1. Access Lesson 2 Creating a Database
Microsoft Office 2007: Introductory

2. Microsoft Office 2007: Introductory
Objectives
Create a database.
Design, create, and save a table in Datasheet view.
Set a field’s data type in Datasheet view.
Add, delete, rename, and move fields in Design view.
Set field properties in Design view.
Microsoft Office 2007: Introductory

3. Microsoft Office 2007: Introductory
Vocabulary
Alphanumeric data
AutoNumber
Blank Database template
Data type
Default Value property
Microsoft Office 2007: Introductory

4. Vocabulary (continued)
Description property
Design grid
Design view
Field Properties pane
Field property
Field Size property
Format property
Primary key
Required property
Template
Microsoft Office 2007: Introductory

5. Microsoft Office 2007: Introductory
Creating a Database
The first step in creating a database is to create the file that will hold the database objects.
You can use a template that already has objects in it.
You can also use a Blank Database template with no objects in it.
Microsoft Office 2007: Introductory

6. Creating a Database (continued)
To create a database, start Access.
On the Getting Started with Microsoft Access page, double-click blank database.
Specify a file name and storage location.
Click Create to create the new database and open it in Access.
Microsoft Office 2007: Introductory

7. Creating a Database (continued)

8. Creating and Saving a Table
When you create a blank database, Access creates the first table and names it Table1.
You can change the name when you save it.
To save, click the Save button on the Quick Access Toolbar. Fill in the name in the Save As dialog box.
The new table name appears on the tab for the table and as an object in the Navigation Pane.
Microsoft Office 2007: Introductory

9. Microsoft Office 2007: Introductory
Designing a Table
After creating a table, you need to tell Access what fields to include.
Access creates one field named ID and sets it as the primary key.
A primary key is the field that contains a unique field value for each record.
In some tables, this field is called AutoNumber because it automatically adds a unique number.
Microsoft Office 2007: Introductory

10. Designing a Table (continued)
You can tell that Access created an AutoNumber for the ID field because of the word New in the first record’s field.
Good candidates for being a primary key are
Employee numbers
Social security numbers
Student ID numbers
The advantage of setting a primary key is that Access will not let you enter duplicate values for this field in different records.
Microsoft Office 2007: Introductory

11. Designing a Table (continued)
To enter a field name in Datasheet view, double-click the “Add New Field” field selector.
After you have created all the fields, you can enter the first record.
Access assigns a data type as you enter data (Text, Memo, Number, etc.).
You can change the data type for a field by:
Table Tools Datasheet tab
Data Type & Formatting group
Data Type
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12. Microsoft Office 2007: Introductory
Working in Design View
In Design view you can add, delete, and make changes to how fields store data.
The field names and data types appear in the upper half in a design grid.
The Field Properties pane appears below.
A selected field turns orange. The primary key has a key symbol in it.
Microsoft Office 2007: Introductory

13. Working in Design View (continued)
You can use the options in the Tool group on the Table Tools Design tab to:
Add and delete fields, insert a field
Drag fields in the design grid to a new location
Rename a field, and change a field’s data type
The Description property in the design grid is optional, and you can use it to describe what to enter in the field.
Any changes made in Design view are automatically updated in Datasheet view when you save the table.
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14. Changing Field Properties in Design View
A field property describes the field’s contents beyond the field’s basic data type, such as:
Indicating number of characters allowed
Indicating allowable values
Field properties will vary depending on the field’s data type.
The Field Size property sets the number of characters you can store in a Text, Number or AutoNumber field.
There is an array of Field Size property options including the ability to store decimals, positive numbers, negative numbers, or whole numbers.
Microsoft Office 2007: Introductory

15. Changing Field Properties in Design View (continued)
Use the Format property to specify how you want Access to display numbers, dates, times and text.
For example, if you enter the date , Access will display it as October 28, 2010, if the Format property is set that way.
The Default Value property enters the same field value in a field every time a new record is added to a table.
The Required property specifies whether you must enter a field value in a record.
Microsoft Office 2007: Introductory