1. Introduction to Database Concepts and Microsoft Access 2003

2. Database Concepts and Access 2003
Introduction
Database
Microsoft Access
Design and Creation
Plan
Tables
Queries
Forms
Reports

3. What is a Database? A structured collection of related data
An filing cabinet, an address book, a telephone directory, a timetable, etc.
In Access, your Database is your collection of related tables

4. Data vs. Information
Data – a collection of facts made up of text, numbers and dates: Murray /18/86
Information - the meaning given to data in the way it is interpreted:
Mr. Murray is a sales person whose annual salary is $35,000 and whose hire date is July 18, 1986.

5. Basic Database Concepts
Name: Barry Harris College: Medicine Tel:
Table
A set of related records
Record
Name: Barry Harris College: Medicine Tel:
A collection of data about an individual item
Field
Name: Barry Harris
A single item of data common to all records

6. An Example of a Table Fields Records Name GatorLink Phone College
Graff
rgraff
Pharmacy
Harris
bharris
Medicine
Ipswich
zipswich
PHHP

7. Design and Document Your Database
A designer’s best tools are a pencil and paper
It is important to plan what you are going to do
The sooner you touch the computer the sooner you’ll make a mistake
If you don’t plan you will often have to start again
Document what you are doing, will you remember what you did in three months time?

8. Questions To Ask Yourself
What have I got?
(Inputs)
What do I want?
(Outputs)
What do I need to do to get there?
(Process)
How am I going to build it?
(Application/Program)

9. Database Options Freeware/Shareware - 1,000’s of records
Microsoft Excel - Limit of 65,536 Rows
Microsoft Access - 100,000’s of records
Oracle/SQL - 1,000,000,000’s of records & allows for Multiple users

10. Why Use Access? Familiar look and feel of Windows
Easy to start building simple databases
Can build sophisticated systems
It’s already on your computer
True relational database

11. What is a Relational Database?
A relational database is a collection of tables from which data can be accessed in many different ways without having to reorganize the database tables.
That is, once relationships are created, tables can “talk” to each other. We can link (relate) the tables to find:
Which doctors are seeing a patient
Which students are in which class
Which item is selling the most on Friday’s

12. Basic Design Rules of Relational Databases
Data is broken down into Smallest Logical Parts
Putting all of the home address in one field may make for convenient data entry, but it makes it very difficult to work with the data. For example, what if I needed to sort by City or Zip Code? Pulling fields together is fairly simple, pulling them apart is very difficult.
Name
GatorLink
Home Address
Graff
rgraff
123 West Main Street, Gainesville, FL 32601
Harris
Bharris
456 South 3rd Road, Newberry, FL 32684
Ipswich
zipswich
846 West 52nd Ave, Gainesville, FL 32609
You can join fields together in queries, forms and reports.

13. Basic Design Rules of Relational Databases
Unique Field Names
Access won’t let you use the same field name twice in one table but it can become confusing to people doing data entry if you are not clear. Try to keep a consistent naming convention.
Name
GatorLink
Addr1
Addr2
Graff
rgraff
PO Box Gainesville, FL 32610
123 West Main Street, Gainesville, FL 32601
Harris
Bharris
PO Box Gainesville, FL 32610
456 South 3rd Road Newberry, FL 32684
Ipswich
zipswich
846 West 52nd Ave Gainesville, FL 32609
PO Box Gainesville, FL 32610
Field names can be up to 64 characters long. (see tables documentation for more details)

14. Basic Design Rules of Relational Databases
Unique Field Names
You also want to be aware of the field names across tables. For example several tables may use the Field FirstName. When you use those fields in other parts of the database things can become very confusing very quickly.
DOCTOR TABLE
Name
Day Off
Sallye Shapiro
Thursday
Samuel Smith
Monday
Sidney Samueson
Friday
PATIENT TABLE
Name
Address
Annie Adams
6831 NW 4th Ave
April Appleton
PO Box 456
Arnold Arlington
234 SE 45th Road
Bobbie Brown
234 Peter Pan Terrace
Butch Bruce
3243 SE 4th Terrace
When these two Name fields are pulled into the same Query/Form/Report they will appear with the table name in front of the field name: Patient Table.Name

15. Basic Design Rules of Relational Databases
Unique Records
If you don’t have unique records, your database can’t tell which record you may be referring to.
Name
GatorLink
Phone
College
Graff
rgraff
2-3900
Pharmacy
COP
Harris
bharris
Medicine
Ipswich
zipswich
PHHP

16. Primary Keys
Name
GatorLink
Phone
College
Graff
rgraff
Pharmacy
Harris
bharris
Medicine
Ipswich
zipswich
PHHP
To ensure that each record is unique in each table, we can set one field to be a Primary Key field.
A Primary Key is a field that that will contain no duplicates and no blank values.
Looking at the table above, what would be the best Primary Key?

17. Primary Keys
Name GL
Phone
College
Graff
rgraff
Pharmacy
Harris
bharris
Medicine
Ipswich
zipswich
PHHP
While each column in this particular data set has unique data, the field that will work best for us is GL (GatorLink). Many employees will work for the same college, have the same last name and possibly even share telephone numbers, but each employee should have a unique GatorLink ID.
When there is not a unique field in your data set, you can use an AutoNumber. Access can create incremented or random AutoNumbers for your primary key.

18. Basic Design Rules of Relational Databases
No Calculated or Derived Fields
If we wanted to see how long an employee had been working with us, we can calculate their Length Employed by subtracting their hire date from today’s date. However, since today’s date is always changing, this data very quickly becomes stagnant.
Name
GatorLink
Date Hired
Length Employed
Graff
rgraff
05/15/2000
4 yrs, 2 mo
Harris
bharris
02/08/1986
18 yrs, 6 mo
Ipswich
zipswich
12/15/1999
4 yrs, 7 mo
Access will let you create calculations in queries, forms and reports.

19. Data View/Design View
Datasheet View
Design View

20. Navigating Fields and Records
To move through records and fields
To move through records
Tab
Shift+Tab
Enter
Home/End
Ctrl+Home
Ctrl+End
Page Up
Page Down
The Arrow Keys
First Record
Current Record
Last Record
Previous Record
Next Record
New Record

21. Introducing Tables Database is a collection of TABLES
Tables store all the data

22. Introducing Queries
A means of asking questions (querying) of your data
Can look across a number of Tables and other Queries
Can perform Calculations and Combine fields

23. Introducing Forms A friendlier view of the database
Used for data input, menus, display and printing
Can perform Calculations and Combine fields

24. Introducing Reports Output of information in a printed report
Allows you to group and summarize data
Can perform Calculations and Combine fields
Cannot Edit Data
Can Make Labels

25. Working Together Tables Queries Employees Customers Reports Forms
Company Name
Address
City
Telephone
Contact Name
Forms