Access 2007: The Missing Manual

Chapter 1. Creating Your First Database

Although Microsoft won’t admit it, Access can be intimidating—intimidating enough to trigger a cold sweat in the most confident office worker. Even though Microsoft has spent millions making Access easier to use, most people still see it as the most complicated Office program on the block. They’re probably right.

Access seems more daunting than any other Office program because of the way that databases work. Quite simply, databases need strict rules. Other programs aren’t as obsessive. For example, you can fire up Word, and start typing a letter straight away. Or you can start Excel, and launch right into a financial report. But Access isn’t nearly as freewheeling. Before you can enter a stitch of information into an Access database, you need to create that database’s structure. And even after you’ve defined that structure, you’ll probably want to spend more time creating other useful tools, like handy search routines and friendly forms that you can use to simplify data lookup and data entry. All of this setup takes effort, and a good understanding of how databases work.

In this chapter, you’ll conquer any Access resistance you have and learn to create a simple but functional database. Along the way, you’ll get acquainted with the slick new Access user interface, and you’ll learn exactly what you can store in a database. You’ll then be ready to tackle the fine art of database design, covered in more detail throughout this book.

Understanding Access Databases

As you already know, a database is a collection of information. In Access, every database is stored in a single file. That file contains database objects, which are simply the components of a database.

Database objects are the main players in an Access database. Altogether, you have six different types of database objects:

• Tables store information. Tables are the heart of any database, and you can create as many tables as you need to store different types of information. A fitness database could track your daily running log, your inventory of exercise equipment, and the number of high-protein whey milkshakes you down each day, as three separate tables.

• Queries let you quickly perform an action on a table. Usually, this action involves retrieving a choice bit of information (like the 10 top-selling food items at Ed’s Roadside Dinner, or all the purchases you made in a single day). However, you can also use queries to apply changes.

• Forms are attractive windows that you create, arrange, and colorize. Forms provide an easy way to view or change the information in a table.

• Reports help you print some or all of the information in a table. You can choose where the information appears on the printed page, how it’s grouped and sorted, and how it’s formatted.

• Macros are mini-programs that automate custom tasks. Macros are a simple way to get custom results without becoming a programmer.

• Modules are files that contain Visual Basic code. You can use this code to do just about anything—from updating 10,000 records to firing off an email. (Chapter 16 has the full story on Visual Basic.)

Access gurus refer to all these database ingredients as objects because you manage them all in essentially the same way. If you want to use a particular object, then you add it to your database, give it a name, and then fine-tune it. Later on, you can view your objects, rename them, or delete ones you don’t want anymore.

Tip

Designing a database is the process of adding and configuring database objects. For those keeping score, an Access database can hold up to 32,768 separate objects.

In this chapter, you’ll consider only the most fundamental type of database object: tables. But first, you need to learn a bit more about databases and the Access environment.

Getting Started

It’s time to begin your journey and launch Access. You’ll start at a spiffy Getting Started page (Figure 1-1).

Figure 1-1. The Getting, Started page is a bit of a cross between a Windows program and a Web page. Use the links on the left to browse through different categories of templates (ready-to-go databases that you can download and fill with your own information). Or check out the links on the bottom, which show you the latest Access news and tips.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTION: Using Someone Else’s Database

Can I use an Access database I didn’t design?

Although every database follows the same two-step process (first somebody creates it, and then people fill it with information), the same person doesn’t need to perform both jobs. In fact, in the business world, different people often work separately on these two tasks.

For example, a summer student whiz kid at a beer store may build a database for tracking orders (task #1). The sales department can then use the database to enter new orders (task #2), while other employees look up orders and fill them (also task #2). Warehouse staff can make sure stock levels are OK (again, task #2), and the resident accountant can keep an eye on total sales (task #2).

If task #1 (creating the database) is done well, task #2 (using the database) can be extremely easy. In fact, if the database is well designed, people who have little under-standing of Access can still use it to enter, update, and look up information. Amazingly, they don’t even need to know they’re running Access at all!

You’ll learn more about sharing Access with groups of people in Chapter 18.

The Getting Started page looks a little dizzying at first glance, but it really serves just three purposes:

• It shows you recent content from Microsoft’s Office Online Web site. For example, you can read helpful articles about Access, find timesaving tips, or download updates. All links open in a separate browser window.

• It lets you open a database you used recently. Look for the Open Recent Database section on the right, which gives you a list.

• It lets you create a new database. You can start off with an empty database (use the Blank Database button), or you can try to find a ready-made template that fits the bill.

UP TO SPEED: Templates: One Size Fits Some

Templates are prebuilt databases. Templates aim to save you the work of creating your database, and let you jump straight to the fine-tuning and data-entry stage.

As you might expect, there’s a price to be paid for this convenience. Even if you find a template that stores the type of information you want to track, you might find that the pre-defined structure isn’t quite right. For example, if you choose to use the Home Inventory template to track all the stuff in your basement, you might find that it’s missing some information you want to use (like the projected resale value of your stuff on eBay) and includes other details you don’t care about (like the date you acquired each item). To make this template work, you’ll need to change the design of your table, which involves the same Access know-how as creating one.

In this book, you’ll learn how to build your own databases from the ground up and customize every square inch of them. Once you’re an Access master, you can spend many fun hours playing with the prebuilt templates and adapting them to suit your needs.

