1. CHAPTER 1 – INTRODUCTION TO ACCESS Aliya Farheen aliya.farheen@mail.wvu.edu Feb 26, 2015

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4. MICROSOFT ACCESS Microsoft Access 2013 is a database creation and management program. To understand Access, you must first understand databases.

5. WHAT IS A DATABASE? Ever waited while a doctor's receptionist entered your personal information into a computer or watched a store employee use a computer to see whether an item was in stock?

6. A database is a collection of data that is stored in a computer system. Databases allow their users to enter, access, and analyze their data quickly and easily. The easiest way to understand a database is to think of it as a collection of lists.

7. For instance, if you like to bake, then you might decide to keep a database containing the types of cookies you know how to make and the friends you give those cookies to. This is one of the simplest databases imaginable. It contains two lists: a list of your friends, and a list of cookies.

8. However, if you were a professional baker, you would have many more lists to keep track of: a list of customers, a list of products sold, a list of prices, a list of orders...and so on. The more lists you add, the more complex the database will be.

9. INTRODUCTION TO DATABASES A computer database is a structured collection of records or data that is stored in a computer system. A database relies upon software to organize the storage of the data and to enable a person or program to extract desired information. The term "database" refers to the collection of related records, and the software should be referred to as the database management system (DBMS); this is sometimes shortened to database manager or database system.

10. Access a relational database. A relational database is able to understand how lists and the objects within them relate to one another. To explore this idea, let's go back to the simple database with two lists: names of your friends, and the types of cookies you know how to make. You decide to create a third list to keep track of the batches of cookies you make and who they’re for. This new list will get all of its information from the lists you made earlier.

11. BASIC ELEMENTS OF A RELATIONAL DATABASE Field – is a basic entry or a data element, such as the name of a book or the telephone number. A field that uniquely identifies a record is called a Primary Key. Record – is a complete set of all of the data (fields) pertaining to one person, place, etc Table – is a collection of records, every table contains the same fields in the same order Database – consists of one or more tables and the supporting objects used to get data from those tables. 11

12. Databases are used in real life, most of you use them without realizing it –WVU Directory – uses databases –Facebook – uses databases –MySpace – uses databases And many more

13. AN EXAMPLE Let’s look at the WVU Directory page. What you see is sometimes called a form – it is nothing more than a friendly front end interface. Say we want to search for all students named James Smith When you hit search it will run a query that looks like this: SELECT * FROM Students WHERE (((Students.FirstName)="James") AND ((Students.LastName)="Smith"))

14. AN EXAMPLE – ISOLATING RESULTS WVU has a database somewhere that lists all students, when we do a search we search that database for all students who have a first name James AND a last name Smith. We could either get exactly one result, no results or multiple results. This brings up the question, how do we differentiate between the James Smith that is a History major and the James Smith that is a Radiology major in our database? One way could be to use email addresses, since we hope everyone has a “unique” email address. But, is there another “unique” identifier that separates one person from another?

15. AN EXAMPLE – SIMPLE DATABASE In this example we can see why using last name as a “unique” way to identify students maybe a bad idea. StudentID, FirstName, LastName, Major, Email are called Fields. Each entry is called a Record, a collection of records make up a Table. A collection of tables make up a database. The Field StudentID has a special name called Primary Key since it uniquely identifies each student, no two students can have the same StudentID. Student IDFirstNameLastNameMajorEmail A123JohnSmithMathjsmith@email.com B122JaneSmithFinancejsmith1@email.com

16. WHAT IS ACCESS? “Is a relational database management system from Microsoft which combines the relational Microsoft Jet Database Engine with a graphical user interface.” Access is NOT a database – it is a database management system. There are numerous other database management systems. 16

17. ACCESS VS EXCEL When to use Access? When you need a relational database to store your data or you anticipate adding more tables. When you have a large amount of data Rely on external databases to derive and analyze the data you need Need to maintain constant connectivity to an external database Need to regroup data from different tables in a single place with complex queries Have many people working in the database and need strong options to update the data 17

18. ACCESS VS EXCEL When to use Excel? Require a flat or non relational view of your data Want to run calculations or statistical comparisons on your data Know your data set is manageable (no more than 15,000 rows) 18

19. COMPARING ACCESS TO EXCEL A FIELD in Access is equivalent to a COLUMN NAME in Excel A RECORD in Access is equivalent to a ROW in Excel A TABLE in Access is equivalent to a WORKSHEET in Excel A DATABASE in Access is equivalent to a WORKBOOK in Excel 19

20. OBJECTS IN ACCESS Databases in Access are composed of four objects: --tables --queries --forms --reports. Together, these objects allow you to enter, store, analyze, and compile your data as you wish.

21. ACCESS TABLE EXAMPLE Fields RecordsRecords

22. In Access, rows and columns are referred to as records and fields. A field is more than just a column-it’s a way of organizing information by the type of data it is. Every piece of information within a field is of the same type. Likewise, a record is more than just a row-it's a unit of information. Every cell in a given row is part of that row’s record.

23. FORMS Forms are used for entering, modifying, and viewing records. You likely have had to fill out forms on many occasions, like when visiting a doctor's office, applying for a job, or registering for school.

24. FORM EXAMPLE

25. QUERIES Queries are a way of searching for and compiling data from one or more tables. Running a query is like asking a detailed question of your database. When you build a query in Access, you are defining specific search conditions to find exactly the data you want.

26. REPORTS Reports offer you the ability to present your data in print. If you've ever received a computer printout of a class schedule or a printed invoice of a purchase, you've seen a database report.

27. REPORT EXAMPLE

28. THE HOME TAB HOME Tab – the basic Access tab. Contains basic editing functions such as cut and paste along with most formatting actions. Views Clipboard Font Rich Text Records Sort & Filter Find 28

29. THE CREATE TAB CREATE Tab – Brings together all create operations in one area. Includes ability to create queries through the wizard or in Design view. Tables Forms Reports Other 29

30. THE EXTERNAL DATA TAB EXTERNAL DATA Tab – Contains all operations to facilitate collaborations and data exchange. Import Export Collect Data SharePoint Lists 30

31. THE DATABASE TOOLS TAB DATABASE TOOLS Tab – The area that contains the operational backbone of Access. Here you create and maintain relationships of the database. You also analyze the file performance and perform routine maintanance. Macro Show/Hide Analyze Move Data Database Tools 31