Access 2007 for Starters: The Missing Manual (Paperback)

Description

This fast-paced book teaches you the basics of Access 2007 so you can start using this popular database program right away. You'll learn how to work with Access' most useful features to design databases, maintain them, search for valuable nuggets of information, and build attractive forms for quick-and-easy data entry.

The new Access is radically different from previous versions, but with this book, you'll breeze through the new interface and its timesaving features in no time with:

• Clear explanations
• Step-by-step instructions
• Lots of illustrations
• Larger type
• Plenty of friendly advice
  
  

Ideal for small businesses and households, Access runs on PCs and manages large stores information, including numbers, pages of text, and pictures -- everything from a list of family phone numbers to an enormous product catalog. Unfortunately, each new version of the program crammed in yet another set of features -- so many that even the pros don't know where to find them all. Access 2007 breaks the mold: Microsoft changed the user interface by designing a tabbed toolbar that makes features easy to locate.

One thing that hasn't improved is Microsoft's documentation. Even if you find the features you need, you still may not know what to do with them. Access 2007 for Starters: The Missing Manual is the perfect primer for small businesses with no techie to turn to, as well as those who want to organize household and office information.

 

Table of Contents

The Missing Credits

Introduction

     What You Can Do with Access

     The New Face of Access 2007

     About This Book

One:. Storing Information in Tables

Chapter 1. Creating Your First Database

     Understanding Access Databases

     Getting Started

               Creating a New Database

               Understanding Tables

               Creating a Simple Table

               Editing a Table

     Saving and Opening Access Databases

               Making Backups

               Saving a Database with a Different Name or Format

               Opening a Database

               Opening More Than One Database at Once

               Opening a Database Created in an Older Version of Access

               Creating Another Database

     The Navigation Pane

               Browsing Tables with the Navigation Pane

               Managing Database Objects

Chapter 2. Building Smarter Tables

     Understanding Data Types

     Design View

               Organizing and Describing Your Fields

               How Updates Work in Design View

     Access Data Types

               Text

               Memo

               Number

               Currency

               Date/Time

               Yes/No

               Hyperlink

               Attachment

               AutoNumber

     The Primary Key

               Creating Your Own Primary Key Field

     Six Principles of Database Design

               1. Choose Good Field Names

               2. Break Down Your Information

               3. Include All the Details in One Place

               4. Avoid Duplicating Information

               5. Avoid Redundant Information

               6. Include an ID Field

Chapter 3. Mastering the Datasheet: Sorting, Searching, Filtering, and More

     Datasheet Customization

               Formatting the Datasheet

               Rearranging Columns

               Resizing Rows and Columns

               Hiding Columns

               Freezing Columns

     Datasheet Navigation

               Sorting

               Filtering

               Searching

     Printing the Datasheet

               Print Preview

               Fine-Tuning a Printout

Chapter 4. Blocking Bad Data

     Data Integrity Basics

               Preventing Blank Fields

               Setting Default Values

               Preventing Duplicate Values with Indexes

     Input Masks

               Using a Ready-Made Mask

     Validation Rules

               Applying a Field Validation Rule

               Writing a Field Validation Rule

               Creating a Table Validation Rule

     Lookups

               Creating a Simple Lookup with Fixed Values

               Adding New Values to Your Lookup List

Chapter 5. Linking Tables with Relationships

     Relationship Basics

               Redundant Data vs. Related Data

               Matching Fields: The Relationship Link

               Linking with the ID Column

               The Parent-Child Relationship

     Using a Relationship

               Defining a Relationship

               Editing Relationships

               Referential Integrity

               Navigating a Relationship

               Lookups with Related Tables

     More Exotic Relationships

               One-to-One Relationship

               Many-to-Many Relationship

     Relationship Practice

               The Music School

               The Chocolate Store

Two:. Manipulating Data with Queries

Chapter 6. Queries That Select Records

     Query Basics

     Creating Queries

               Creating a Query in Design View

               Creating a Simple Query with the Query Wizard

     Queries and Related Tables

               Joining Tables in a Query

               Outer Joins

               Multiple Joins

     Query Power: Calculated Fields and Text Expressions

     Calculated Fields

               Defining a Calculated Field

               Simple Math with Numeric Fields

               Expressions with Text

Chapter 7. Queries That Update Records

     Understanding Action Queries

               Testing Action Queries (Carefully)

               The Action Query Family

     Update Queries

     Append Queries

               Creating an Append (or Make-Table) Query

     Delete Queries

Three:. Printing Reports and using forms

Chapter 8. Creating Reports

     Report Basics

               Creating a Simple Report

               Arranging a Report

               Adding and Removing Fields

               The Many Views of a Report

               Creating a Report from Scratch

     Printing, Previewing, and Exporting a Report

               Previewing a Report

               Exporting a Report

               Getting the "Save As PDF" Add-in

     Formatting a Report

               Formatting Columns and Column Headers

     Filtering and Sorting a Report

               Filtering a Report

               Sorting a Report

Chapter 9. Creating Simple Forms

     Form Basics

               Creating a Simple Form

               Using a Form

     Sorting and Filtering in a Form

               Sorting a Form

               Filtering a Form

               Using the Filter by Form Feature

               Saving Filters for the Future

     The Form Wizard

Four:. Sharing access with the rest of the world

Chapter 10. Importing and Exporting Data

     Case for Importing and Exporting

               Understanding Exports

               Understanding Imports

     Using the Clipboard

               Copying a Table from Access to Somewhere Else

               Copying Cells from Excel into Access

     Import and Export Operations

               Importable File Types

               Importing Data

               Importing from an Excel File

               Importing from a Text File

               Exportable File Types

               Exporting Data

Index