You may think that it would be nice to customize the Getting Started page. Access does let you do so, but it’s not all that easy—and it’s recommended only for organizations that want to standardize the Getting Started page to better suit their employees. A business could add links to a company Web site or a commonly used database template. If you’re interested in this feature, you’ll need another tool: the freely downloadable Access Developer’s Toolkit, which you can search for at http://msdn.microsoft.com. (This tool wasn’t yet released at the time of this writing.)

The Getting Started page is only the front door to the features in Access—there’s lot more in store once you get rolling. You won’t be able to try out other parts of the Access until you create a new database, and the next section shows you how.

Creating a New Database

In this chapter, you’ll slap together a fairly straightforward database. The example’s designed to store a list of prized bobblehead dolls. (For those not in the know, a bobblehead doll is a toy figure with an outsize head on a spring, hence the signature “bobbling” motion. Bobblehead dolls usually resemble a famous celebrity, politician, athlete, or fictional character.)

UP TO SPEED: Access Goes Online

One of the Getting Started page’s neatest features is the way it gets live content from the Web. This process happens so seamlessly that you don’t even know it’s taking place. When you start Access, it contacts Microsoft’s highpowered Web servers behind the scenes, and requests the latest information for the box of links at the bottom of the Getting Started page. From time to time, you’ll see the content in this box change. One day, you may see a link for an article about macro viruses, while the next day you’ll find an article with timesaving tips. (When you click a link, the article loads up in the Access Help window, but don’t be fooled—the content’s still just a Web page that’s pulled off the Office Online site.)

A similar magic takes place when you browse through the templates (by clicking one of the categories under the From Microsoft Office Online heading). Once again, Access heads back to the Web—this time, to get a list of suitable templates.

This Web-based system lets you benefit from recent developments and new content, and you don’t have to upgrade your Access software. Of course, it goes without saying that you won’t see any updates if your computer can’t connect to the Internet. (Instead, you’ll be left looking at stale content indefinitely.)

If you want to browse a much larger catalog of Access articles and resources, you can head to the Office Online site on your own (outside Access), by surfing to http://office.microsoft.com in your favorite browser.

Tip

You can get the Bobblehead database, and all the databases in this book, on the Web. Check out Section 3.4.2.3 in the Introduction for more details.

Here’s how to create a blank new database:

1. On the Getting Started page, click the Blank Database button.

   A side panel appears on the right (see Figure 1-2).

2. Type in a file name.

   Access stores all the information for a database in a single file with the extension. accdb (which stands for Access database). Don’t stick with the name Access picks automatically (like Database1.accdb). Instead, pick something more suitable. In this example, Bobblehead.accdb does the trick.

   As with any other file, Access files can contain a combination of letters, spaces, numbers, parentheses, hyphens (-), and the underscore (_). It’s generally safest to stay away from other special characters, some of which aren’t allowed.

   Note

   Depending on your computer settings, Windows may hide file extensions. Instead of seeing the Access database file MyScandalousWedding.accdb in file-browsing tools like Windows Explorer, you may just see the name MyScandalousWedding (without the .accdb part on the end). In this case, you can still tell the file type by looking at the icon. If you see a small Access icon next to the file name (which looks like a key), that’s your signal that you’re looking at an Access database. If you see something else (like a tiny paint palette), you need to make a logical guess about what type of file it is.

   

   Figure 1-2. The database Bobblehead.accdb will be placed in the folder C:\Documents and Settings\Matt\My Documents. You can edit the file name by clicking in the File Name box, and you can browse to a different folder by clicking the folder icon.

3. Choose a folder.

   Like all Office programs, Access assumes you want to store every file you create in your personal My Documents folder. If this isn’t the case, click the folder icon to show the File New Database dialog box, browse to the folder you want (Figure 1-3), and then click OK.

4. Click the Create button (at the bottom-right of the Access window).

   Access creates your database file and then pops up a datasheet where you can get to work creating your first table.

Once you create or open a database, the Access window changes quite a bit. An impressive-looking toolbar (the ribbon) appears at the top of your screen, and a navigation pane shows up on the left. You’re now in the control center where you’ll perform all your database tasks (as shown in Figure 1-4).

The Introduction covers the basics of how the ribbon works. (Jump to Section 3.2 for the full details.) But first, it’s time to consider how you can make use of your brand-new, empty database by adding a table.

Figure 1-3. The File New Database dialog box lets you choose where you’ll store a new Access database file. It also gives you the option to create your database in the format used by previous versions of Access (.mdb). To do so, you need to choose either the 2000 or 2002-2003 format options from the “Save as type” list, as shown here. If you’re running Windows Vista, you’ll notice that the File New Database dialog box has a whole different look, but all the same features.

Figure 1-4. The navigation pane on the left lets you see different items (or objects) in your database. You can use the navigation pane to jump from a list of products to a list of customers and back again. The ribbon along the top groups together every Access command. This ribbon’s the mission control that lets you perform various tasks with your database. The document window in the middle takes up the rest of the window. This window’s where you’ll do your work, such as designing tables and entering data.

WORD TO THE WISE: Sharing Databases with Older Versions of Access

Older versions of Access don’t use the .accdb format. If you try to open Bobblehead.accdb in Access 2003, you’ll get nothing more than a blank stare and an error message.

