Access 2007 For Dummies

by Ulrich Fuller, Laurie; Cook, Ken; Kaufeld, John

• ISBN13: 9780470046128
• ISBN10: 0470046120
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2006-12-26
• Publisher: For Dummies

Summary

Reduce stress with timesaving database shortcuts Explore database basics and build tables and reports that corral your data Access has undergone an extreme makeover! Whether you've used one of the older versions or this is your first exposure to Access, here's where you'll find the essentials you need to make this database system work for you. Cruise around the new interface, team up Access with other Office applications, use wizards to automate your work, and much more. Discover how to * Create a new Access database * Import and export data * Build forms for efficient data entry * Search tables for specific data * Construct custom reports * Customize your database navigation

Author Biography

Laurie Ulrich Fuller has been writing about and teaching people to use Microsoft Office since the 1980’s. Her teaching career goes back to the time before Microsoft Windows – which means she also remembers the first time she taught people to use a Windows-based application, and a student picked up the mouse and aimed it at the computer screen as though using a TV remote. Nobody laughed (except Laurie, after class), because everyone was new to the mouse back then. As new as the mouse was, so was the idea of keeping a database on a computer that could fit on your desk — and Laurie’s been there through every new version of Access — as Office has evolved to meet the needs of users from all walks of life — from individuals to huge corporations, from growing business to non-profit organizations.
Since those early days of Office and Windows, Laurie has personally trained more than 10,000 people to make better, more creative use of their computers, has written and co-written more than 25 nationally-published books on computers and software — including several titles on Microsoft Office. In the last few years, she’s also created two video training courses — one on Word 2003, and the other on the entire Office 2003 suite. She runs her own company, Limehat & Company, offering training, educational materials, and web development services. She invites you to contact her at [e-mail], and to visit her personal website, www.planetlaurie.com, for more information.
Laurie would also like you to know that despite being able to remember the world before Windows, she does not remember a time before cars, television, or fire.

Ken Cook has built and managed a successful computer consulting business since 1990 serving clients in New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, and California. He began as a trainer - training numerous users (too many to count!) on a variety of software packages — specializing in Microsoft Office.
Currently, he “dabbles in training” but his main focus is creating expert Microsoft Office solutions and Microsoft Access database solutions for Fortune 500 and small business clients.
He can be contacted through his Web site www.kcookpcbiz.com or email: [e-mail].

John Kaufeld is a popular For Dummies author.

