BarCharts, Inc.® WORLD’S #1 QUICK REFERENCE SOFTWARE GUIDE Contents pg Main Window pg New Features, New User Interface (UI)—(The Ribbon, Quick Access Toolbar, Getting Help, Contextual Tools, Galleries, Key Tips & Keyboard Navigation, Status Bar, Super Tooltips, Dialog Boxes & Dialog Box Launchers) pg Database File Formats, Access 2007 Terminology, Record Navigation Icons, Database Objects, Office Button pg Office Button continued, Undo, Redo & Save— Quick Access Toolbar, Home Tab pg Home Tab continued, Creating Tables, Table Tools, Creating Queries, Common Keyboard Shortcuts pg Data Types, Common Field Properties, Primary Keys Access® 2007 Main Window 10 Microsoft® 12 11 Microsoft® Office Button: Replaces the File menu in previous versions of Access; provides options to work with the database (EX: Save, Close, Print) Quick Access Toolbar: Puts commonly used commands on a permanently visible toolbar; fully customizable Ribbon: The new User Interface (UI) for most Office 2007 products, replacing traditional menus; used to work in the database (EX: formatting text) Title Bar: The Title Bar includes the name of the database (in this case, Northwind 2007) and the database format used (in this case, Access 2007) Close: To close the currently displayed database, click this icon; if anything in the database needs to be saved, a window will be displayed asking whether or not to save the object(s) before closing Help: Provides quick and easy access to the Help system Document Tabs: Displays open windows as tabs in this area; click on the tab to display that window; icon before object name denotes the type Shutter Bar Open/Close Button: Expands or collapses the Navigation Pane Navigation Pane: When a database is open, the Navigation Pane is displayed in this area of the window; it provides quick access to the tables, queries, forms, reports, macros and modules that are defined within a database 10 Expand/Collapse Object Type: Expands (as shown here) or collapses (to a single bar) selected object type 11 Status Bar: The current status of Access 2007 is displayed here; the status will often be “Ready,” whereas instructions and other information may appear in this area in other views 12 Views: These icons in the Status Bar provide the ability to quickly change the display view; buttons represent the following view types (left to right): Form, Layout and Design; buttons vary with selected object to get more free charts visit us http://scientific4you.blogspot.com New Features in Access® 2007 Contextual Tools Access 2007 offers many new features over Access 2003; some of the new and improved features (those in red are described in greater detail in this guide) are: • New authoring tool allows preview of report layout while report is being designed • Library of ready-made applications comes with Access, and more can be downloaded from Office Online seamlessly; designed to be used immediately, though they can be customized if needed • Data can be pasted from Excel and contacts can be imported from Outlook • Forms can be used to collect information via email—Access can create a form, email it to contacts in Outlook, have them fill it in and email it back, and then Access can add the information into the database without the user needing to retype the data • Data modifications can be audited and deleted data can be undeleted when Access is used with SharePoint 3.0 (part of the Office family of products that runs on a server) • Each object that is opened opens as a new Tabbed Document across the top of the window • AutoFilter makes it simple to filter any field for the data desired by checking boxes of desired data (for text), specifying desired date data in English (EX: “last month”), etc., as well as specifying sort direction, etc • Layout View makes it very simple for anyone to create a form, report, etc by simply dragging and dropping; Design View is available for advanced functionality, if needed • Calendar Icon automatically appears next to any field containing date values; pressing it brings up a calendar so a date can be selected graphically • Rich Text (formatted, not plain text) can be entered in text and memo fields • Create Tab (on Ribbon) makes it simple to create new objects (EX: tables, forms, macros), and great results are automatically generated when an existing object is opened and a new object is created based on it (EX: creating a form or report based on an open table) • Fields can be multivalued (more than value stored in the field), instead of needing to create a linked table • The Navigation Pane makes it simple to view all objects in any way desired; it replaces the “Main” Window in previous versions of Access and can be minimized, if desired One of the new features of the Ribbon is the ability to show new tabs based on the object currently being used; in the example shown here, the cursor is in a datasheet (displays table data), so a new tab is shown—Datasheet; notice that Table Tools is shown above this tab, denoting that the toolbar is used with tables; also notice that the tab and the Table Tools text are in yellow, whereas the standard tab color is white, making it easy visually to see that they are contextual tools (other tabs may appear in different colors) Microsoft® Galleries Galleries are different from standard options, in that they show the results of what is selected instead of how to make those results appear (EX: colors, borders, shading, etc.), making it simple to apply a coordinated look to an object; however, the