Earlier versions of Access use the .mdb file format (which stands for Microsoft database). Although Access 2007 is happy using both .accdb and .mdb files, previous versions of Access recognize only .mdb. (And just to make life more interesting, the .mdb format actually has three versions: the really, really old original format, a retooled version that appeared with Access 2000, and the improved-yet-again version that Microsoft introduced with Access 2002 and reused for Access 2003.)

Here’s what you need to know to choose the right format for your new databases. The standard .accdb format’s the best choice if you don’t need to worry about compatibility, because it has the best performance and a few extra features. But if you need to share databases with other versions of Access, skip the new kid on the block, and rely instead on the tested-and-true .mdb format.

To create an old-style .mdb database file in Access 2007, use the “Save as type” option shown in Figure 1-3. You can choose the Access 2002-2003 file format, or the even older Access 2000 format. (If you’re set on going back any further, say the Access 95 format, your best bet’s a time machine.)

Understanding Tables

Tables are information containers. Every database needs at least one table—without it, you can’t store any data. In a simple database, like the Bobblehead database, a single table (which we’ll call Dolls) is enough. But if you find yourself wanting to store several lists of related information, then you need more than one table. In the database BigBudgetWedding.accdb, you might want to keep track of the guests that you invited to your wedding, the gifts that you requested, and the loot that you actually received. In Chapter 5, you’ll see plenty of examples of databases that use multiple tables.

Figure 1-5 shows a sample table.

Figure 1-5. In a table, each record occupies a separate row. Each field is represented by a separate column. In this table, it’s clear that you’ve added six bobblehead dolls. You’re storing information for each doll in five fields (ID, Character, Manufacturer, PurchasePrice, and DateAcquired).

Before you start designing this table, you need to know some very basic rules:

• A table’s nothing more than a group of records . A record’s a collection of information about a single thing. In the Dolls table, for example, each record represents a single bobblehead doll. In a Family table, each record would represent a single relative. In a Products table, each record would represent an item that’s for sale. You get the idea.

• Each record’s subdivided into fields . Each field stores a distinct piece of information. For example, in the Dolls table, one field stores the person on whom the doll’s based, another field stores the price, another field stores the date you bought it, and so on.

• Tables have a rigid structure. In other words, you can’t bend the rules. If you create four fields, every record must have four fields (although it’s acceptable to leave some fields blank if they don’t apply).

UP TO SPEED: Database Planning for Beginners

Many database gurus suggest that before you fire up Access, you should decide exactly what information you want to store by brainstorming. Here’s how it works. First, determine the type of list you want by finishing this sentence “I need a list of….” (One example: “I need a list of all the bobblehead dolls in my basement.”)

Next, jot down all your must-have pieces of information on a piece of paper. Some details are obvious. For example, for the bobblehead doll collection, you’ll probably want to keep track of the doll’s name, price, and date you bought it. Other details, like the year it was produced, the company that created it, and a short description of its appearance or condition may require more thought.

Once you’ve completed this process and identified all the important bits of data you need, you’re ready to create the corresponding table in Access. The bobblehead doll example demonstrates an important theme of database design: First you plan the database, and then you create it using Access. In Chapter 5, you’ll learn a lot more about planning more complex databases.

Creating a Simple Table

When you first create a database, it’s almost empty. But in order to get you started, Access creates your first database object—a table named Table1. The problem is, this table begins life completely blank, with no defined fields (and no data).

If you followed the steps to create a new database (Section 1.2.1), you’re already at the Datasheet view (Figure 1-5), which is where you enter data into a table. All you need to do is customize this table so that it meets your needs.

There are two ways to customize a table:

• Design view lets you precisely define all aspects of a table before you start using it. Almost all database pros prefer Design view, and you’ll start using it in Chapter 2.

• Datasheet view is where you enter data into a table. Datasheet view also lets you build a table on the fly as you insert new information. You’ll use this approach in this chapter.

The following steps show you how to turn a blank new table (like Table1) into the Dolls table using the Datasheet view:

1. To define your table, you need to add your first record.

   In this case, that means mentally picking a bobblehead doll to add to the list. For this example, you’ll use a nifty Homer Simpson replica.

   Note

   It doesn’t matter which doll you enter first. Access tables are unsorted, which means they have no underlying order. However, you can sort them any way you want when you need to retrieve information later on.

2. In the datasheet’s Add New Field column, type the first piece of information for the record (see Figure 1-6).

   Based on the simple analysis you performed earlier (Section 1.2.3), you know that you need to enter four fields of information for every doll. For the Homer Simpson doll, this information is: “Homer Simpson” (the name), “Fictional Industries” (the manufacturer), $7.99 (the price), and today’s date (the purchase date). Although you could start with any field, it makes sense to begin with the name, which is clearly an identifying detail.

   

   Figure 1-6. To fill in your first record, start by entering something in the first field of information (like the doll name “Homer Simpson”). Then, hit Tab to jump to the second column, and then enter the second piece of information. Ignore the ID column for now—Access adds that to every table to identify your rows.

3. Press Tab to move to the next field, and return to step 2.

   Repeat steps 2 and 3 until you’ve added every field you need, being careful to put each separate piece of information into a different column.

