Summary

Compared to industrial-strength database products such as Microsoft's SQL Server, Access is a breeze to use. Access 2007: The Missing Manual was written from the ground up for this redesigned application. With it, you'll learn how to design complete databases, maintain them, search for valuable nuggets of information, and build attractive forms for quick-and-easy data entry. You will even delve into the black art of Access programming (including macros and Visual Basic), and pick up valuable tricks and techniques to automate common tasks -- even if you've never touched a line of code before. You'll also learn all about the new pre-built databases you can customize to fit your needs, and how the new complex data feature will simplify your life. Packed with plenty of downloadable examples, this objective and witty book will help you master Access's new style quickly so you can build great databases in record time. It will turn an Access neophyte into a true master.

Author Biography

Matthew MacDonald is an author, educator, and programmer extraordinaire. He's the author of over a dozen books about .NET programming, and the author of Excel: The Missing Manual. In a dimly remembered past life, he studied English literature and theoretical physics.

The Missing Credits Introduction
Storing Information in Tables
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
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
Choose Good Field Names
Break Down Your Information
Include All the Details in One Place
Avoid Duplicating Information
Avoid Redundant Information
Include an ID Field
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 Advanced Editing
The Spell Checker
AutoCorrect
Special Characters
Printing the Datasheet
Print Preview
Fine-Tuning a Printout
Blocking Bad Data
Data Integrity Basics
Preventing Blank Fields
Setting Default Values
Preventing Duplicate Values with Indexes
Input Masks
Using a Ready-Made Mask
Creating Your Own 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
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
Manipulating Data with Queries
Queries
That Select Records
Query Basics
Creating Queries
Creating a Query in Design View
Creating a Simple Query with the Query Wizard
Understanding the SQL View Queries and Related Tables
Joining Tables in a Query
Outer Joins
Multiple Joins
Essential Query Tricks
Calculated Fields
Defining a Calculated
Field Simple Math with Numeric Fields
Expressions with Text Query Functions
Using a Function
The Expression Builder
Formatting Numbers
More Mathematical Functions
Text Functions
Date Functions
Dealing with Blank Values (Nulls)
Summarizing Data
Grouping a Totals Query
Joins in a Totals Query
Query Parameters
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 Getting Auto Numbers to Start at Values
Other Than 1 Delete Queries
Tutorial: Flagging Out-of-Stock Orders
Finding Out-of-Stock Items Putting the Orders on Hold
Analyzing Data with Crosstab
Queries and Pivot
Tables
Understanding Crosstab Q
Table of Contents provided by Publisher. All Rights Reserved.

Supplemental Materials

What is included with this book?

The New copy of this book will include any supplemental materials advertised. Please check the title of the book to determine if it should include any access cards, study guides, lab manuals, CDs, etc.

The Used, Rental and eBook copies of this book are not guaranteed to include any supplemental materials. Typically, only the book itself is included. This is true even if the title states it includes any access cards, study guides, lab manuals, CDs, etc.