Office 2007 For Dummies®

Chapter 16. Using a Database

In This Chapter

• Understanding how databases work

• Designing a database

• Editing a database

• Typing information into a database

• Closing a database

A database is nothing more than a program to store useful bits of information such as names, addresses, and phone numbers, or inventory part numbers, shipping dates, customer codes, and any other type of information that you think is worth storing.

To help you store information in a database, Office 2007 comes with the database program, Access. Access provides two huge advantages over storing information on paper. First, Access can store literally billions of chunks of information (try doing that with a Rolodex file or a filing cabinet). Second, Access makes it easy to search and sort through your information in the blink of an eye.

The three main advantages of a computer database over a paper database are

• Massive storage: The largest computer database can fit on a hard disk, but a paper database might take a roomful of file cabinets.

• Fast retrieval: Searching for a single name in a computer database is fast and easy. Doing the same thing in a paper database is difficult, error prone, and nearly impossible with a large database.

• Reporting: A report can help you make sense out of your data, such as showing a list of customers who earn a certain amount of money and live in a specific area. Trying to find this information in a paper database is time consuming and error prone.

Understanding the Basics of a Database

A database ...