Microsoft Access is a powerful database management system (DBMS) that functions in the windows environment and allows you to create and process data in a database.

A Database is simply an organized collection of information or data. Databases arrange information in such a way that any specific piece of information can be easily accessed.

Database Management involves creating, modifying, deleting, and adding data in a database. The software that performs these functions is known as a Database Management System (DBMS). Some popular DBMS software’s are MS Access, Clipper, and FoxPro.

A Database consists of a collection of Table in Access. In the tables the Rows are called Records and the columns are called fields.

1. On the Getting Started with Microsoft Office Access page, under New Blank Database, click Blank Database.

2. In the Blank Database pane, type a File name in the File Name box. If you do not supply a file name extension, Access adds it for you. To change the location of the file from the default, click Browse for a location to put your database (next to the File Name box), browse to the new location, and then click OK.

4. The Database window appears. A new database is created, with an extension .aacdb, which appears in the Database window

Notice that the new table contains a field called ID. This is your primary key, so you do not need to create one.

The steps to open an already-existing database are:

1. Click Microsoft Office Button.
2. Click Open from the drop-down list. The Open dialog box appears.
3. Select the desired database.
4. Click Open.

1. Click on View Drop down Arrow in Home Tabs Menu, Select Design View
2. Type your table name, Click Ok.
3. The Table Design view window appears. Here you can create whatever fields you like and select the data types for each field.
4. Under the Field Name Type the name of the field – stuRollNo over ID
5. Move to the Data Type column using the TAB key. Click the down arrow key and select the data type.
6. Move to the Description column using the TAB key and type the required information.
7. Press TAB again to move to the next row.

 The Table Design view window consists of two areas:

1. The field grid pane or field entry area; and
2. The field properties pane.

The field grid pane is used for entering a field name, data type and description (which is optional).

Fields are created by entering a name in the Filed Name Column in the field grid pane. To define a data type for a field, click on the drop-down arrow of the Data Type column and choose a data type.

More properties to the field name (like Field Size, Input Mask, Validation Rule, etc.) can be added by specifying certain characteristics in the Field Properties pane.

Format: It allows you to display data in format different from the way you actually stored data.

Numeric and currency Formats: You can choose from six pre-defined formats and many other symbols for creating your own customized formats like General Number, Currency, Fixed, Standard, Percent, and Scientific.

Date and Time Formats: You can select from the pre-defined formats for displaying data and time.

Logical Formats: The default setting is Yes/No. Other pre-defined formats for logical data are True/False, On/Off.

1. After given details for each field, Click Save on Office Button.
2. A dialog box appears, asking whether you want to save changes to the design of the table. Click on Yes.
3. The Save As dialog box appears. Type the Table Name and click on OK.

Switching Views

When you are working with tables in MS Access, the views available are:

1. Design View: In this view, you enter fields, data types and description in your table.
2. Datasheet View: In this view, you enter the actual data, i.e., the records.

You can easily switch from one view to another by clicking the required option of the View button on the toolbar.

Make Changes in Datasheet View

Sometimes after creating a table, you may wish to make some changes to it. The following changes can be made in the Datasheet view:

1. Insert column
2. Delete column
3. Rename column
4. Move column
5. Change the data type

Insert a Field

The steps to insert a new field are as follows:

1. Click that column header on left of which you want to insert a new field.
2. Select Insert button in Fields & Columns group in Datasheet Tabs menu. Notice that the field name – Field1 is inserted on the left.

Delete a Field

The steps to delete a field are as follows:

Click the header of the column you want to delete.

Click Delete button in Field & Column group in Datasheet Tabs menu. Notice that the column has been deleted

Rename a Field

The steps to rename a field are as follows:

1. To rename a field, click the column header and click Rename button in Field & Columns group in Datasheet Tabs menu.
2. Enter the new name.
3. Now, enter the data in the column.

Database                                                –An organized collection of information or data

Database Management System:       –A set of programs that allow storage, modification and retrieval of information from a database

Record                                                    –Set of information stored about an entity in a row

Field                                                        –A column in a table that contains particular information about a record

Primary Key                                          –A field that uniquely identifies every record in a table

Datasheet view                                     –The view that is used to enter the actual data, i.e., the records

Design view                                           –The view that is used to enter fields, data type and description in the table

Tables                                                    – Store data in columns and rows

Queries                                                  –A query is a question that we ask about the data that is stored in the tables. It may also be a request to perform an action on the data.

Forms                                                    –A convenient way to enter, change, and view records in the database.

Report                                                    –Reports are the printed results of the data.

Pages                                                     –Data Access pages are used for entering and/or viewing data from website or internet