tutor's summary
Open Microsoft Access 97 Help Find information using the Contents tab Find your way round the Help window Find information using the Index tab Search for keywords using the Find tab	As you would expect from any good Windows application, Access comes with very detailed Help information, which is available to you at any time while you have Access on screen.

Lesson 8: Form Design 1

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Open an existing form Create a new form Change to Form Design view Select, move and resize objects Add a label Change the AutoFormat Save a form

So far in the course you. ve been entering data into a table using Datasheet view. This means you can see all the records in the table. And that. s OK for a simple datasheet. Sometimes though it. s easier to concentrate on just one record at a time, especially if you have many records or each record has many fields. So to work on just a single record, you design a form and use that to enter your data.

Lesson 9: Add/Import/Export data

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Entering data in Form View Move between records Import data Display different file types Store data in a new table Set a primary key Export data

Access does make it as easy as possible to create new database information by typing at the datasheet or at a form. But often you will already have lists of information in some different format. Re-typing the whole thing would be tedious and time-wasting, so Access has some features to help you import data from other sources and also for reversing the process and exporting the data so that it can be used by other programs.

Lesson 10: Form Design 2

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Change background colour for a section Drag to make a menu float Change text colour Change text size Change font Center text in a label Move a label Move a field Add special effects View and change object Properties

The Form is more than just a convenient way to add new data to a table. A well-designed form should be correctly laid out so that it is easy find the information you want, which in turn helps to make the form easy to use and more difficult to make mistakes. Well-chosen colours, fonts and so on can make all the difference, so in this lesson we look at ways of customising the look of a form using colour and font effects.

Lesson 11: Editing tables and forms

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Learn how to...	Tutor's summary
Add a field to a table Edit the form design Display the field list Add a field to a form Close the field list Align a column of objects Update the colour for a field label Change the field tab order	It. s easy to add new information to a table, simply by adding an extra column. But of course, that new information won. t automatically be available on existing forms. So in this lesson we. ll look at the process of editing or updating a form to allow for changes in the table.

Lesson 12: Managing information

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Sort records in Form View Find a record Use the search criteria Edit a record Delete a record Sort records in Datasheet View Rename a table Delete a table Undo Delete Table	In this lesson we're going to look at the basics of managing your information in an Access table. You need to be able to sort information into different orders for date, or name perhaps. You also need to find particular records, to edit or update them and to delete records you no longer need.

Lesson 13: Filtering records

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Filter records in a Table Use Filter By Selection Use Filter By Form Add criteria to a filter Filter records in a Form Use Filter Excluding Selection

You. ve already seen that you can sort records or find a single record. Sometimes you'll want to identify records table match given criteria, such as all records with a London address. The simplest way of doing this is using the Access Filters. In this lesson we. ll look at various different ways to use filters, to find records which match one or more criteria or which exclude criteria for example

Lesson 14: Query 1

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Learn how to...	Tutor's summary
Create a query Select fields to display Specify criteria Sort records Run a query from the menus Save a query Amend a query Run a query from the toolbar Save an amended query Export information to an Excel workbook	Well, filters are fine as far as they go, but if you want more control over finding information you use a query. Queries work in a similar way to filters but allow you greater flexibility and enable you to bring together data from more than one table. Once you. ve created a query you can save it and run it over and over again.

Lesson 15: Relationships

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Learn how to...	Tutor's summary
Display the Relationship window Add tables to the Relationship window Create a Lookup list using another table View relationships Delete a relationship Create a relationship	We. ve seen elsewhere in the course that a database can contain more than one table, Normally you create a table for each type of information you need to track. You use queries, forms or reports to display just the specific pieces of information you need from each record in a table. But to bring together data from more than one table you need to define relationships between the tables.

Lesson 16: Query 2

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Learn how to...	Tutor's summary
Start a Query Select fields from more than one table Use drag-and-drop to select fields Specify criteria Run a Query Save a Query Show/hide fields Adjust the width of a Query column Save a filter as a Query	The potential power and flexibility of a database starts to become evident when you are working with information in more than one table. As you might expect, to extract information from more than one table you use an Access query. In this lesson, we're going to create and edit a number of different queries using more than one table and save a filter as a query.

