Access 2007 for Starters: The Missing Manual

Introduction

• What You Can Do with Access

• The New Face of Access 2007

• About This Book

In the past, people have tried a variety of techniques to organize information. They've used Rolodexes, punch cards, cardboard boxes, vertical files, Post-it notes, 10,000-page indexes, and (when all else failed) large piles on top of flat surfaces. But after much suffering, people discovered that computers were far better at dealing with information, especially when that information's large, complex, or changes frequently.

That's where Microsoft Access comes into the picture. Access is a tool for managing databases—carefully structured catalogs of information (or data). Databases can store just about any type of information, including numbers, pages of text, and pictures. Databases also range wildly in size—they can handle everything from your list of family phone numbers to a ginormous product catalog for Aunt Ethel's Discount Button Boutique.

In this book, you'll learn how to design complete databases, maintain them, search for valuable nuggets of information, and build attractive forms for quick and easy data entry.

Best of all, this book was written from scratch for Access 2007, the latest and greatest incarnation of Microsoft's bestselling database software. Access 2007's quite a bit different from previous versions, with a slick new interface that has computer geeks buzzing. And for once, it's not just a gimmick. As you'll see in this book, once you master Access's new style, you'll be able ...