Hello people, welcome to this video! Let's see the new Microsoft Access
2016 quickly and easily!
Leave us comments to improve our language in the future!
Microsoft Access is a Database Management System software, a software
used to collect, save and show data, very useful in a business environment.
When you open Access, the startup window opens. Here you open any
existing Access file (or database) on the left, or start from ready made
templates available from the net.
To better understand how Access works, let's simply open a new Blank
desktop database.
Before going on, it is important to know the fundamental elements that
compose an Access database. A database is composed by different
parts, that are listed on the left: Tables, Forms, Reports, Queries,
Macros and Modules. Each of these behave differently and are used for
different purposes.
Let's start with the Tables. These are indeed the most important elements
inside your database, since they collect and save any kind of data.
A Table is composed by rows and columns. Columns, also called Fields,
are used to save a kind of data to import, for example a Name, a Comment,
a Date, a Status or a Numeric Value. Rows, or Records, are used to list
each set of data collected. For example, there will be as many rows as
the colleagues you took data from.
By default you just have one Field called ID, that counts the number of
rows filled. This is also the primary key of the table interested.
The Click to Add field is empty, through which you can add another field.
You can add different kinds of data: Long or Short Text, used to type
inside; Number to insert numbers; Date & Time to import by using a
calendar; Attachment to browse and import a file; and Hyperlink, to add
a web address.
Add as many fields as you need. Each single row will specify all data
requested by those fields.
You can adjust these Fields as you need. If you right-click on the field
name, you can rename or delete it if you need. Drag its contours to
enlarge the space available.
More complex are the Calculated Fields: these fields get filled auto,
starting from the content of other fields. In this case insert the
expression through the Expression Builder that follows. If you need
more help, just click on Help on the right.
You can edit the expression later if you need right-clicking on the
field and going to Modify Expression.
To adjust the text style inside a whole table, just change the settings
under Text Formatting.
Access gives you different Views available, in order to manage each
element the best way. All views are listed in the bottom right corner.
For Tables, Datasheet View is used to collect data, while Design View is
used to adjust each field settings. For each field on the left, you can
set the Data Type on the right, and all detailed settings at the bottom,
for example setting if data is required, the maximum text characters in
Field Size, and so on.
If you need to build a table with another collection of data, just go
to Create on top and then on Table. The new table will appear in the
list on the left. You can double-click on a table to open it, or
right-click to rename and delete.
Let's see how to import and export data with Access. Open the External
Data tab. Use Import & Link section to import data from Excel, from
another Access database, or any text file. Browse for the file that
contains your data, and decide how to import it: by creating a new
Access Table, updating an existing table, or creating a table linked with
your database. The procedure is completely guided.
To export data, select the Table from the left, and use the options
under Export.
When you finish working with a Table, make sure to save and close it.
Just right-click on its tab on the workspace to do so.
If you start having lots of Tables and data, you may need to use Queries.
A Query is a single table that collects and summerizes data from more
existing tables in one shot.
To create a Query, just click on Query Design inside Create tab. Then
select the tables you want to include inside the Query table. Hold CTRL
down and click to select more tables. Then click to Add.
All tables included in the Query are shown on top, with all their fields
and primary keys. At the bottom, you can build each Query column. On
Field, select the data that each Query column must have. You can select
a whole Table content, indicated by the Table name followed by an
asterisk, or just a single Table Field, indicated by the table name and
the respective Field name. Through the other rows below, you can set
important settings. Switch to the Datasheet view to check how your
Query table looks like.
Very important is the Filter. A Filter is used to show data that meets
your criteria and discards all data that is out. For example, if any data
has the ''Age'' field filled by a negative value, you can discard it
by adding a major zero under the field Age added inside the Query, in
Criteria. In this way, just all data that meets such criteria will show
up in the Query.
You can directly type inside Criteria, or insert it with the Expression
Builder by right-clicking and going to Build...
Mind that your Query is strongly linked to your Tables: if any cell is
edited, the Query will be automatically refreshed.
To show off or print your data, use the Reports. Select any Table or
Query interested, and click on Report under Create tab.
Inside a Report, you can't change any data, but just all that concerns
how it must be shown: text style, basic structure and layout. Access has
different views for Reports: Report View shows a preview of the report;
Print View shows a printed preview on a page; Layout view is used to set
the basic structure and layout of the report; and Design View is more
concentrated on colors and shapes.
By default, the report is built following the simple structure you see
in the Design view: a Report Header, with a default picture and a title;
a Page Header, with labels that describe the Report content; all Report
data under Detail; and the Footers, that terminate your report with
Page Numbers and any calculated cell. For example, the default one is
added to a Currency field, in order to sum its total. You can add and
edit any function going to Control Source under Property Sheet. You
can open this dialog box right-clicking on a cell and going to Properties.
If you want to know all the functions you can use inside Access, check
out the link in video description.
Through this view you have full control on the Report, composed by
different elements you can check through the Property Sheet.
Images contain simple pictures; Labels contain descriptions you can edit
and type anytime; Text Boxes any Field data, that you can't change
directly without the original Table, or any calculated data.
Through Design, on top, you can create and add other elements in your
Report. You may need more practice to use all of them in the best way.
Through this view, you can size each element dragging their contours, or
move them by simply using the Move icon in the top left corner.
The Report always follows the original Table layout. If you go to Arrange
on top, you can adjust the basic layout and add rows and columns if you
need.
Format is used to adjust the font settings, or introduce any filling
and outline to each element. This will affect all the selected cells you
have at that moment. Hold CTRL down to select more cells.
Forms are objects similar to Reports, but used to collect more data
inside your Tables, through a simple interface.
To create a Form, select a Table, and click on Form under Create tab.
The Form is composed by different Records, that correspond to each filled
row of your main Table. The last record is blank, ready to be filled to
import new data.
The Form can be edited as seen for Reports, through the Layout and the
Design View. The Form View is used to preview the Form.
In Access you also have Macros and Modules elements, used to automate
actions and commands. We won't see these in this beginner tutorial.
Let's see how to save and publish your Access database. To save your
database, in order to store your data, go to File and then to Save As.
If you choose any option inside Save Database As, you will save your
whole database, including all its objects inside. If you want to save
the Access object selected, choose Save Object As.
If you need to collect and gather data, you need to publish your database
and forms on the net.
There are lots of different ways to publish on the net. Just go to the
External Data tab and click on More. You can use SharePoint, an HTML
document or any online database.
Check out the video description if you want to know more about how to
publish your Access objects on the net.
Thanks for watching! Check out our Office 2016 guide to discover more!