Microsoft® Access® 2010 24-Hour Trainer

8

Creating a Table in Datasheet View

Tables are probably the most important part of a database. Tables are made up of sets of fields (columns) that are defined as specific data types. Tables store data in these fields in the form of individual records (rows) in the table. Access makes it very easy to create new tables and edit existing ones, and a number of methods exist for doing so in Access 2010, such as Datasheet or Design View modes. This lesson discusses the basics of building tables for a database application using Datasheet View mode in Access 2010.

LESSON SETUP

In this lesson, you learn how to create a table using the Datasheet View designer in Access 2010. Datasheet View allows you to quickly add fields, set the data type of the field, and enter data into the table, all in a tabular layout that is similar to an Excel worksheet.

CREATING TABLES IN ACCESS 2010

The Create Ribbon offers three basic methods for creating tables. The Table button creates and opens a new table in Datasheet View mode. The Table Design button opens the table in Design View mode and is the traditional method of creating tables. Design View also provides easy access to all the properties of the fields in the table. This allows you greater control when designing the table. The SharePoint Lists button allows the user to create linked tables to a new SharePoint list. This lesson discusses creating Access table objects in an ACCDB database file using the Table Design button to create the table in Datasheet ...