individual elements can be formatted to override the style, if desired There are types of styles—In-Ribbon and Dropdown; Access primarily uses dropdown; the example here is the AutoFormat on the Microsoft Arrange tab in Report Design View; dropdown galleries are displayed by clicking ® the arrow (either or ) Key Tips & Keyboard Navigation Keyboard Shortcuts that were available in Access 2003 work in the same way in Access 2007 [see Help for a list of them by looking under Accessibility Options]; to make selections from the Ribbon, press ALT and the shortcuts will appear, first to select the appropriate tab, then the option on the tab (ALT does not need to be held down), as shown here Microsoft ® New User Interface (UI) Status Bar The new User Interface (UI) is the most striking feature of Access 2007; it came about as the program has gotten more and more complex with more and more options; this section reviews the changes in each section and is designed to help you intuitively know where to look for the options you want (and along the way, discover some things you never knew existed!) Microsoft® The Status Bar can be configured to display as many or as few details as desired about the current database; to change what is displayed, simply right-click on the status bar and check or uncheck the options desired Status/Prompt: Status of the program or prompt for what the user can/should (in this case, double-click the selected item to get the details on that item) Num Lock Indicator: Num Lock appears if it is on, but is not display The Ribbon e The Ribbon replaces all the menus that were part of every Windows program; it is designed to put the tasks and options you need at your fingertips and to show you those that are only applicable when a particular kind of object is being worked with; the parts of the Ribbon are as follows: Microsoft® Tab: Groups tasks into areas of functionality; Home has the most common Super Tooltips options in one place Group: Breaks the ribbon tab down into related areas of functionality, such Super Tooltips are an enhanced version of tooltips that have been available for years in previous versions of Access; in the past, they simply provided the name of the tool that was pointed at (and, in some cases, this is still true with Access 2007); however, in Access 2007, Microsoft they often also provide descriptions (as shown here); while the tip is displayed, pressing F1 will open Help on the subject for those tips that state that as well (usually for more advanced functionality) as formatting characters and filtering/sorting records It is not optimized for any screen resolution and will adapt its contents automatically; supports the traditional button, as well as Galleries [see Galleries] and can launch dialog boxes if they are required Quick Access Toolbar ® The Quick Access Toolbar places common commands on the screen at all times, no matter which tab in the Ribbon is displayed; these are common icons that can always be used, such as Save and Undo, but any button can be added to it by simply right-clicking on the button to add to the toolbar and selecting Add to Quick Access Toolbar Dialog Boxes & Dialog Box Launchers Dialog Boxes still exist in Access 2007, but they are primarily to provide access to advanced functionality; for example, Gridlines is on the Home ribbon, but the line style for them is not; to select the line style, the Datasheet Formatting dialog box must be used by opening the Font dialog box launcher; to open any dialog box, Getting Help Access offers an extensive Help system that can be displayed by clicking the on the right side of the Ribbon; alternatively, you can get Help by pressing F1 simple click on the Dialog Box Launcher icon at the end of a Group name to get more free charts visit us http://scientific4you.blogspot.com Database File Formats Record Navigation Icons Access 2007 has several brand-new file formats; Access can still read and write databases created in previous versions, and can create new databases in the old format as well; if the old format is chosen, however, Access will automatically disable any new features (EX: multivalued fields, the new attachment data type, and SharePoint 3.0 integration) by graying them out in the Ribbon if they are not compatible with that format; conversely, it will allow access to a few features that are not available with the 2007 format (EX: replication and user level security) The table below summarizes the available formats in Access (new formats are in BOLD SMALL CAPS); the default format is ACCDB Extension Normal database ACCDE Database in “execute-only” mode (code not accessible for modification); replaces mde first record that matches the criteria) and makes it the current record Previous Record: Moves back record (relative to the current record) in the table/query (if filtered, the first record before the current one that matches the criteria) and makes it the current record Current Record: Displays the current record number; a specific record can be made the current record by typing its number in the text box Next Record: Moves forward record (relative to the current record) in the table/query (if filtered, the first record after the current one that matches the criteria) and makes it the current record Last Record: Moves to the last record in the table/query (if filtered, the last record that matches the criteria) and makes it the current record New Record: Adds a new record to the end of the table; same as the button ACCDT Template for new