Creating a New Database

Core Training for Microsoft Office Access 2003

Creating New Databases

1	To start Access, on the taskbar, click the Start button, point to All Programs, point to Microsoft Office, and then click Microsoft Office Access 2003.
2	To view the New File task pane, on the Database toolbar, click the New button.
3	To create a new blank database, in the New area of the New File task pane, click Blank database.
4	To specify where to store the new database, in the File New Database dialog box, double-click Garden Company, and then double-click Database.
5	To have the default database name replaced with the name GardenCo, double-click in the File name box to select the contents, and, for the purposes of this exercise, press SPACEBAR to have the text typed for you, and then click Create.
6	To verify that there are no objects in the database, on the Objects bar, click Queries, click Forms, and then click Reports.
7	To close the database, click the database Close button, as indicated.
8	To begin creating a database by using the Database Wizard, on the Database toolbar, click the New button, as indicated.
9	To display the available templates, in the Templates area of the New File task pane, click On my computer, and then click the Databases tab.
10	To select a template, click Contact Management, and then click OK.
11	To change the file name of the new database to Contacts, for the purposes of this exercise, press SPACEBAR, and the new name will be typed for you.
12	To specify the folder to store the database in, double-click Garden Company, double-click Database, and then click Create.
13	The first page of the Database Wizard tells you what type of information will be stored in the database and requires no input from you, so click Next.
14	To review the fields listed for the selected Contact information table, click once on the indicated area of the scroll bar.
15	To see fields in another table, in the Tables in the database list, click the Call information table.
16	To include all of the selected fields in the three tables in your new database, click Next.
17	To view a few of the screen styles, click SandStone, and then click International.
18	To select a background style for the new database, click Blends, and then click Next.
19	To select a report style, click Bold, and then click Next.
20	To change the proposed database name to Contacts, press SPACEBAR, and the new name will be typed for you.
21	To indicate you do not want to include a picture, leave the Yes, I'd like to include a picture check box cleared, and click Next.
22	To have the wizard finish creating the new database, leave the default settings to start the database and not display Help, and click Finish.
23	To view the new database, wait until the database creation process is complete and the Main Switchboard appears, then click the indicated Close button.
24	On the minimized Contacts database window, click the Maximize button to open it, as indicated.
25	Notice the new forms created by the Database Wizard. To view the tables generated by the wizard, on the Objects bar, click Tables.
26	To exit Access, click the Close button on the Access title bar, as indicated.

Exploring a Database

1	To start Access 2003, click Start, point to All Programs, point to Microsoft Office, and then click Microsoft Office Access 2003.
2	To open an existing database, on the File menu, click Open.
3	To select the Contacts database, in the Open dialog box, under My Documents, double-click Garden Company, and then double-click Contacts.
4	To acknowledge the security warning, in the Security Warning message box, click Open.
5	To display the Forms Switchboard window, in the Main Switchboard window, click Enter/View Other Information.
6	To open an existing form, in the Forms Switchboard window, click Enter/View Contact Types.
7	To add the contact type, in the Contact Types form window, for the purposes of this exercise, press SPACEBAR, and wait as the contact type is typed for you.
8	To add the next contact type in the Contact Types table, in the navigation area at the bottom of the Contact Types form window, click the Next Record button.
9	To insert the contact type, in the Contact Types form window, press SPACEBAR, and wait as the contact type is typed for you.
10	To add the next contact type in the Contact Types table, in the navigation area at the bottom of the Contact Types form window, click the Next Record button.
11	To insert the contact type, in the Contact Types form window, press SPACEBAR, and wait as the contact type is typed for you.
12	To add the next contact type in the Contact Types table, in the navigation area at the bottom of the Contact Types form window, click the Next Record button.
13	To close the Contact Types form, on the title bar of the Contact Types form window, click the Close button.
14	To return to the Main Switchboard window, in the Forms Switchboard window, click Return to Main Switchboard.
15	To open the Contacts form, in the Main Switchboard window, click Enter/View Contacts.
16	To add the first name, in the Contacts form window, press SPACEBAR, and wait as the first name type is typed for you.
17	To add the last name, in the Contacts form window, click in the Last Name box, press SPACEBAR, and wait as the last name type is typed for you.
18	To select a contact type, in the Contacts form window, click the Page 2 button.
19	To view the existing contact types, click the Contact Type arrow, and then click Customer.
20	To go to the first page of the Contacts form window, click the Page 1 button.
21	To add the work phone number, click in the Work Phone box, press SPACEBAR, and wait as the work phone number is typed for you.
22	To dial the work phone number, click Dial.
23	To cancel the dialing operation, in the AutoDialer dialog box, click Cancel.
24	To open the Calls form, in the Contacts form window, click Calls.
25	To insert the subject information for the first contact, in the Calls form window, click in the Subject box, press SPACEBAR, and wait as the subject is typed for you.
26	To add a call note, in the Calls form window, click in the Call Notes box, press SPACEBAR, and wait as the call note is typed for you.
27	To close the Calls and the Contacts forms, on the title bar of the Calls and Contacts form windows, click the Close button.
28	To display the Reports Switchboard window, in the Main Switchboard window, click Preview Reports.
29	To preview a report, in the Reports Switchboard window, click Preview the Alphabetical Contact Listing Report.
30	To close the Report Preview, Reports Switchboard, and the database, on the title bar, click the Close button.

