Microsoft® Access® 2010 24-Hour Trainer

10

Access 2010 Data Types

Access 2010 (and other databases systems for that matter) define different representations of data, such as numbers, text, and other common items stored in a database table field, as specific data types to be stored within the field. Common data types are numbers, strings of characters, and date and time values. Access has special data types, such as OLE Object, Calculated, and Attachment fields, which hold specific types of objects or perform table-level calculations. As you have seen in the previous two lessons, each field in an Access database must have a data type defined for that field. Selecting the correct data type to match the characteristics and use of the data being stored is an important part of the design process. This lesson is dedicated to discussing the different data types supported for Access table fields and is designed to help define which values each of those data types can represent.

LESSON SETUP

In this lesson you learn about the different data types available for table fields in Access 2010. You should be familiar with creating tables and understand the basics of how they work. Each of the supported Access 2010 table field data types is discussed in detail.

ACCESS 2010 FIELD DATA TYPES

As noted earlier in this lesson, Access table fields are defined as specific data types and the data type selected for the field will determine the data values that can be stored in that field. The following list shows each of the Access 2010 data ...