databases Filtered Status: If highlighted as shown here, a filter is in effect; if grayed ACCDR Database in “run-time” mode (only data can be changed); rename to accdb for full functionality Search: Quick way to search for a specific value—type it here and press LACCDB Locking file used with accdb database format when multiple users access the same database to prevent corruption (automatically deleted when all users are out of database) mdb Format used in Access 95 – 2003 for a normal database mde Format used in Access 95 – 2003 for an “execute-only” database ldb Locking file used with mdb database format when multiple users access the same database to prevent corruption (automatically deleted when all users are out of database) • • • • • • button to find the next matching value; similar to basic capabilities of Find or Filter buttons Database Objects Databases are made up of objects; the following is a brief description of objects available in Access 2007: Table: Stores data in records and fields very similar to a spreadsheet; all other objects directly or indirectly access the data stored in them Query: Locates and displays information (from tables and/or other queries) based on user-defined criteria; many query types can be created, but only simple Select queries will be discussed in this guide (they have the icon shown here) Access® 2007 Terminology • Microsoft® out, no filter is in effect; toggle the status with the • First Record: Moves to the first record in the table/query (if filtered, the Purpose ACCDB Form: Forms allow information from a table or query to be displayed in a user-defined format (beyond the scope of this guide) • Database: A collection of related objects designed to be used together (EX: inventory management, scheduling, managing a list of recipes, etc.); in its simplest form, it is composed of tables (which are made of fields and records) in which information can be stored in an organized manner; once information is entered into a database, it can be analyzed, printed, sorted and retrieved; Access 2007 is a software application that assists in the creation and maintenance of databases Dialog Box: A window that provides access to the advanced functionality in Access Dropdown Menu: A menu of choices that appears in dialog boxes and next to some icons; accessed by clicking the downward-facing triangle shown here Field: Column of data (EX: city, phone number) Flat File Database: Database format that doesn’t allow related tables to be used together; very few database applications are flat file anymore; most flat file-style databases are created in other applications that use various formats (EX: spreadsheet, text document, etc.), as opposed to the format that Access uses Foreign Key: A field in a table that references an indexed field (usually the primary key) of another table Primary Key: A field that uniquely identifies each record; no records can have the same primary key in the same table; primary keys are often numbers (EX: Social Security numbers, UPC codes, etc.) Record: All related information for item; a row Relational Database: Database format that allows for the defining of relationships among data contained in multiple tables; this capability allows for extensive information manipulation, as well as for smaller databases and fewer data entry errors (due to decreased duplication of information); Access 2007 is a relational database application • Relationship: Link between tables (EX: a table with item numbers and descriptions, and a table with sales of those items) • Template: A predefined database that makes it easy to create a type of database, such as for sales, contacts or inventory; some come with Access, but many more are available from Office Online Report: Compiles, displays and prints information located in tables and/or queries (beyond the scope of this guide) Macro: Simple way to automate many tasks; can be used with forms, reports and modules (beyond the scope of this guide) Module: Provides access to complex and powerful programming abilities of Access (beyond the scope of this guide) [NOTE: This guide will only describe the creation of a database, and the creation and use of tables and queries] Office Button Creating a New Database Unlike the other applications in the Office 2007 suite, Access 2007 (like all previous versions of Access) creates a database file on the disk as soon as the database is created; when the application is started, the Getting Started with Microsoft Office Access dialog box is displayed, which allows both blank and template-based databases to be created To create a new database using a template: • Click the Office Menu button and select New; the Getting Started with Microsoft Office Access dialog box will appear as shown here • In the Templates section, click on the Local Templates link to view the templates installed with Access; Microsoft if the desired template can’t be found (and there is an active Internet connection), use the links under the From Microsoft Office Online heading to download one instead • Select the desired template and click OK ® to get more free charts visit us http://scientific4you.blogspot.com Office Button (continued ) Home Tab (continued ) Opening a Database PivotTable View: PivotTable is used for complex data analysis; similar to a spreadsheet To open a database recently accessed: • Click on the Office Menu button and point at (but don’t click on) Open • Select the desired file from the list on the right of the menu; if any existing database