Editing Data

1	To open an existing database, on the File menu, click Open.
2	To select the Contacts database, in the Open dialog box, under My Documents, double-click Garden Company, and then double-click Contacts.
3	To acknowledge the security warning, in the Security Warning message box, click Open.
4	To close the switchboard, on the title bar of the Main Switchboard window, click the Close button.
5	To maximize the Database window, on the title bar of the Database window, click the Maximize button.
6	To select the table, in the Database window, on the Objects bar, click Tables.
7	To open the table in Datasheet view, double-click Contacts.
8	To insert the first name, click in the First Name field, and then, for the purposes of this exercise, press SPACEBAR, and wait as the first name is typed for you.
9	To insert the last name, click in the Last Name field, press SPACEBAR, and wait as the last name is typed for you.
10	To close the table, on the File menu, click Close.
11	To enter data by using the form, in the Database window, under Objects, click Forms, and then double-click Contacts.
12	To begin entering a new record, on the Insert menu, click New Record.
13	To insert the first name, in the Contacts window, press SPACEBAR, and wait as the first name is typed for you.
14	To edit a field value, drag the pointer to select the text in the First Name field, press SPACEBAR, and then wait as the first name is typed for you.
15	To close the form, on the title bar of the form window, click the Close button.
16	To select a table, in the Database window, on the Objects bar, click Tables.
17	To open the table in Datasheet view, double-click Contacts.
18	To delete the first record, on the toolbar, click the Delete Record button, and then click Yes in the Microsoft Office Access warning message box.
19	To close the table, on the File menu, click Close.
20	To close the Contacts database, on the title bar of the Database window, click the Close button.

Creating Tables the Simple Way

1	To open an existing database, click the File menu, and then click Open.
2	To open the new GardenCo database, which, for the purposes of this exercise, is blank, in the Open dialog box, double-click Garden Company, double-click Database, and then double-click GardenCo.
3	To begin creating a new table in the open database, on the Database toolbar, click the New button.
4	To start the Table Wizard, in the New Table dialog box, click Table Wizard, and then click OK.
5	To review a set of sample fields, on the first page of the Table Wizard, leave the Business category selected, and click Customers.
6	To copy a field from the Sample Fields list to the Fields in my new table list, verify whether CustomerID is selected, and then click the > button.
7	To add another field to your new table, in the Sample Fields list, click ContactFirstName, and then click the > button.
8	To rename the new field, click the Rename Field button, and then, for the purposes of this exercise, press SPACEBAR, wait as the new name (FirstName) is typed for you, and then click OK.
9	To add and rename five additional fields and move to the next page of the Table Wizard, press SPACEBAR, wait for the additional field names to be added and renamed for you, and then click Next.
10	To name the table and indicate that you will set the primary key, notice that Customers has been inserted as the default table name, which is fine, click No, I'll set the primary key, and then click Next.
11	To set the primary key and use CustomerID as the field that will uniquely identify records, notice that the CustomerID field is already selected, click Numbers and/or letters I enter when I add new records, and then click Next.
12	To have the wizard finish creating the new table and open it when it is done, notice the default selection, Enter data directly into the table, which is fine, and click Finish.
13	To view the fields created by the wizard, click the indicated area on the table's scroll bar.
14	To close the Customers table, click its Close button, as indicated.
15	To create a new Employees table by using the Table Wizard, in the Database window, double-click Create table by using wizard.
16	To specify the table category, accept the Business category, and in the Sample Tables list, click Employees.
17	To add a field, in the Sample Fields list, click EmployeeID, and then click the > button.
18	To select and rename additional fields and move to the next page of the Table Wizard, press SPACEBAR, and wait as additional fields are selected and renamed for you.
19	To accept the default table name, Employees, and have Access set the primary key, click Next.
20	To continue without attempting to relate this table to the existing Customers table, click Next.
21	To have the wizard finish creating the new table, notice that the check box for Enter data directly into the table is selected, and click Finish.
22	To move from one field to the next, press the TAB key.
23	To view the rest of the fields in the table, click to the right of the scroll box in the table's scroll bar.
24	To close the Employees table, click the table's Close button.