Lesson 17: Query 3

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Add more criteria to a query Create a Lookup list using a query Use the Combo Box Wizard Label a combo box Store the selected value in a field Adjust the Tab order for a form

Using a look-up list on a form is a good way to make the form easy to use. We. ve seen that you can create a look-up list (or Combo box to use the jargon) by typing the values, or you can get the values from a table. Sometimes you. ll want the list to include only specific items from a table and you can do that with a Query. In this lesson we look at how to use a Query to add a Lookup list to a form. The quick way to do this is using the Combo Wizard. This allows us to restrict the lookup list to display only the specific values we want.

Lesson 18: Parameter queries

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Create a parameter query Display the Expression Builder Create a date query Select records which fall between two dates	In this lesson we look at how to make a query more flexible by getting it to prompt you for the criteria when you run it. This type of query is known as a Parameter query. We also look at the Expression Builder feature, which help you to make complex queries.

Lesson 19: Action queries

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Create an Update query Specify the Update information Run an Update query Create a Delete query Run a Delete query

Queries can do more than simply extract information from a table. From time to time you will need to update information in a table. For example to increase the salaries for a group of employees by 5%, or change the prices of your products. Instead of changing each record one by one you can use an Update query to do it for you automatically. Similarly you can remove records from a database which fall into a particular group using a Delete query.

Lesson 20: Reports 1

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Use the Print Preview Produce an AutoReport View a report Print a report Save a report	So far we. ve been looking at building up tables and using queries to extract information and display it on the screen. Sometimes, though you. ll want to get a printed version of the data, and the simplest way is with the AutoReport feature.

Lesson 21: Reports 2

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Start the Report Wizard Select fields for a report Control how you want to view your data Add grouping levels to the report Sort the records in alphabetical order Control report layout and style Add a report title Control line spacing Hide line borders Edit the Page Setup Edit graphic lines	AutoReports are a quick way to produce a report, but sometimes you. ll want more control over what appears on a report - which is where the Report Wizard comes into its own.

Lesson 22: Command buttons

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Add a Command button to a form Select a Category and Action Select a report to print Put text or a picture on the Command button Use a Command button

You use a command button on a form to start an action or set of actions. You can create a button on your own, but with the Command Button Wizard you can create over 30 different types of command buttons. The Wizard creates the button and sets up the instructions you want carried out when you click on it. For example, find a record, print a record or apply a form filter. In this lesson we. ll keep things simple and create a command button to print a report.

Lesson 23: Labels Report Wizard

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Start Label Wizard Select a label size Change label font and colour Select the address fields Sort the labels Preview the printed labels Edit the label design Add text to a label Create a link with a Word merge document	In this lesson we're going to create a report using the Labels Report Wizard which will guide us through each step and send the result to Word.

Lesson 24: Database Wizard

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Start Database Wizard Select a file location and name Add optional fields to a table Select the Screen display style Select the Printed reports style Add a database title and report picture Build and start the database Use the Main Switchboard Add categories to a lookup list Preview reports Change Switchboard items

As you. ve seen on this course, Access is an extremely powerful application for managing information. You can build everything from scratch, but sometimes it. s easier to let Access help. Access is supplied with a range of Wizards to help you set up your own databases. Even if you can. t find exactly what you want, it. s often convenient to start with the Wizard and then modify to database to suit your needs.

Pre-defined curricula

Like all courses at the Reeltime College this course comes supplied with a number of predefined curricula designed to help you go straight to the subjects you're most interested in. Curricula supplied with this course include:

1. Standard curriculum (all lessons)
2. Overview
3. Table design
4. Entering information
5. Automated features
6. Help information
7. Form design
8. Sort and filter information
9. Queries
10. Relationships
11. Reports
12. Personal curriculum (designed by you)

What will I need to enrol?

This is what you need to get the most from the course:

1. A Pentium-class PC with Windows 95, 98, ME, 2000 or XP.
2. Sound card and loudspeakers or headphones
3. A CD-ROM drive (or DVD drive) either on the PC or accessible over a local network.
4. Approximately 10 Mb spare disk capacity. If you have another 30 Mb spare, you can choose to copy introduction movies onto the hard disk.
5. If you download the course handbook, you'll need approximately 2 Mb spare for the download.
6. The course assumes you have a copy of the target software (Access 97) correctly installed on your computer. If not, you'll be able to watch the movie segments, but not complete the hands-on segments.

You can enrol on the course by using the Reeltime software, which also allows you to preview the course content off-line. For more information, go to the How to join Reeltime College  page.

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