   UP TO SPEED: Putting Big Values in Narrow Columns

   A column can hold entire paragraphs of information, so you may find yourself running out of space once you start typing. This phenomenon isn’t a problem (after all, you can just scroll through your field itself while you’re editing it), but it is annoying. Most people prefer to see the entire contants of a column at once.

   Fortunately, you don’t need suffer in silence with cramped columns. To expand a column, just position your mouse at the right edge of the column header. (To expand a column named Field1, move your mouse to the right edge of the Field1 box.) Then, drag the column to the right to resize it as big as you want.

   If you’re just a bit impatient, there’s a shortcut. Double-click the right edge of the column to resize it to fit the largest piece of information that’s in the column (provided this doesn’t stretch the column beyond the edge of the Access window). That way, you automatically get all the room you need.

   If you want to get a little fancier, include the currency symbol ($) when you enter the price, and make sure you put the data in a recognized date format (like January 1, 2008 or 01-01-2008). These clues tell Access what type of information you’re putting in the column. (In Chapter 2, you’ll learn how to take complete control of the type of data in each column and avoid possible misunderstandings.) Figure 1-7 shows the finalized record.

   Note

   If you hit Tab without entering any information, you’ll move to the next row and start inserting a new record. If you make a mistake, you can backtrack using the arrow keys.

   

   Figure 1-7. The only problem with the example so far is that as you enter a new record, Access creates spectacularly useless field names. You’ll see its choices at the top of each column (they’ll have names like Field1, Field2, Field3, and so on). The problem with using these meaningless names is that they might lead you to enter a piece of information in the wrong place. You could all too easily put the purchase price in the date column. To prevent these slip-ups, you need to set better field names.

4. It’s time to fix your column names. Double-click the first column title (like Field1).

   The field name switches into Edit mode.

5. Type in a new name, and then press Enter. Return to step 4.

   Repeat this process until you’ve cleaned up all the field names. The proper field names for this example are Character, Manufacturer, PurchasePrice, and Date-Acquired. Figure 1-8 shows how it works.

   

   Figure 1-8. To choose better field names, double-click the column title. Next, type in the real field name, and then press Enter. Section 2.5.1 has more about field naming, but for now just stick to short, text-only titles that don’t include any spaces, as shown here.

   Tip

   Don’t be too timid about tweaking your table. You can always rename fields later, or even add entirely new fields. (It’s also possible to delete existing fields, but that has the drawback of also clearing out all the data that’s stored in that field.)

6. Choose Office button → Save (or use the Ctrl+S shortcut) to save your table.

   Access asks you to supply a table name (see Figure 1-9).

7. Type a suitable table name, and then click OK.

   Congratulations! The table’s now a part of your database.

Figure 1-9. A good table name’s a short text title that doesn’t have any spaces (like Dolls here).

Note

Technically, you don’t need to save your table right away. Access prompts you to save it when you close the datasheet (by clicking the X at the document window’s top-right corner), or when you close Access.

As you can see, creating a simple table in Access is almost as easy as laying out information in Excel or Word. If you’re itching to try again, you can create another table in your database by choosing Create → Table from the ribbon. But before you get to that stage, it makes sense to take a closer look at how you edit your table.

Editing a Table

You now have a fully functioning (albeit simple) database, complete with one table, which in turn contains one record. Your next step’s filling your table with useful information. This often-tedious process is data entry.

To fill the Dolls table, you use the same datasheet you used to define the table. You can perform three basic tasks:

• Editing a record. Move to the appropriate spot in the datasheet (using the arrow keys or the mouse), and then type in a replacement. You may also want to use Edit mode, which is described in the next section.

• Inserting a new record. Move down to the bottom of the table, to the row that has an asterisk (*) on the left. This row doesn’t actually exist until you start typing in some information. At that point, Access creates the row and moves the asterisk down to the next row underneath. You can repeat this process endlessly to add as many rows as you want (Access can handle millions).

• Deleting a record. You have several ways to remove a record, but the easiest is to right-click the margin immediately to the left of the record, and then choose Delete Record. Access asks you to confirm that you really want to remove the selected record, because you can’t reverse the change later on.

WORD TO THE WISE: When in Doubt, Don’t Delete

Most seasoned database designers rarely delete records from their databases. Every ounce of information is important.

For example, imagine you have a database that lists the products that a mail-order origami company has for sale. You might think it makes sense to delete products once they’ve been discontinued and can’t be ordered anymore. But it turns out that it makes sense to keep these old product records around. For example, you might want to find out what product categories were the best sellers over the previous year. Or maybe a manufacturer issues a recall of asbestos-laced paper, and you need to track down everyone who ordered it. To perform either of these tasks, you need to keep your product records.

This hang-onto-everything rule applies to any kind of database. For example, imagine you’re tracking student enrollment at a top-flight culinary academy. When a class is finished, you can’t just delete the class record. You might need it to find out if a student has the right prerequisites for another course, what teachers she’s had in the past, and so on.

The same is true for employees who retire, promotions that end, items that you used to own but you’ve sold, and so on. You need them all (and you probably need to keep them indefinitely).

In many cases, you’ll add extra fields to your table to help you separate old data from the new. For example, you can create a Discontinued field in the Products table that identifies products that aren’t available anymore. You can then ignore those products when you build an order-placement form.

