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Microsoft Access is a Database Management System software, a software

used to collect, save and show data, very useful in a business environment.

When you open Access, the startup window opens. Here you open any

existing Access file (or database) on the left, or start from ready made

templates available from the net.

To better understand how Access works, let's simply open a new Blank

desktop database.

Before going on, it is important to know the fundamental elements that

compose an Access database. A database is composed by different

parts, that are listed on the left: Tables, Forms, Reports, Queries,

Macros and Modules. Each of these behave differently and are used for

different purposes.

Let's start with the Tables. These are indeed the most important elements

inside your database, since they collect and save any kind of data.

A Table is composed by rows and columns. Columns, also called Fields,

are used to save a kind of data to import, for example a Name, a Comment,

a Date, a Status or a Numeric Value. Rows, or Records, are used to list

each set of data collected. For example, there will be as many rows as

the colleagues you took data from.

By default you just have one Field called ID, that counts the number of

rows filled. This is also the primary key of the table interested.

The Click to Add field is empty, through which you can add another field.

You can add different kinds of data: Long or Short Text, used to type

inside; Number to insert numbers; Date & Time to import by using a

calendar; Attachment to browse and import a file; and Hyperlink, to add

a web address.

Add as many fields as you need. Each single row will specify all data

requested by those fields.

You can adjust these Fields as you need. If you right-click on the field

name, you can rename or delete it if you need. Drag its contours to

enlarge the space available.

More complex are the Calculated Fields: these fields get filled auto,

starting from the content of other fields. In this case insert the

expression through the Expression Builder that follows. If you need

more help, just click on Help on the right.

You can edit the expression later if you need right-clicking on the

field and going to Modify Expression.

To adjust the text style inside a whole table, just change the settings

under Text Formatting.

Access gives you different Views available, in order to manage each

element the best way. All views are listed in the bottom right corner.

For Tables, Datasheet View is used to collect data, while Design View is

used to adjust each field settings. For each field on the left, you can

set the Data Type on the right, and all detailed settings at the bottom,

for example setting if data is required, the maximum text characters in

Field Size, and so on.

If you need to build a table with another collection of data, just go

to Create on top and then on Table. The new table will appear in the

list on the left. You can double-click on a table to open it, or

right-click to rename and delete.

Let's see how to import and export data with Access. Open the External

Data tab. Use Import & Link section to import data from Excel, from

another Access database, or any text file. Browse for the file that

contains your data, and decide how to import it: by creating a new

Access Table, updating an existing table, or creating a table linked with

your database. The procedure is completely guided.

To export data, select the Table from the left, and use the options

under Export.

When you finish working with a Table, make sure to save and close it.

Just right-click on its tab on the workspace to do so.

If you start having lots of Tables and data, you may need to use Queries.

A Query is a single table that collects and summerizes data from more

existing tables in one shot.

To create a Query, just click on Query Design inside Create tab. Then

select the tables you want to include inside the Query table. Hold CTRL

down and click to select more tables. Then click to Add.

All tables included in the Query are shown on top, with all their fields

and primary keys. At the bottom, you can build each Query column. On

Field, select the data that each Query column must have. You can select

a whole Table content, indicated by the Table name followed by an

asterisk, or just a single Table Field, indicated by the table name and

the respective Field name. Through the other rows below, you can set

important settings. Switch to the Datasheet view to check how your

Query table looks like.

Very important is the Filter. A Filter is used to show data that meets

your criteria and discards all data that is out. For example, if any data

has the ''Age'' field filled by a negative value, you can discard it

by adding a major zero under the field Age added inside the Query, in

Criteria. In this way, just all data that meets such criteria will show

up in the Query.

You can directly type inside Criteria, or insert it with the Expression

Builder by right-clicking and going to Build...

Mind that your Query is strongly linked to your Tables: if any cell is

edited, the Query will be automatically refreshed.

To show off or print your data, use the Reports. Select any Table or

Query interested, and click on Report under Create tab.

Inside a Report, you can't change any data, but just all that concerns

how it must be shown: text style, basic structure and layout. Access has

different views for Reports: Report View shows a preview of the report;

Print View shows a printed preview on a page; Layout view is used to set

the basic structure and layout of the report; and Design View is more

concentrated on colors and shapes.

By default, the report is built following the simple structure you see

in the Design view: a Report Header, with a default picture and a title;

a Page Header, with labels that describe the Report content; all Report

data under Detail; and the Footers, that terminate your report with

Page Numbers and any calculated cell. For example, the default one is

added to a Currency field, in order to sum its total. You can add and

edit any function going to Control Source under Property Sheet. You

can open this dialog box right-clicking on a cell and going to Properties.

If you want to know all the functions you can use inside Access, check

out the link in video description.

Through this view you have full control on the Report, composed by

different elements you can check through the Property Sheet.

Images contain simple pictures; Labels contain descriptions you can edit

and type anytime; Text Boxes any Field data, that you can't change

directly without the original Table, or any calculated data.

Through Design, on top, you can create and add other elements in your

Report. You may need more practice to use all of them in the best way.

Through this view, you can size each element dragging their contours, or

move them by simply using the Move icon in the top left corner.

The Report always follows the original Table layout. If you go to Arrange

on top, you can adjust the basic layout and add rows and columns if you

need.

Format is used to adjust the font settings, or introduce any filling

and outline to each element. This will affect all the selected cells you

have at that moment. Hold CTRL down to select more cells.

Forms are objects similar to Reports, but used to collect more data

inside your Tables, through a simple interface.

To create a Form, select a Table, and click on Form under Create tab.

The Form is composed by different Records, that correspond to each filled

row of your main Table. The last record is blank, ready to be filled to

import new data.

The Form can be edited as seen for Reports, through the Layout and the

Design View. The Form View is used to preview the Form.

In Access you also have Macros and Modules elements, used to automate

actions and commands. We won't see these in this beginner tutorial.

Let's see how to save and publish your Access database. To save your

database, in order to store your data, go to File and then to Save As.

If you choose any option inside Save Database As, you will save your

whole database, including all its objects inside. If you want to save

the Access object selected, choose Save Object As.

If you need to collect and gather data, you need to publish your database

and forms on the net.

There are lots of different ways to publish on the net. Just go to the

External Data tab and click on More. You can use SharePoint, an HTML

document or any online database.

Check out the video description if you want to know more about how to

publish your Access objects on the net.

Thanks for watching! Check out our Office 2016 guide to discover more!