Access 2013 Bible

Chapter 10: Going Beyond Select Queries

IN THIS CHAPTER

Working with aggregate queries

Using action queries

Considering crosstab queries

Retrieving and displaying specific records with a select query is indeed a fundamental task when analyzing data in Access. However, it's just a small portion of what makes up data analysis. The scope of data analysis is broad and includes grouping and comparing data, updating and deleting data, performing calculations on data, and shaping and reporting data. Access has built-in tools and functionalities designed specifically to handle each one of these tasks.

In this chapter, we give you an in-depth look at the various tools available to you in Access and how they can help you go beyond select queries.

On the Web

The starting database for this walkthrough, Chapter10.accdb, can be downloaded from this book's website.

Aggregate Queries

An aggregate query, sometimes referred to as a group-by query, is a type of query you can build to help you quickly group and summarize your data. With a select query, you can retrieve records only as they appear in your data source. But with an aggregate query, you can retrieve a summary snapshot of your data that shows you totals, averages, counts, and more.

Creating an aggregate query

To get a firm understanding of what an aggregate query does, take the following scenario as an example: You've just been asked to provide the sum of total revenue by period. In response to this request, start a query in Design ...