Edit mode

You’ll probably spend a lot of time working with the datasheet. So settle in. To make your life easier, it helps to understand a few details.

As you already know, you can use the arrow keys to move from field to field or row to row. However, you might have a bit of trouble editing a value. When you start typing, Access erases any existing content. To change this behavior, you need to switch into Edit mode by pressing the F2 key; in Edit mode, your typing doesn’t delete the stuff that’s already in that field. Instead, you get to change or add to it. To switch out of Edit mode, you press F2 again. Figure 1-10 shows a closeup look at the difference.

Tip

You can also switch in and out of Edit mode by double-clicking a cell.

Figure 1-10. Top: Normal mode. If you start typing now, you’ll immediately erase the existing text (“Hobergarten”). The fact that all the text in the field’s selected is a big clue that you’re about to wipe it out. Bottom: Edit mode. The cursor shows where you’re currently positioned in the current field. If you start typing now, you’ll insert text in between “Hober” and “garten”.

Edit mode also affects how the arrow keys work. In Edit mode, the arrow keys move through the current field. For example, to move to the next cell, you need to move all the way to the end of the current text, and then press the right arrow (→) key again. But in Normal mode, the arrow keys always move you from cell to cell.

Shortcut keys

Power users know the fastest way to get work done is to use tricky keyboard combinations like Ctrl+Alt+Shift+*. Although you can’t always easily remember these combinations, a couple of tables can help you out. Table 1-1 lists some useful keys that can help you whiz around the datasheet.

Table 1-1. Keys for Moving Around the Datasheet

Key	Result
Tab (or Enter)	Moves the cursor one field to the right, or down when you reach the edge of the table. This key also turns off Edit mode if it’s currently switched on.
Shift+Tab	Moves the cursor one field to the left, or up when you reach the edge of the table. This key also turns off Edit mode.
→	Moves the cursor one field to the right (in Normal mode), or down when you reach the edge of the table. In Edit mode, this key moves the cursor through the text in the current field.
←	Moves the cursor one field to the left (in Normal mode), or up when you reach the edge of the table. In Edit mode, this key moves the cursor through the text in the current field.
↑	Moves the cursor up one row (unless you’re already at the top of the table). This key also turns off Edit mode.
↓	Moves the cursor down one row (or it moves you to the “new row” position if you’re at the bottom of the table). This key also turns off Edit mode.
Home	Moves the cursor to the first field in the current row. This key brings you to beginning of the current field if you’re in Edit mode.
End	Moves the cursor to the last field in the current row. This key brings you to end of the current field if you’re in Edit mode.
Page Down	Moves the cursor down one screenful (assuming you have a large table of information that doesn’t all fit in the Access window at once). This key also turns off Edit mode.
Page Up	Moves the cursor up one screenful. This key also turns off Edit mode.
Ctrl+Home	Moves the cursor to the first field in the first row. This key doesn’t do anything if you’re in Edit mode.
Ctrl+End	Moves the cursor to the last field in the last row. This key doesn’t do anything if you’re in Edit mode.

Table 1-2. lists some convenient keys for editing records.

Table 1-2. Keys for Editing Records

Key	Result
Esc	Cancels any changes you’ve made in the current field. This key works only if you use it in Edit mode. Once you move to the next cell, change is applied. (For additional cancellation control, try the Undo feature, described next.)
Ctrl+Z	Reverses the last edit. Unfortunately, the Undo feature in Access isn’t nearly as powerful as it is in other Office programs. For example, Access allows you to reverse only one change, and if you close the datasheet, you can’t even do that. You can use Undo right after you insert a new record to remove it, but you can’t use the Undo feature to reverse a delete operation.
Ctrl+”	Copies a value from the field that’s immediately above the current field. This trick’s handy when you need to enter a batch of records with similar information. Figure 1-11 shows this often-overlooked trick in action.
Ctrl+;	Inserts today’s date into the current field. The date format’s based on computer settings, but expect to see something like 24-12-2007. You’ll learn more about how Access works with dates in Section 2.3.5.
Ctrl+Alt+Space	Inserts the default value for the field. You’ll learn how to designate a default value in Section 4.1.2.

Figure 1-11. An Access user has been on an eBay buying binge and needs to add several dolls at once. With a quick Ctrl+” keystroke, the acquire date from the previous record’s pasted into the current field.

Cut, copy, and paste

Access, like virtually every Windows program, lets you cut and paste bits of information from one spot to another. This trick’s easy using just three shortcut keys: Ctrl+C to copy, Ctrl+X to cut (similar to copy, but the original content’s deleted), and Ctrl+V to paste. When you’re in Edit mode, you can use these keys to copy whatever you’ve selected. If you’re not in Edit mode, the copying or cutting operation grabs all the content in the field.

GEM IN THE ROUGH: Copying an Entire Record in One Step

Usually, you’ll use copy and paste with little bits and pieces of data. However, Access has a little-known ability that lets you copy an entire record. To pull it off, follow these steps:

1. Click the margin to the left of the record you want to copy.

2. This selects the record. (If you want to copy more than one adjacent record, hold down Shift, and then drag your mouse up or down until they’re all selected.)