is open, it will prompt you to save any changes, as only database can be open at the same time PivotChart View: PivotChart is used for complex data analysis with graphical output SQL View: SQL (used to view the SQL [Structured Query Language] code to produce the results shown graphically in Design View); only used with queries To open any database: • Click on the Office Menu button and select Open • Navigate to the desired folder in the Open dialog box • Select the name from the list • Click the Open button Font Group Font: Displays the font of the currently selected text and allows it to be changed to any installed font via the dropdown menu Font Size: The size of the selected text is displayed and can be changed by selecting from the dropdown menu or typing in a number Printing a Database Object To print a database object: • Open the desired object (EX: form, report, table, etc.) • Click on the Office Menu button and point at Print • Select Print OR • Select Quick Print to print a single copy of all the pages of the object to the printer last used (usually the system’s default printer) TIP: To view the printer that will be used, point at (but don’t click) the Quick Print button, and the printer name will be in parentheses of the Tooltip • Select the printer you wish to print to and observe its status (ready, needs attention, or the number of print jobs waiting to be printed on that printer); click the Properties button if printing properties (color vs black & white, contrast, etc.) need to be set • Select the number of copies desired and check the Collate box if you want multiple copies collated • Specify the pages to be printed or choose to print just Selected Record(s) (records must be selected first) • Click OK to print the database object Align Left: Formats the selected text to have an even left margin and a ragged right margin Center: Centers the selected text between the left and right margins, leaving both margins ragged Align Right: Formats the selected text to have an even right margin and a ragged left margin Bold: Changes the selected text to bold Italic: Italicizes the selected text Underline: Underlines the selected text Font Color: Changes the text color of the selected text to a theme color, a standard color or a custom color; selected color shows under the A; others can be selected from the dropdown menu Fill/Back Color: Changes (or removes) the background color of the selected object to any desired color Gridlines: Displays gridlines options: Horizontal, Vertical, Both or None To preview what a database object will look like when printed: • Open the desired object (EX: form, report, table, etc.) • Click on the Office Menu button, point at Print and select Print Preview • The Print Preview tab will be displayed (and all other tabs hidden), allowing you to change margins, change the page orientation (portrait or landscape), scroll through the database, etc • Click the Close Print Preview button to return to the normal ribbon tabs Alternate Fill/Back Color: Changes the background of every other record to the specified color to make it easier to see records and edit the correct one Rich Text Group [NOTE: Many of the rich text options can only be applied in Design View, or to text and memo fields that have the Text Format property set to Rich Text] Undo, Redo & Save— Quick Access Toolbar Decrease List Level: Reduces the left margin indent of the selected field by 1/2 inch (and changes list number as appropriate in a numbered list) Undo: Reverses the last action taken; not all actions are undoable and many only have level of Undo; if multiple items can be undone, select them in order from the dropdown menu Increase List Level: Increases the left margin indent of the selected field by 1/2 inch (and changes list number as appropriate in a numbered list) Redo: Undoes the last Undo; not all actions that can be undone can be redone Text Direction: Specifies that the text should be read Left-to-Right or Right-to-Left (used with other languages; EX: Arabic and Hebrew) Save: Saves the current object (in Design View only); saves the current record in all other views Numbering: Places a number in front of each paragraph in the selected text (used with memo fields) Home Tab Bullets: Places a bullet in front of each paragraph in the selected text (used with memo fields) Clipboard Group Cut: Removes the currently selected text or object from the database object and places it on the clipboard for pasting Text Highlight Color: Highlights (by changing the background color) the selected text in of 15 colors (or removes highlighting); select other colors from the dropdown menu Copy: Copies the currently selected text or object from the database object and places it on the clipboard for pasting Records Group Refresh All: Updates the data and calculated fields; most useful in a multiuser database Paste: Places the contents of the clipboard into the current database object New: Creates a new record Format Painter: Picks up the formatting of the currently selected object and allows it to be applied on another object while the format painter icon is the cursor; when single-clicked, the next object highlighted will be changed and the cursor returned to normal, but when double-clicked, format painter will remain active until the format painter icon is clicked again; primarily used in Design View Save: Saves the current record (automatically happens when another record is selected) Delete: Deletes the selected text in a field; if record(s) or