Special Edition Using Microsoft® Office Access 2003

Chapter 4. Exploring Relational Database Theory and Practice

In this chapter

• Moving from Spreadsheets to Databases

• Reliving Database History

• Defining the Structure of Relational Databases

• Conforming to Table Design Rules

• Choosing Primary Key Codes

• Maintaining Data Integrity and Accuracy

• Displaying Data with Queries and Views

• Partitioning Databases

• In the Real World—When and Why Learn Relational Theory?

Moving from Spreadsheets to Databases

Word processing and spreadsheet applications were the engines that drove the early personal computer market. In the early PC days, WordPerfect and Lotus 1-2-3 dominated the productivity software business. Today, almost everyone with a PC uses Microsoft Word and Excel on a daily basis. It’s probably a safe bet that there’s ...