3. Right-click the selection, and then choose Copy.

4. This copies the content to the clipboard.

5. Scroll to the bottom of the table until you see the new-row marker (the asterisk).

6. Right-click the margin just to the left of the new-row marker, and then choose Paste.

Presto—an exact duplicate. (Truth be told, one piece of data doesn’t match exactly. Access updates the ID column for your pasted record, giving it a new number. That’s because every record needs to have a unique ID. You’ll learn why in Section 2.4.1.)

Saving and Opening Access Databases

Unlike other programs, Access doesn’t require that you save your work. It automatically saves any changes you make.

When you create a new database (Section 1.2.1), Access saves your database file. When you add a table or another object to the database, Access saves the database again. And when you enter new data or edit existing data, Access saves the database almost instantaneously.

This automatic save process takes place behind the scenes, and you probably won’t notice anything. But don’t be alarmed when you exit Access and it doesn’t prompt you to save changes, as all changes are saved the moment you make them.

Making Backups

The automatic save feature can pose a problem if you make a change mistakenly. If you’re fast enough, you can use the Undo feature to reverse your last change (Figure 1-12). However, the Undo feature reverses only your most recent edit, so it’s no help if you edit a series of records and then discover the problem. It also doesn’t help if you close your table and then reopen it.

Figure 1-12. The Undo command appears in the Quick Access toolbar at the top left of the Access window (circled), so it’s always available.

For these reasons, it’s a good idea to make frequent database backups. To make a database backup, you simply need to copy your database file to another folder, or make a copy with another name (like Bobblehead_Backup1.accdb). You can perform these tasks with Windows Explorer, but Access gives you an even easier option. Just choose Office button → Manage → Back Up Database, and Access creates a copy of your database for you, in the location you choose (Figure 1-13).

Note

It’s still up to you to remember to back up your database. Access doesn’t include an automatic backup feature, but you can use another tool to periodically copy your database file. One example is the Windows Task Scheduler that’s included with most versions of Windows. (You can read a quick no-nonsense Task Scheduler tutorial at http://www.pctechguide.com/tutorials/ScheduleTasks.htm.)

Figure 1-13. When you choose Office button → Manage → Back Up Database, Access fills in a suggested file name that incorporates the current date. That way, if you have several backup files, you can pick out the one you want.

GEM IN THE ROUGH: Shrinking a Database

When you add information to a database, Access doesn’t always pack the data as compactly as possible. Instead, Access is more concerned with getting information in and out of the database as quickly as it can.

After you’ve been working with a database for a while, you might notice that its size bloats up like a week-old fish in the sun. If you want to trim your database back to size, you can use a feature called compacting. To do so, just choose Office button → Manage → Compact and Repair Database. The amount of space you reclaim varies widely, but it’s not uncommon to have a 10 MB database shrink down to a quarter of its size.

The only problem with the database compacting feature is that you need to remember to use it. If you want to keep your databases as small as possible at all times, you can switch on a setting that tells Access to compact the current database every time you close it. Here’s how:

1. Open the database that you want to automatically compact.

2. Choose Office button → Access Options. Access opens the Access Options window where you can make a number of configuration changes.

3. In the list on the left, choose Current Database.

4. In the page on the right, turn on the “Compact on Close” checkbox.

5. Click OK to save your changes.

You can set the “Compact on Close” setting on as few or as many databases as you want. Just remember, it’s not switched on when you first create a new database.

Saving a Database with a Different Name or Format

If you decide you want to save your database with a different name, in a different place, or using an older Access file format, you can use the trusty Save As command. Begin by choosing Office button → Save As, and then use one of the options in Figure 1-14. Keep in mind that, once Access creates the new database file, that file’s the one it keeps using. In other words, when you create a table or edit some data, Access updates the new file. (If you want to go back to the old file, you either need to open it in Access, or use Save As again.)

Figure 1-14. Make sure you click the rightpointing arrow next to the Save As menu command to see this submenu of choices. (Just clicking Save As performs the default option, which saves a copy of the currently selected database object, not your entire database.) Then, choose one of the options under the “Save the database in another format” heading.

Opening a Database

Once you’ve created a database, it’s easy to open it later. You can use any of these approaches:

• Double-click a database file. (You can browse to it using My Computer, Windows Explorer, or just plop in on your desktop.) Remember, Access databases have the file extension .accdb or .mdb.

• Launch Access, and then look for your database in the Open Recent Database section on the right of the Getting Started page. (The same list’s available through the Office menu, as shown in Figure 1-15.)

• Launch Access, choose Office button → Open, and then browse for your Access database file.

Figure 1-15. The Office menu’s Recent Documents list has the same list of files as the Open Recent Database section on the Getting Started page. But if you already have a database open, the Recent Documents list’s more convenient, because you don’t need to head back to the Getting Started page.

When you open a database, you’ll notice something a little bizarre. Access pops up a message bar with a scary-sounding security warning (Figure 1-16).

Figure 1-16. This security warning tells you that Access doesn’t trust your database—in other words, it’s opened your file in a special safe mode that prevents your database from performing any risky operations.

The security warning’s a bit confusing, because right now your database doesn’t even attempt to do anything risky. However, once you start building databases with code routines (as described in Part Five) or when you start using action queries (Chapter 8), it’s a different story. At that point, you may want to reconfigure Access so it recognizes your files and learns to be a bit more trusting.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTION: What’s with the .laccdb File?