Table of Contents

Introduction	1	(1)
About This Book	1	(1)
Conventions Used in This Book	2	(1)
What You Don't Have to Read	2	(1)
Foolish Assumptions	3	(1)
How This Book Is Organized	3	(2)
Part I: Basic Training	3	(1)
Part II: Getting It All on the Table	4	(1)
Part III: Data Mania and Management	4	(1)
Part IV: Ask Your Data, and Ye Shall Receive Answers	4	(1)
Part V: Plain and Fancy Reporting	5	(1)
Part VI: More Power to You	5	(1)
Part VII: The Part of Tens	5	(1)
Appendix: Getting Help	5	(1)
Icons Used in This Book	5	(1)
Where to Go from Here	6	(1)
Part I: Basic Training	7	(62)
Getting to Know Access 2007	9	(20)
What Is Access Good For, Anyway?	10	(8)
Building big databases	10	(1)
Creating databases with multiple tables	11	(2)
Databases with user forms	13	(2)
Databases requiring special reporting	15	(3)
How Access Works and How You Work with It	18	(11)
Opening Access	18	(3)
Selecting a starting point	21	(7)
Now what?	28	(1)
Finding Your Way Around Access	29	(22)
The Getting Started Window	31	(2)
Working with Access's On-screen Tools	33	(6)
Clicking tabs	34	(1)
Using buttons	35	(1)
The Quick Access menu and toolbar	35	(2)
Accessing panes, panels, and context-sensitive tools	37	(2)
Customizing the Access Workspace	39	(9)
Repositioning the Quick Access toolbar	39	(1)
Adding buttons from the tabs to the Quick Access toolbar	40	(2)
Removing buttons from the Quick Access toolbar	42	(1)
Minimizing the Ribbon	43	(1)
Working with ScreenTips	44	(3)
Correcting your screen resolution for maximum visibility	47	(1)
Mousing Around	48	(1)
Navigating Access with the Alt Key	49	(2)
Database Basics	51	(18)
Database Lingo	51	(3)
Data, no matter how you pronounce it	52	(1)
Fields of dreams (or data)	52	(1)
Records	52	(1)
Tables	53	(1)
The database	53	(1)
Field Types and Uses	54	(4)
Choosing between Flat and Relational Databases	58	(2)
Isolationist tables	59	(1)
Tables that mix and mingle	59	(1)
Building a Database	60	(4)
Adding and Removing Tables	64	(5)
One more, please	64	(2)
Oops, I didn't mean to do that	66	(3)
Part II: Getting It All on the Table	69	(58)
Keys, Relationships, and Indexes	71	(16)
The Primary Key to Success	71	(3)
The lowdown on primary keys	72	(2)
Creating a primary key	74	(1)
Making Tables Get Along	74	(3)
Rules of relationships	75	(1)
Relationship types	75	(2)
Building Table Relationships	77	(5)
The Relationships window	77	(1)
Table relationships	78	(4)
Indexing for Faster Queries	82	(5)
Create your own index	83	(2)
Adding and removing indexes	85	(2)
Remodeling Your Data	87	(16)
Opening a Table for Editing	88	(3)
Inserting Records and Fields	91	(5)
Adding a record	91	(2)
Inserting a field	93	(1)
Deleting a field	94	(2)
Modifying Field Content	96	(1)
Name Calling	97	(3)
Renaming fields	97	(2)
Renaming a table	99	(1)
Turn Uh Oh¡ into Yi Hah¡	100	(3)
What's Happening Under the Table?	103	(24)
Access Table Settings	103	(3)
Field Data Formats	106	(8)
Text and memo fields	106	(3)
Number and currency fields	109	(2)
Date/time fields	111	(1)
Yes/No fields	112	(2)
Gaining Control of Data Entry	114	(13)
You really need to put a mask on those fields	114	(8)
To require or not to require	122	(1)
Making your data toe the line with validation	122	(5)
Part III: Data Mania and Management	127	(54)
Creating Data Forms	129	(14)
Generating Forms	129	(8)
Keeping it simple: AutoForm	131	(2)
Granting most wishes: Form Wizard	133	(4)
Customizing Form Parts	137	(6)
Taking the Layout view	137	(2)
Managing form controls	139	(4)
Importing and Exporting Data	143	(12)
Retrieving Data from Other Sources	144	(7)
Translating file formats	144	(3)
Importing and linking	147	(4)
Get This Data Out of Here	151	(4)
Export formats	151	(1)
Exporting table or query data	152	(3)
Automatically Editing Data	155	(12)
Please Read This First¡	155	(2)
Creating Consistent Corrections	157	(3)
Using Queries to Automate the Editing Process	160	(7)
Looking for duplicate records	160	(1)
Running the Find Duplicates Query Wizard	161	(6)
Gather Locally, Share Globally	167	(14)
Access and the Web	167	(1)
Click¡ Using Hyperlinks in Your Access Database	168	(5)
Adding a hyperlink field to your table	169	(1)
Typing your hyperlinks	170	(1)
Fine tuning your hyperlinks	171	(2)
Testing links	173	(1)
Publishing Your Data to the Web	173	(8)
Publishing your Access tables	175	(6)
Part IV: Ask Your Data, and Ye Shall Receive Answers	181	(84)
Fast Finding, Filtering, and Sorting Data	183	(16)
Using the Find Command	184	(4)
Finding anything fast	184	(2)
Shifting Find into high gear	186	(2)
Sorting from A to Z or Z to A	188	(1)
Sorting by a single field	188	(1)
Sorting on more than one field	189	(1)
Fast and Furious Filtering	189	(10)
Filtering by a field's content	190	(2)
Filter by selection	192	(1)
Filter by Form	193	(3)
Unfiltering in a form	196	(1)
Filter by excluding selection	197	(2)
I Was Just Asking . . . For Answers	199	(28)
