Le Moyne College CSC-151 Microsoft Access 2003 Reference

Topics	How to ...
Main Access window	Visual appearance of Access.
Database:
New database	create new database file.
Open database	open existing database file.
Database window	what is stored in an Access database file?
Table:
Design view	create and modify the design of a table.
Datasheet view	create and modify data stored in a table.
Datasheet advanced features	sort, filter, and other features of the datasheet view.
Form:
Design view	create and modify the design of a form.
Form view	create and modify data accessed via a form.
Datasheet view	create and modify data accessed via a form.
Query:
Design view	create and modify the design of a query.
Datasheet view	create and modify data accessed via a query.
SQL view	display and modify SQL associated with query.
Report:
Design view	create and modify the design of a report.
Report view	view data displayed on a report.

Main Access window

When Microsoft Access starts, the application window looks like the picture on the right.

At this point, you can either create a new Access database or open an existing Access database.

To create a new Access database:

Select File, New... from the menu.
Click on the toolbar button.
Click on the "Create a new file..." link found at the bottom of the "Getting Started" panel.

Performing any of the above actions will display the "New File..." panel.

To open an existing Access database:

Select File, Open... from the menu.
Click on the toolbar button.
Click on a file listed in the "Open" section of the "Getting Started" panel, or click on the "More..." link at the end of the file list.

Performing any of the above actions will display the "Open" dialog box.

New database

To create a new Access database, display the "New File..." panel by:

Selecting File, New... from the menu.
Clicking on the toolbar button.
Clicking on the "Create a new file..." link found at the bottom of the "Getting Started" panel.

When you click the "Blank database..." link in the "New File..." panel, a "File New Database" dialog box is displayed. This dialog box allows you to identify the drive, folder, and file name for your Microsoft Access database.

Note the difference between creating a new Word or Excel file and creating a new Access file.

With Word or Excel, you are immediately given an empty document that you may use. At some point in the future, you save the Word or Excel document to a drive, folder, and file name.
With Access, you must first identify the drive, folder, and file name of the database file. After you've done this, you then create objects that are stored in this database.

After you've created a new Access database file, the database window is displayed.

The other options in the "New File..." panel are not used in this class.

Open database

To open an existing Access database, display the "Open" dialog box by:

Selecting File, Open... from the menu.
Clicking on the toolbar button.
Clicking on a file listed in the "Open" section of the "Getting Started" panel, or click on the "More..." link at the end of the file list.

At this point, you navigate to the drive and folder that contains your database file, and then select the file and click the Open button (or double-click on the database file name).

Before the Access database file is opened, a "Security Warning" dialog box may be displayed.

This dialog box is typically displayed when you are opening an Access database file that is on a network drive (e.g., your H: drive).

For this class, you may assume that the Access database files your are given are safe to use. Thus, click on the "Open" button to open the Access database file.

After you've opened an Access database file, the database window is displayed.

Database window

Before discussing what is stored in an Access database file, we'll first describe the appearance of the database window - the primary child window used once you've opened an Access database file.

When the database window is first displayed, it appears as a child window of the main application window. In the picture to the right, the database window has the title "Demo: Database (Access 2000 file format)". The Access database file that was opened has a filename of Demo.mdb.

When the database window is first displayed, it is not maximized. (Note the gray shading around the window. Also note the minimize, maximize, and close buttons found on the right-end of the database window title bar.)

It is typically a good idea to maximize the database window before you begin to use the database.

When you click on the maximize button on the database window title bar, the database (child) window is maximized within the Microsoft Access main application window. The picture to the right illustrates what this will look like.

In comparing the first database window above to the picture to the right, note the following:

The title bar of the Access main application window to the right is the combination of the two title bars shown in the picture above.

There are still two sets of minimize, maximize, and close buttons in the picture to the right.

The buttons on the right-end of the title bar affect the entire Access application window.

The buttons on the right-end of the menu bar (note the different appearance of these buttons) only affects the child window that is currently being displayed - in this case the database window.

When you click on the minimize button associated with the child (database) window, the Access main application window looks like the following:

What is stored in an Access database file?

As you can see in the above pictures, the database window lists seven types of objects:

Tables - to store data in the database.
Queries - to find and display data in one or more tables.
Forms - to display data in one or more tables, using a graphical user interface containing labels, textboxes, and other types of user controls (e.g., listbox, combobox).
Reports - to display data in one or more tables, using a report layout apppropriate for printing on paper.
Pages - to display data on a web page.
Macros - to write scripts that manipulate objects found in the database.
Modules - to write Visual Basic program code that manipulate objects found in the database.

In CSC 151, we cover table, query, form, and report object types. Each of these four object types are described in more detail within these web-based resources - see the top of this page for links to this information.