Access Basics

To Wizard or Not to Wizard?

Access makes it easy to create a database by providing a number of wizards, or tools that allow you to create a database from a series of templates included with the program. There are a variety of wizards for database tasks such as contact managers, inventory control, personal library holdings, ledger, and so forth. You should explore the wizards available so that you do not spend an undue amount of time building a database from scratch that you could create in a relative short time with a wizard. Even if there is not a wizard that is an exact match for what you need, you can always use one that is close and modify as you go along.

On the other hand, it is possible that even with a plethora of database wizards, you may not find one that is suitable. In that case, you will build your Access database from scratch. Do so if you want to:

• learn all the ins and outs of Access
• copy the file names and configuration of an existing database
• create a very simple database that is not relational

Starting Access

Start the program by double-clicking on the Access icon on the desktop or by using the <Start> menu. You will now see the dialog box shown. Now you can either: Open a database you or someone else has previously created choose from those listed or click on More files …to select another If you wish to start a new database, select Blank Database on the right under New If you wish to start a new database using a template, select either General Templates … or Templates on Microsoft.com If you elect to start a new database, the first thing you must do is save the database. You will be presented with a standard Save dialog box. Give the database a name and proceed to the next step. In either case, the next thing you will see is the Access Database Window.

The Access Database Window looks like this:

Regardless of which method you use to create a database, or if you elect to open an existing database, you will need to deal with the Access Database Window. It looks like this:

• The Title Bar at the top identifies that (reading from left to right)

  • this is a Microsoft Access file

  • the filename for this file is db1

  • this is a database

  • this database is an Access 2000 file

• The Database Toolbar is just below the Menu Bar. Just like any toolbar in other Microsoft applications, it offers buttons for many basic database commands.

• The Object Toolbar is just below the Database Toolbar. It offers buttons that permit you to view existing database objects or create new ones. This toolbar changes based upon the type of object currently in view. 

• The Objects Pane is along the left headed by . Click on one of the items in this pane to determine what is viewed in the Database Objects window. Note that Tables is currently selected.

• Shown in the window (the large white area) are Database Objects. These are the objects and wizards of the type you have selected in the Objects Pane. Since Tables is selected in that pane, these objects relate to Tables. The objects in the window represent pre-existing items such as Wizards; you double-click them to open and work with them. (Wizards are tools that allow you to create new objects).

• The Groups Pane is along the left below the Objects Pane. It is headed by . Here you can display the contents of any groups of objects that you have already created.

• The Status Bar is at the bottom. Like other programs in Microsoft Office, it will display messages about what is currently happening, the progress of any jobs you have initiated, and/or what the program expects you to do next.

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Copyright © 2003
last updated August 12, 2003