I see an extra file with the extension .laccdb. What gives?

So far, you’ve familiarized yourself with the .accdb file type. But if you’re in the habit of browsing around with Windows Explorer, you may notice another file that you didn’t create, with the cryptic extension .laccdb. Along with Bobblehead. accdb, you may spot the mysterious Bobblehead.laccdb.

Access creates a .laccdb file when you open a database file and removes it when you close the database, so you’ll see it only while you (or someone else) is browsing the database.

Access uses the .laccddb to track who’s currently using the database. The l stands for lock, and it’s used to make sure that if more than one person’s using the database at once, people can’t make changes to the same record at the same time (which could cause all manner of headaches).

You’ll learn more about how Access works with multiple users in Chapter 18, but for now it’s safe to ignore the .laccddb file. You don’t need to include it in your backups.

In the meantime, you’re probably wondering what you should do about the message bar. You have two options:

• Click the X at the right side of the message bar to banish it. (It’ll reappear the next time you open the database.)

• Tell Access that it can trust your databases by designating a trusted location—a folder on your hard drive where you store your database files. You’ll learn how to set up a trusted location in Section 15.2.4.

Opening More Than One Database at Once

Every time you use the Office button → Open command, Access closes the current database, and then opens the one you chose. If you want to see more than one database at a time, you need to fire up more than one copy of Access at the same time. (Computer geeks refer to this action as starting more than one instance of a program.)

It’s almost embarrassingly easy. If you double-click another database file while Access is already open, then a second Access window appears in the taskbar for that database. You can also launch a second (or third, or fourth…) instance of Access from the Start menu, and then use Office button → Open to load up a different database in each one.

Opening a Database Created in an Older Version of Access

You can use the Office button → Open command to open an Access database that somebody created with a previous version of Access. (See the box “Sharing Databases with Older Versions of Access” in Section 1.2.2 for more about different Access file formats.)

POWER USERS’ CLINIC: Changing the Folder Access Uses for Databases

Access always assumes you want to store databases in the My Documents folder. And though you can choose a different location every time you save or open a database, if there’s another folder you need to visit frequently, then it makes sense to make that your standard database storage location. You can configure Access to use this folder with just a few steps:

1. Choose Office button → Access Options. The Access Options window appears.

2. In the list on the left, choose Popular.

3. In the page on the right, look for the “Creating data-bases” heading. Underneath, you’ll find a “Default database folder” text box. Type in the folder you want to use (like C:\MyDatabases), or click Browse to navigate to it.

When you’re finished, click OK to save your changes.

Access handles old database files differently, depending on just how old they are. Here’s how it works:

• If you open an Access 2002-2003 file, you don’t get any notification or warning. Access keeps the current format, and you’re free to make any changes you want.

• If you open an Access 2000 file, you’re also in for smooth sailing. However, if you change the design of the database, the new parts you add may not be accessible in Access 2000.

• If you open an older Access file (like one created for Access 97, 95, or 2.0), Access asks whether you want to convert the database or just open it (see Figure 1-17).

Figure 1-17. Access gives you a choice when you open a database file that was created in Access 97, 95, or 2.0. If you choose to convert the database (click Yes), Access copies the existing database into a new database file, in Access 2002-2003 format. You can then edit this copy normally. If you choose to open the database (click No), Access opens the original file without making a copy. You can still edit existing data and add new data, but you can’t change the database’s design.

Tip

You can always tell the current database’s format by looking at the text in brackets in the Access window’s title bar. If you open an Access 2002-2003 file, the title bar might read “Bobblehead: Database (Access 2002-2003 file format)”.

When you open an old-school Access database, you’ll notice something else has changed. When you open a table, it won’t appear in a tabbed window (like the ones shown in Figure 1-20). Instead, the table opens in an ordinary window that can float wherever it wants inside the main Access window. This seems fine at first, until you open several tables at once. Then, you’re stuck with some real clutter, as shown in Figure 1-18.

Figure 1-18. In an old-style Access database, different windows can overlap each other. It’s not long before the table you want is buried at the bottom of a stack of windows.

This somewhat unfriendly behavior is designed to be more like previous versions of Access. But don’t worry—you can get back to the slick tabs even if you don’t convert your database to the new format. All you need to do is set a single configuration option for your database:

1. Choose Office button → Access Options. The Access Options window appears.

2. In the list on the left, choose Current Database.

3. Under the Application Options heading, look for the Document Windows Options setting, where you can choose Overlapping Windows (the Access 2003 standard) or Tabbed Windows (the wave of the future).

4. Click OK.

5. Close and open your database so the new setting takes effect.

For a retro touch, you can use the same setting to make a brand new Access database use overlapping windows instead of tabs.

Creating Another Database

Creating a new database is the easiest task yet. You simply need to choose Office button → New. Access takes you back to the Getting Started page, where you can create a blank database by clicking the familiar Blank Database button, as described earlier (Section 1.2.1).

The Navigation Pane

It’s time to step back and take a look at what you’ve accomplished so far. You’ve created the Bobblehead database, and added a single database object: a table named Dolls. You’ve filled the Dolls table with several records. You don’t have the fancy windows, reports, and search routines that make a database work really smoothly, but you do have the most important ingredient—organized data.