field(s) is/are selected, the entire record(s) or field(s) is/are deleted; can also choose to delete a record or field from the dropdown menu Views Group Design View: Design is available for all objects—used to change the structure of the selected object Warning: Deleting records and fields is not undoable Totals: Adds a summary row at the bottom of Datasheet View for totals (numeric fields can be summed, averaged, counted, etc., whereas text fields can only be counted); dynamic data that is not stored in the table Datasheet View: Datasheet is available to view and change records like a spreadsheet; available for queries and tables to get more free charts visit us http://scientific4you.blogspot.com Home Tab (continued ) Table Tools Spelling: Spell-checks the data in the underlying table More: Other display options (EX: setting row height or column width, and hiding/unhiding fields); also used to add data as an Outlook contact or importing data from Outlook Sort & Filter Group Ascending: Sorts data in current field in ascending order (EX: A to Z, smallest to largest, oldest to newest) Descending: Sorts data in current field in descending order (EX: Z to A, largest to smallest, newest to oldest) Clear All Sorts: Clears any sort criteria that have been specified, returning to the default data order (usually the way data was entered) Filter: Displays dialog box for simple filtering of data—check/uncheck boxes for desired data; can also sort data and specify advanced filter criteria (EX: , =, between, contains, starts or ends with, etc.) Selection: Filters records based on data in current field (equal to or not equal to field’s value, or other similar, simple criteria) Advanced Filter Options: Advanced filtering and sorting options, such as sorting by multiple fields or filtering data by filling out a form with all the desired criteria Toggle Filter: Turns on/off the last filter used TIP: If filter is enabled, “Filtered” appears in the status bar by the view buttons Find Group Find: Finds text, numbers, dates, etc., throughout the current field or in all fields of the current table or query; can be used to find part of a word, number, etc (beginning, anywhere in field or entire field contents) Replace: Provides all the functionality of Find, with the added ability of replacing any or all occurrences of that text with the replacement text specified Go To: Moves the current record to the First, Previous, Next or Last record, or creates a new record at the end of the table Select: Can be used to select entire record (not just current field contents) or all records in table/query Creating Tables Tables are the key to storing information; proper table design is beyond the scope of this guide, but the mechanics of how to so are described here; Access 2007 makes it much simpler to create simple tables than it was in previous versions, but table design wizards have been removed To create a blank table: • On the Create tab, click Table • Begin entering data and new fields will automatically be created OR • Click the Design View below button and build the table design as described To create a table based on a template: • On the Create tab, click the Table Templates button and select one of the built-in templates: Contacts, Tasks, Issues, Events or Assets • Access will automatically create a new table with predefined fields • Enter data into the table as created Using Design View To create a new field, give it a name and select the appropriate data type; optionally, a description may be entered for the field to describe its purpose, its role in relationships with other tables, expected data, etc To create or modify a table in Design View: • In the desired table, click the Design View button on the Home tab OR Right-click it in the Navigation Pane and select Design View • Enter or change names for each field (up to 64 characters long), select a data type for each field, and optionally enter a description for each field • Optionally, enter field properties in the bottom half of the screen as needed • When finished, click the Save button to save it and remain in Design View, or click the Datasheet View entering/changing data button to save it and begin Tools Group Primary Key: Sets the primary key to the selected field(s) Builder: Wizard that helps with some field properties (such as Input Mask) or opens Expression Builder to help enter complex criteria for other field properties (EX: Default Value and Validation Rule) TIP: The Builder button also appears to the right of those properties and does the same thing Test Validation Rules: Tests existing data in the table to make sure that validation rules, allow zero length fields, and required fields rules are valid for all the records; a dialog box appears for each rule not met, with the name of the rule violated and the field involved Delete Rows: Deletes the selected field(s) Insert Rows: Inserts a new row for a new field above the selected field Insert Lookup Column: Inserts a new field and opens wizard to create a lookup list (list of possible values for a field; EX: state abbreviations or days of the week) Creates a combo (dropdown) menu used to select data from another table or a list of entered values; typically, text data (such as customer names) is displayed in the list, but the underlying primary key for the record (EX: customer ID) is stored in this table, not the longer textual form (easier to use and reduces data entry errors) TIP: Use the Lookup tab in the Field Properties area of the design window to