Exploring Tables in Design View

1	To open the Employees table in Design view, in the Database window, on the Database toolbar, click the Design button.
2	To display a list of all possible data types, in the Employees table, click in the Data Type cell for the EmployeeID field, and then click the down arrow.
3	To close the list without changing the data type, press the ESC key.
4	To set the EmployeeID field to three digits, click in the Format box, and then, for the purposes of this exercise, press SPACEBAR and 000 will be entered for you.
5	To view the DateHired field properties, in the Field Name column, click the DateHired field.
6	To view the date format, in the Field Properties section, click the Format box.
7	To change the date format, click the arrow to the right of Long Date, and then click Short Date.
8	To view the current input mask setting, which controls the format of the data when you enter it and when it is stored, click the Input Mask box.
9	To see how the Input Mask works in Datasheet view, click the View button, as indicated, to switch to Datasheet view, and then, when prompted to save design changes to the table, click Yes.
10	To scroll to view the Date Hired field, click once to the right of the scroll box on the table's scroll bar.
11	To view the input mask, click in the empty Date Hired field, as indicated.
12	To return to Design view, click the View button.
13	To set a validation rule for the DateHired field, in the Field Properties section, click the Validation Rule box, and then for the purposes of this exercise, press SPACEBAR and the rule will be typed for you.
14	The validation rule indicates the date entered must be today or earlier. To see how the validation rule and associated text works, click the View button.
15	To save the table, click Yes, and when warned that data integrity rules have been changed, click Yes again.
16	To enter an invalid date in the Date Hired field, click once to the right of the scroll box on the table scroll bar, click in the empty Date Hired field, as indicated, and then press SPACEBAR and 10/15/06 will be entered for you.
17	To close the warning message generated by the validation rule, click OK.
18	To enter a valid date in the Date Hired field, press SPACEBAR, and 10/15/95 will be typed for you.
19	To return to Design view and change a field's data type, click the View button, click in the Photograph field's Data Type, click the Data Type arrow, and then click Text.
20	To save your changes and close the Employees table, click the table's Close button, and then, in the message box asking you if you want to save changes, click Yes.

Exploring Tables in Datasheet View

1	To open an existing table in Datasheet view, in the Database window, double-click Customers.
2	To change the width of a column, in The Garden Company – [Customers : Table] window, point to the vertical bar between the Address and City column headers, and then double-click the vertical bar.
3	To increase the height of all rows in the table, on the left side of the datasheet, drag the horizontal bar between the first and the second record selectors downwards to the indicated area
4	To set the default height of all rows, on the Format menu, click Row Height.
5	To specify the standard height, in the Row Height dialog box, click the Standard Height check box, and then click OK.
6	To hide a column, click on the FirstName column header, on the Format menu, click Hide Columns.
7	To restore the hidden field column, on the Format menu, click Unhide Columns.
8	To select the column from the list, in the Unhide Columns dialog box, click the FirstName check box, and then click Close.
9	To reduce the size of the Datasheet window, drag the right side of the window to the indicated area.
10	To select multiple columns, in the Datasheet window, click the Customer ID column header, hold down the SHIFT key, click the FirstName column header, and then release the SHIFT key.
11	To continue the selection, hold down the SHIFT key, click the LastName column header, and then release the SHIFT key.
12	To freeze the columns, on the Format menu, click Freeze Columns.
13	To restore the columns to the normal condition, on the Format menu, click Unfreeze All Columns.
14	To close the Customers table, on the File menu, click Close.
15	To discard the changes made to the table, in the Microsoft Office Access warning message box, click No.
16	To close the database, on the File menu, click Close.