Microsoft Office 2008 for Macintosh: Visual QuickStart Guide

Chapter 14. Database Techniques

Office 2008 doesn’t include a database application. However, unless you work with extremely large data sets or need a complex or relational database, Excel can probably provide all the database power you’ll need.

In Excel, you enter data in rows. Each row is a record (one complete set of information). Each column is a field that contains one type of information for the record (Figure 14.1), such as a last name, Social Security number, or annual salary, for example. Rather than enter information directly into the worksheet cells, you can use an Excel “fill-in-the-blanks” form to make it easier to enter, edit, delete, and search for data. You can also import data from other programs, such as FileMaker Pro.

Figure 14.1. In ...