One issue you haven’t tackled yet is how you manage the objects in your database. For example, if you have more than one table, you need a way to move back and forth between the two. That tool’s the navigation pane, shown in Figure 1-19.

Figure 1-19. Unhappy with the space consumed by the navigation pane? Click the Open/Close button in the top-right corner (top), and the navigation bar slides out of the way to give more room for the datasheet (bottom). Click the button again to expand it back into view.

Browsing Tables with the Navigation Pane

The navigation pane shows the objects (Section 1.2) that are part of your database, and it lets you manipulate them. However, you don’t necessarily see all your database objects at all times. The navigation pane has several different viewing modes, so you can home in on exactly what interests you.

When you first create a database, the navigation pane shows only the tables in your database. That’s good enough for now—after all, your database doesn’t contain anything but the tables you’ve created. (You’ll learn how to customize the navigation pane in Chapter 14.)

To really try out the navigation pane, you need a database with more than one table. To give it a whirl, choose Create → Table from the ribbon to add a new blank table. Follow all the steps in Section 1.2.3 to define the table and insert a record or two.

Tip

Not sure what table to create? Try creating a Collectors table that tracks all the friends you know who share the same bobbleheaded obsession. Now try to come up with a few useful fields for this table (while remembering that there’s no need to go crazy with the details yet), and then compare your version to the example in Figure 1-20.

Once you’ve added the new table, you see both the new table and the old in the navigation pane at the same time. If you want to open a table, then, in the navigation pane, just double-click it. If you have more than one datasheet open at once, then Access organizes them into tabs (see Figure 1-20).

Figure 1-20. Using the navigation pane, you can open as many tables at once as you want. Access gives each datasheet a separate tabbed window. To move from one window to another, you just click the corresponding tab. If you’re feeling a bit crowded, just click the X at the far right of the tab strip to close the current datasheet.

If you open enough tables, eventually all the tabs you need won’t fit. In this situation, Access adds tiny scroll buttons to the left and right of the tab strip. You can use these buttons to move through all the tabs, but it takes longer.

GEM IN THE ROUGH: Collapsing the Ribbon

Most people are happy to have the ribbon sit at the top of the Access window, with all its buttons on hand. However, serious data crunchers demand maximum space for their data. They’d rather look at another record of information than a pumped-up toolbar. If this preference describes you, then you’ll be happy to find out you can collapse the ribbon, which shrinks it down to a single row of tab titles, as shown in Figure 1-21. To do so, just double-click any tab title.

Even when the ribbon’s collapsed, you can still use all its features. Just click a tab. If you click Home, the Home tab pops up over your worksheet. As soon as you click the button you want in the Home tab (or click somewhere else in the Access window), the ribbon collapses itself again. The same trick works if you trigger a command in the ribbon using the keyboard, as described in Section 3.2.1.

If you use the ribbon only occasionally, or if you prefer to use keyboard shortcuts, it makes sense to collapse the ribbon. Even when collapsed, the ribbon commands are available; it just takes an extra click to open the tab. On the other hand, if you make frequent trips to the ribbon, or if you’re learning about Access and you like to browse the ribbon to see the available features, don’t bother collapsing it. The extra space that you’ll lose is well worth it.

Figure 1-21. Do you want to use every square inch of screen space for your data? You can collapse the ribbon (as shown here) by double-clicking any tab. Click a tab to pop it open temporarily, or double-click a tab to bring the ribbon back for good. And if you want to perform the same trick without raising your fingers from the keyboard, then you can use the shortcut key Ctrl+F1.

Managing Database Objects

So far, you know how to open a table using the navigation pane. However, opening tables isn’t all you can do with the navigation pane. You can actually perform three more simple tasks with any database object that shows up in the navigation pane:

• Rename it. Right-click the object, and then choose Rename. Then, type in the new name, and then press Enter. Go this route if you decide your Dolls table would be better off named DollsInMyWorldRenownedCollection.

• Create a copy. Right-click the object, and then choose Copy. Right-click anywhere in the navigation pane, and then choose Paste. Access prompts you to supply the new copy’s name. The copy-an-object feature’s useful if you want to take an existing table and try redesigning it, but you’re not ready to remove the original copy just yet.

• Delete it. Right-click the object, and then choose Delete. Access asks you to confirm this operation, because you can’t reverse it.

Access gives you a few more options for transferring database objects and tucking them out of sight. You’ll consider these features later in the book.

TIMESAVING TIP: Creating a Shortcut to a Table

You probably already know that you can place a Windows shortcut on your desktop that points to your database file. To do so, just right-click your desktop, choose New → Shortcut, and then follow the instructions to pick your database file and choose a shortcut name. Now, any time you want to jump back into your database, you can double-click your shortcut.

You probably don’t know that you can create a shortcut that opens a database and navigates directly to a specific table. In fact, this maneuver’s even easier than creating a plainvanilla shortcut. Just follow these steps:

1. Resize the Access window so it doesn’t take up the full screen, and then minimize any other programs. This way, you can see the desktop behind Access, which is essential for this trick.

2. Find the table you want to use in the navigation pane. Drag this table out of Access and over the desktop.

3. Release the mouse button. Access creates a shortcut with a name like “Shortcut to Dolls in Bobblehead. accdb”. Double-click this shortcut to load the Bobblehead database and open a datasheet right away for the Dolls table.