Simple (Yet Potent) Filter and Sort Tools	200	(9)
Filter things first	200	(2)
Fact-finding with fun, fast filtering	202	(1)
Here's the ``advanced'' part	203	(6)
Select Queries	209	(9)
Solid relationships are the key to getting it all (from your tables)	209	(3)
Running the Query Wizard	212	(6)
Getting Your Feet Wet with Ad Hoc Queries	218	(9)
Adding the finishing touches	221	(1)
Saving the query	222	(2)
Running your query	224	(3)
I'll Take These AND Those OR Them	227	(10)
Working with AND and/or OR	228	(6)
Data from here to there	229	(1)
Using multiple levels of AND	230	(2)
Establishing criteria with OR	232	(2)
Combining AND with OR and OR with AND	234	(3)
Queries That Think Faster Than You	237	(14)
Kissing That Calculator Goodbye via the Total Row	237	(2)
Adding the Total Row to Your Queries	239	(1)
Giving the Total Row a Workout	240	(8)
Organizing things with Group By	240	(3)
Performing sums	243	(1)
Counting, the easy way	244	(3)
Narrowing the results with Where	247	(1)
Creating Your Own Top-Ten List	248	(1)
Choosing the Right Field for the Summary Instruction	249	(2)
Calculating with Your Data	251	(14)
A Simple Calculation	252	(2)
Complex Calculations	254	(6)
Calculate until you need to calculate no more¡	254	(1)
Using one calculation in another	255	(1)
Using parameter queries to ask for help	256	(2)
Daisy chaining your words with text formulas	258	(2)
Expression Builder (Somewhat) to the Rescue	260	(5)
Part V: Plain and Fancy Reporting	265	(76)
Quick and Not-So-Dirty Automatic Reporting	267	(22)
Fast and Furious Automatic Reporting	268	(11)
Creating a quick, one-table report	269	(4)
Starting the Report Wizard	273	(6)
Previewing Your Report	279	(4)
Zooming in and out and all around	280	(2)
Pop goes the menu	282	(1)
Beauty Is Only Skin (Report) Deep	283	(6)
The Print Options tab	284	(1)
The Page tab	285	(1)
The Columns tab	286	(3)
Dazzling Report Design	289	(26)
Taking Your Report In for Service	289	(2)
Report Organization	291	(5)
Structural devices	291	(3)
Page breaks	294	(2)
Formatting This, That, and the Other	296	(12)
Adding color	297	(2)
Relocation, relocation, relocation	299	(2)
One size does not fit all	301	(1)
Spaced out controls	302	(1)
Borderline beauty	303	(4)
Tweaking your text	307	(1)
Sneaking a Peek	308	(1)
Getting an AutoFormat Makeover	309	(2)
Adding Additional Design Elements	311	(4)
Drawing lines	311	(1)
Pretty as a picture	312	(3)
Headers and Footers and Groups, Oh My¡	315	(20)
A Place for Everything and Everything in Its Place	316	(9)
Layout basics	316	(2)
Sections	318	(3)
Grouping your records	321	(3)
So you want more?	324	(1)
Customizing Properties	325	(10)
Controlling report and page headings	327	(2)
Adjusting individual sections	329	(2)
Itemized adjustments	331	(4)
Magical Mass Mailings	335	(6)
Massive Mailings with the Label Wizard	335	(6)
Part VI: More Power to You	341	(24)
Making It All Better with the Analyzer Tools	343	(10)
Convert Your Flat Files to Relational Tables with Analyzer	344	(3)
Record Database Object Details with the Documenter	347	(4)
Improve Database Performance without Steroids	351	(2)
Hello¡ Creating an Interface to Welcome Data Users	353	(12)
The Comings and Goings of a Switchboard	353	(5)
Creating a switchboard	354	(2)
Adding switchboard items	356	(2)
Am I in the Right Place? Switchboard Testing	358	(1)
Maintaining the Switchboard	359	(3)
Edit switchboard items	360	(1)
Delete a switchboard or switchboard item	360	(1)
Move a switchboard item	361	(1)
Displaying the Switchboard at Startup	362	(3)
Part VII: The Part of Tens	365	(18)
Ten Common Problems	367	(10)
You Type 73.725, but it Changes to 74	367	(1)
The Words They Are A-Changing	368	(1)
The Record was There and Now It's Gone	369	(1)
Undo	369	(1)
Search for the missing record	369	(1)
Backup recovery	370	(1)
You Run a Query, but the Results Aren't What You Expect	370	(2)
The Validation That Never Was	372	(1)
The Slowest Database in Town	372	(1)
Your Database File Is as Big as a Whale	373	(1)
You Get a Mess When Importing Your Spreadsheet	374	(1)
We're Sorry; Your Database File Is Corrupt	375	(1)
The Program Won't Start	376	(1)
Ten Uncommon Tips	377	(6)
Document Everything as Though You'll be Questioned by the FBI	378	(1)
Keep Your Fields as Small as Possible	379	(1)
Use Number Fields for Real Numbers	380	(1)
Validate Your Data	380	(1)
Use Understandable Names to Keep Things Simple	380	(1)
Delete with Great Caution	381	(1)
Backup, Backup, Backup	381	(1)
Think, Think, and Think Again	381	(1)
Get Organized and Stay Organized	382	(1)
There's No Shame in Asking for Help	382	(1)
Appendix: Getting Help	383	(8)
Asking Access for Help	384	(2)
Installed help files	384	(1)
Asking the right questions	384	(2)
Online Help	386	(2)
Microsoft.com	387	(1)
Search engines and other sites	387	(1)
Who's Our Next Caller?	388	(3)
Voice calls	389	(1)
TDD/TT calls	390	(1)
Index	391