Introductory Access training

MS Access Database Concepts

• Understanding what a database is
• Understanding how a database is organised in terms of tables, records, fields and with field data types, field properties
• Understanding what a primary key is
• Understanding what an index is
• Understanding the purpose of relating tables in a database
• Understanding the importance of setting rules to ensure relationships between tables are valid

First Steps with Access Databases

• Opening and closing Access 
• The Getting Started with Microsoft Access dialog box
• Opening an existing Access database
• Creating a new Access database
• Viewing the Access  window
• The Navigation Pane
• Saving a database to a location on a drive
• Using available Help functions
• Closing an Access  database

Adjusting Settings

• Changing between view modes in a table, form, report
• Working with toolbars

Tables

• Creating and saving a table and specifying fields with their data types
• Table templates
• Adding and deleting records in a table
• Adding a field to an existing table
• The Field List pane
• Field Templates
• Adding and modifying data in a record
• Deleting data in a record
• Using the undo command
• Navigating within a table to next record, previous record, first record, last record, specific record
• Deleting a table
• Saving and closing a table
• Defining a primary key
• Indexing a field with and without duplicates
• Changing field format attributes such as: field size, number format, date format
• Understanding consequences of changing field size attributes in a table
• Creating a simple validation rule for number, text, date/time, currency
• Changing column widths in a table
• Moving a column within a table

Table Relationships

• Creating a one-to-one, one-to-many relationship between tables
• Deleting relationships between tables
• Applying rules to relationships such that fields that join tables are not deleted as long as links to another table exist

Forms

• Opening a form
• Creating and saving a form
• Creating a form using the Form Wizard
• Using a form to enter, modify and delete records
• Navigating to next record, previous record, first record, last record, specific record using form display
• Adding and modifying text in form headers and footers
• Deleting a form
• Saving and closing a form

Searching and filtering

• Using the search command for a specific word, number, date in a field
• Applying a filter to a table or form
• Removing a filter from a table or form

Queries

• Creating a saving a query using specific search criteria
• Adding a criteria to a query using the operators <, <=, >, >=, = <>, AND, OR
• Editing a query by adding or removing criteria
• Editing a query by adding, removing, moving, hiding, unhiding fields
• Running a query
• Deleting a query
• Saving and closing a query

Sorting records

• Sorting data in a table, form or query output in ascending, descending, numeric and alphabetical order

Reports

• Creating and saving a report based on a table or query
• Changing arrangement of data fields and headings within a report layout
• Grouping data under a specific field in a report in ascending or descending order
• Presenting specific fields in a grouped report by sum, minimum, maximum, average, count, at appropriate break points
• Adding and modifying text in report headers and footers
• Deleting a report
• Saving and closing a report

Preparing outputs

• Previewing tables, forms and reports
• Changing report orientation: portrait, landscape. Changing paper size
• Print a page, selected records, a complete table
• Print all records or specific pages using form layout
• Printing the results of a query
• Printing a report or specific pages in a report