Learning Access

Instead of having you buy another lab book in order to learn Access, I've decided to have us use the online tutorials available directly from the Microsoft Web site.

Work at your own pace. Don't be concerned if it takes several days to absorb the nuts and bolts of creating and modifying a database.

To get started, watch these tutorials....

We will not have lab on Oct. 29, so in your free time, try to do the following "courses".

• Access 2007 courses
  • Get to know Access 2007
  • Datasheets I: Create a table by entering data
  • Datasheets II: Sum, sort, filter, and find your data

Before the next lab on Nov. 5, it would be a good idea to read this online tutorial:

• Access 2007 Help and How-to
  • Getting started
    • Database Basics
    • Learn the structure of an Access Database
    • Getting Started with Access 2007
    • [optional] Using Access or Excel to manage your data
  • Database Design
    • Database Design basics
    • Create a table

• Access 2007 Demos
  • Set the relationship between 2 tables

For our Nov. 5 lab, I recommend looking over these "help" tutorials from Microsoft. Some of these documents are very detailed, and you don't need to read them to completion.

• Access 2007 Help and How-to
  • Queries
    • Introduction to queries
    • Examples of query criteria
    • Watch this: Make a query ask for input
  • Forms and Reports
    • Create a simple report
    • Guide to designing reports
    • Create a grouped or summary report

Once you feel comfortable with queries and reports, you should work on the "Our Students" database.