change the properties of the list after it is created Show/Hide Group Property Sheet: Displays (on the right side of the screen) the properties of the table and allows modifications to them, if needed Indexes: Opens a dialog box where indexes can be created and modified, including sort order, making the index the primary key, forcing all records in the field to be unique, and ignoring (in the index) NULL (blank) values Creating Queries Queries make databases useful; data is stored in tables and is just that— raw data, but queries turn the raw data from the tables into useful information; queries are questions you need answered (such as “What are the names and phone numbers of everyone in the marketing department?” or “What are the top-selling products?”); most queries are created in Design View, but a query that returns all the records for selected fields and a query that generates summary data (such as total units sold or average selling price) have been automated in wizards; a few complex tasks can also be accomplished with specialized wizards; unfortunately, they are beyond the scope of this guide, but fortunately, the new sorting and filtering options already described can help answer many questions of this type without creating queries Common Keyboard Shortcuts When entering data into a table or query, the following keyboard shortcuts can greatly speed up the process: • : Once undoes any change to a field; twice undoes all changes to the record • + ; (semicolon): Inserts the current date • + + : (colon): Inserts the current time • + + : Enters the field’s default value (if specified [in Design View for the table for that field]) • + ’ (apostrophe): Copies the same value for field from previous record • + + (plus): Adds a new record (at the end of the table) • + – (minus): Deletes current record Many more keyboard shortcuts are available; view them by opening Help, then selecting Accessibility from the list of options; from there, click on the Use the keyboard to work with Ribbon programs to view how to use Help in conjunction with buttons on the Ribbon or Keyboard Shortcuts for Access to view the keyboard shortcuts unique to Access 2007 (and there are lots of them!) to get more free charts visit us http://scientific4you.blogspot.com Data Types Common Field Properties Fixed-length text and numbers not used in calculations (EX: names, phone numbers, ZIP codes); to 255 characters; requires byte on disk per character entered per record Memo: Variable-length text and numbers (EX: notes on a customer); up to 63,999 characters; requires byte on disk per character entered per record Number: Byte: Whole numbers from to 255; used for small values (EX: number purchased) or as a key for small sets of data (EX: days of the week); requires byte on disk per record Integer: Numbers from –32,768 to +32,767 (with digits to the right of the decimal); requires bytes on disk per record Long Integer: Numbers from –2,147,483,648 to +2,147,483,647 (with digits to the right of the decimal); commonly used when linking fields; requires bytes on disk per record Single: Numbers from –3.40282338 to –1.401298–45 for negative numbers, and from +1.401298–45 to +3.40282338 for positive numbers (with digits of precision to the right of the decimal in scientific notation); requires bytes on disk per record to Double: Numbers from –1.79769313486231308 –324 for negative numbers, and from –4.94065645841247 +4.94065645841247–324 to +1.79769313486231308 for positive numbers (with 14 digits of precision to the right of the decimal in scientific notation); requires bytes on disk per record Decimal: Stores numbers with 28 digits of precision (with to 28 digits to the right of the decimal); (thus, number range with to the right of the decimal is +/–79,228,162,514,264,337,593,543,950,335 and with 28 digits is +/–7.9228162514264337593543950335, with the smallest non-zero value of +/–0.0000000000000000000000000001); it requires 12 bytes on disk per record Date/Time: Dates (from 100 to 9999 A.D.) and times; requires bytes on disk per record Currency: Used for financial calculations and other mathematical calculations (with to characters after the decimal point); faster than single or double-data types if to decimal places needed as fixed-point math used instead of floating point math; accurate to 15 characters to the left of the decimal and after it; requires bytes on disk per record AutoNumber: Unique, sequential number that is typically incremented by for each new record; used often in relationships between tables; value can’t be modified; if the FieldSize property is set to ReplicationID instead of Long Integer, it is a random number guaranteed to be unique (a GUID); requires bytes on disk (16 for ReplicationIDs) per record Yes/No: Simplest data type; can contain only yes/no, true/false, on/off or checked/unchecked data; requires byte on disk per record (minimum byte per record for yes/no data types, but up to yes/no fields can be placed in byte) OLE Object: Data linked or embedded from another application (up to GB in size), such as a picture, Word document, etc Hyperlink: Link to a URL (on the Internet, for example) or a UNC path (location on the network); can also display different text from URL or UNC path and have associated tooltip text; requires up to 2,048 bytes on disk for each of the parts (text, URL, tooltip) per record, depending on data entered for each part Attachment: New in Access 2007; similar to but a little more efficient than OLE Object type, because it can