MICROSFTACCESS tables

DATA TYPES Field TypeWhat It Holds Short Text Text up to 255 characters long (including spaces and punctuation). Use a Text field, not a Number field, for codes even if they look like numbers, such as phone numbers, zip codes, and other postal codes. Long Text Text up to 65,536 characters. A Long Text field can contain Rich Text (formatted text), and you can set it to Append Only so that it can accumulate text notes without allowing the user to delete what’s already there. Number Only numbers. You may use + or – before the number, as well as a decimal point. If you plan to do math with a field, use a Number or Currency field. CurrencyNumbers with a currency sign in front of them ($, ¥, and so on). AutoNumber Numbers unique to each record and assigned by Access as you add records, starting at 1. Use an AutoNumber field as the primary key field for most tables.

DATA TYPES Field TypeWhat It Holds Date/TimeDates, times, or both. Hyperlink Text string formatted as a hyperlink. (If you click the link, it takes you to the page.) This field type is especially useful if related information is available on the web. Yes/No Yes or no (a particular condition is, or isn’t, in effect) — or other two-word sets, such as True/False, On/Off, and Male/Female. Use a Yes/No field if you want to display the field as a check box on forms. Attachment Stores one or more entire files — pictures, sound, Word documents, even video — in one Attachment field. Calculated Data created with a formula. Use a Calculated field when a calculated value will be used in many queries, forms, and reports.

FIELD SIZE (NUMBERS)  Byte — For integers that range from 0 to 255. Storage requirement is a single byte.  Integer — For integers that range from -32,768 to +32,767. Storage requirement is two bytes.  Long Integer — For integers that range from -2,147,483,648 to +2,147,483,647. Storage requirement is four bytes.  Tip Use the Long Integer data type when you create a foreign key to relate a field to another table's AutoNumber primary key field.  Single — For numeric floating point values that range from -3.4 x 1038 to +3.4 x 1038 and up to seven significant digits. Storage requirement is four bytes.  Double — For numeric floating point values that range from x to x and up to 15 significant digits. Storage requirement is eight bytes.  Replication ID — For storing a GUID that is required for replication. Storage requirement is 16 bytes.  Note Replication is not supported using an.accdb file format.  Decimal — For numeric values that range from x 1027 to x Storage requirement is 12 bytes.  Tip For best performance, always specify the smallest sufficient Field Size

INPUT MASK CharacterExplanation 0User must enter a digit (0 to 9). 9User can enter a digit (0 to 9). #User can enter a digit, space, plus or minus sign. If skipped, Access enters a blank space. LUser must enter a letter. ?User can enter a letter. AUser must enter a letter or a digit. aUser can enter a letter or a digit. &User must enter either a character or a space. CUser can enter characters or spaces.., : ; - / Decimal and thousands placeholders, date and time separators. The character you select depends on your Microsoft Windows regional settings. >Coverts all characters that follow to uppercase. <Converts all characters that follow to lowercase. !Causes the input mask to fill from left to right instead of from right to left. \Characters immediately following will be displayed literally. ""Characters enclosed in double quotation marks will be displayed literally

INPUT MASK EXAMPLES This input mask Provides this type of value Notes (000) (206) In this case, you must enter an area code because that section of the mask (000, enclosed in parentheses) uses the 0 placeholder. (999) ! (206) ( ) In this case, the area code section uses the 9 placeholder, so area codes are optional. Also, the exclamation point (!) causes the mask to fill in from left to right. (000) AAA-AAAA(206) 555-TELE Allows you to substitute the last four digits of a U.S. style phone number with letters. Note the use of the 0 placeholder in the area code section, which makes the area code mandatory. # Any positive or negative number, no more than four characters, and with no thousands separator or decimal places. >L????L?000L0 GREENGR339M3 MAY R 452B7 A combination of mandatory (L) and optional (?) letters and mandatory numbers (0). The greater-than sign forces users to enter all letters in uppercase. To use an input mask of this type, you must set the data type for the table field to Text or Memo A mandatory postal code and an optional plus-four section. >L<?????????????? Maria Pierre A first or last name with the first letter automatically capitalized. ISBN 0-&&&&&&&&&-0ISBN A book number with the literal text, mandatory first and last digits, and any combination of letters and characters between those digits. >LL DB A combination of mandatory letters and characters, all uppercase. Use this type of input mask, for example, to help users enter part numbers or other forms of inventory correctly.