Chapter 2

ACCESS – Creating a Database

DATABASE
A Database is a collection of data organised in a manner that allows easy access, retrieval
and use of that data.

MICROSOFT ACCESS
MS Access is a Relational Database Management System (RDBMS) that allows you to create,
manage, and process data in the form of multiple tables.

COMPONENTS OF ACCESS
Table- Table consists of data organised in rows and columns.
Records- A record is a row in a table that contains information about a given person,
product, or an event.

Field- A field is a column in a table that contains a specific piece of information.

Value- A value is located at the intersection of row and column.
Datasheet- Each table appears as a spreadsheet grid called datasheet.

MS ACCESS WINDOW
CREATING A NEW TABLE
In Access, table can be created in two views-

a) Datasheet View
b) Design View

Creating Table in Datasheet View

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Creating Table in Design View

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DATA TYPES
Each field has a data type that defines what you can store in it. Following are the
available data types in MS Access:
 Short Text
 Long Text
 Number
 Date/Time
 Currency
 AutoNumber
 Yes/No
 OLE Object
 Hyperlink
 Attachment
 Calculated
 Lookup Wizard

PRIMARY KEY
A primary key is a key that differentiates the records in a file. The data stored in the key field
is unique to a specific record. For eg in a school Adm No can be the primary key because no
two students can have same adm no.

FIELD PROPERTIES
Each field has a set of properties that defines and controls it. Field properties are different
for different data types.

Some of the common Field Properties are-

 Field Size
 Field Format
 Default Value
 Validation Rule and Validation Text