store any kind of file (similar to email attachment); up to GB per record Lookup Wizard: Same as Insert Lookup Column button TIP: When choosing a number type, use the simplest type that will meet the requirements, as they can be processed faster in calculations and don’t take as much space to store in the database; number formats are listed in the table above from simplest/smallest to most complex/largest There are, for most data types, the additional properties listed below; although they vary from data type to data type, and each data type has its own combination of properties, the common ones are: Field Size: For text, the maximum number of characters allowed; for numbers, the number type (EX: Byte, Integer, etc.) Format: For text and memos, force to upper- or lowercase, require a minimum number of characters, etc; for numbers and currency, the display of the numbers (EX: scientific notation, currency, percent, etc.); for date/time, the format of the date and/or time (formats are defined in the Regional Settings control panel); for yes/no, whether to display yes/no, true/false or on/off; for numbers, yes/no and date/time fields, custom formats can be defined Decimal Places: The number of digits that will be displayed to the right of the decimal point Text: Author: John Hales A+, Network+, MCSE, CNE free downloads & hundreds of titles at quickstudy.com Customer Hotline # 1.800.230.9522 We welcome your feedback so we can maintain and exceed your expectations Warning: The actual value, not the number of digits displayed, will be used in all calculations involving the field Input Mask: Usually used with text fields to format the display of data for specific purposes (EX: ZIP codes, phone numbers, Social Security numbers, passwords, etc.); can also be used with date/time fields to format dates and times Default Value: The value that will automatically be placed in the field for all new (but not existing) records (EX: the current date, a common title or an area code) Caption: Used as the field (column) heading in Datasheet View for queries and tables, and as the label for a field on a form; the default (if nothing is entered for this property) is the field name Required: Whether or not data must be entered in the field when a new record is created or an existing record is edited; data is commonly required for things like names, phone numbers, etc Indexed: An index makes data retrieval and relationships to other tables faster and more efficient; creating indexes on other fields generally decreases performance; settings are available: No (no index for the field; the default), Yes (Duplicates OK) (field is indexed, but there may be more than record with the same value; EX: last name), and Yes (No Duplicates) (field is indexed; no records can have the same value in the field; EX: employee ID number or Social Security number); primary key is always Yes (No Duplicates) Primary Keys Most tables should have a Primary Key; it uniquely identifies each record in a table; the primary key is often a field with “ID” in the field name and is often an AutoNumber field (EX: in the figure here, the Products table contains all the information about each product—each Microsoft product has a ProductID associated with it that is the primary key for that table; the Orders table contains the “header” information for an invoice—who it was sold to, where to ship it, P.O number, etc.—while the Order Details table lists each item ordered, how much it cost, any discount, etc.; in this example, the Orders table is linked to the Order Details table by OrderID; OrderID is the primary key in the Orders table and a foreign key in the Order Details table; likewise, ProductID is the primary key in the Products table and a foreign key in the Order Details table); referencing ID fields in other tables reduces errors and makes data entry faster; all but the simplest of databases should have tables with primary keys defined; they are also very useful when creating queries ® Screen shots may vary depending on the version installed This guide is based on the software version shipping at the time of publication and is accurate to that version * Microsoft ®, Access®, MSN ®, and Windows ® are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corporation ® in the United States and/or other countries Microsoft product screen shot(s) reprinted with permission from Microsoft Corporation Disclaimer: This guide is intended for informational purposes only Due to its condensed format, it cannot possibly cover every aspect of the software BarCharts, Inc., its writers and editors are not responsible or liable for the use or misuse of the information contained in this guide All rights reserved No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form, or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system, without written permission from the publisher ©2007 BarCharts, Inc 0208 to get more free charts visit us http://scientific4you.blogspot.com ...New Features in Access 2007 Contextual Tools Access 2007 offers many new features over Access 2003; some of the new and improved features (those in... previous versions of Access; in the past, they simply provided the name of the tool that was pointed at (and, in some cases, this is still true with Access 2007) ; however, in Access 2007, Microsoft... Navigation Keyboard Shortcuts that were available in Access 2003 work in the same way in Access 2007 [see Help for a list of them by looking under Accessibility Options]; to make selections from the