Access® 2013 Absolute Beginner’s Guide

Book description

Make the most of Access 2013—without becoming a technical expert! This book is the fastest way to master Access and use it to build powerful, useful databases of all kinds—even web application databases! Even if you’ve never used Access before, you’ll learn how to do what you want, one incredibly clear and easy step at a time. Access has never, ever been this simple!

Who knew how simple Access® 2013 could be? This is the easiest, most practical beginner’s guide to using Microsoft’s incredibly powerful new Access 2013 database program… simple, reliable instructions for doing everything you really
want to do! Here’s a small sample of what you’ll learn:

•           Create tables to efficiently store and navigate your data

•           Build queries that retrieve exactly the information you want

•           Design intuitive forms that help your users work more efficiently

•           Build reports that answer key questions intuitively and visually

•           Learn easy techniques for designing more reliable databases

•           Work faster with AutoForms, AutoReports, and other shortcuts

•           Automate repetitive tasks and build more polished databases with macros

•           Share Access data with Excel, SQL Server, and other applications

•           Solve complex problems with advanced query, form, and reporting techniques

•           Build modern web databases that serve users through browsers

•           Run your database on the cloud through Microsoft Office 365

•           Construct a complete database application from start to finish

•           And much more…

Alison Balter, President of InfoTech Services Group, Inc., has spent 25 years training and consulting on Microsoft Access and related applications with top organizations such as Cisco, Shell, Accenture, Northrop, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, Prudential, Transamerica, Fox Broadcasting, and the U.S. Navy. She travels throughout North America delivering seminars on Access and has authored 14 books and videos for Pearson, including Microsoft Access 2010 LiveLessons and Alison Balter’s Mastering Access 2007 Development. She is past president of the Independent Computer Consultants Association of Los Angeles.

Category:             Databases

Covers:             Microsoft® Access® 2013

User Level:            Beginning

Table of contents

  1. About This eBook
  2. Title Page
  3. Copyright Page
  4. Contents at a Glance
  5. Table of Contents
  6. About the Author
  7. Dedication
  8. Acknowledgments
  9. We Want to Hear from You!
  10. Reader Services
  11. Introduction
    1. Who Should Read This Book
    2. How This Book Is Organized
    3. Using This Book
  12. 1. Why Use Microsoft Access?
    1. What Is a Relational Database?
    2. What Types of Things Can I Do with Microsoft Access?
    3. A Preview of the Database Components
  13. 2. Getting Started with Microsoft Access
    1. Creating a Database from a Template
    2. Viewing Database Objects
    3. Creating a Database from Scratch
    4. Opening an Existing Database
    5. Closing a Database
    6. Exiting Access
  14. 3. Tables: The Repository for Your Data
    1. Working with Table Data
    2. Editing Table Data
    3. Adding Records to a Table
    4. Add Records to a Table
    5. Deleting Records
    6. Filtering Table Data
  15. 4. Using Queries to Retrieve the Data You Need
    1. What Is a Query and When Should You Use One?
    2. Creating a Simple Query
    3. Ordering the Query Result
    4. Working with Simple Criteria
    5. Saving a Query
    6. Closing a Query
  16. 5. Using Forms to Display and Modify Information
    1. Moving from Record to Record in a Form
    2. Undoing Changes Made Within a Form
    3. Using a Form to Delete Records from a Table
    4. Copying Records Within a Form
    5. Finding a Record That Meets Specific Criteria
    6. Sorting Records
    7. Filtering the Data Underlying a Form
    8. Closing a Form
  17. 6. Creating Your Own Forms
    1. The AutoForm Feature
    2. Using the Form Wizard to Build a Form
    3. Creating Split Forms
    4. Creating Multiple Item Forms
    5. Creating Navigation Forms
  18. 7. Using Reports to Print Information
    1. Opening and Viewing a Report
    2. Working in Layout View
    3. Working in Report View
    4. Printing a Report
    5. Closing a Report
  19. 8. Building Your Own Reports
    1. Using the AutoReport Feature
    2. Viewing the Design of a Report
    3. Types of Reports Available
  20. 9. Creating Your Own Tables
    1. Building a New Table
    2. Selecting the Appropriate Field Type for Data
    3. Using Indexes to Improve Performance
    4. The All-Important Primary Key
    5. Working with Field Properties
  21. 10. Relating the Information in Your Database
    1. Introduction to Relational Database Design
    2. The History of Relational Database Design
    3. The Types of Relationships
    4. Establishing Relationships in Access
    5. Establishing Referential Integrity
  22. 11. Enhancing the Queries That You Build
    1. Everything You Ever Needed to Know About Query Basics
    2. Updating Query Results
    3. Building Queries Based on Multiple Tables
    4. Refining a Query by Using Criteria
  23. 12. Advanced Query Techniques
    1. Creating Calculated Fields
    2. Getting Help from the Expression Builder
    3. Creating and Running Parameter Queries
    4. Creating and Running Action Queries
    5. Using Aggregate Functions to Summarize Numeric Data
    6. Creating Totals Queries
    7. Working with Outer Joins
  24. 13. Building Powerful Forms
    1. Power Control Techniques
    2. Conditional Formatting
    3. Form Properties and Why Should You Use Them
    4. Control Properties and Why to Use Them
  25. 14. Advanced Form Techniques
    1. Working with Combo Boxes
    2. The Command Button Wizard: Programming Without Typing
    3. Building Forms Based on More Than One Table
  26. 15. Building Powerful Reports
    1. The Anatomy of a Report
    2. Control Properties and Why to Use Them
    3. Building Reports Based on More Than One Table
  27. 16. Advanced Report Techniques
    1. Working with Sorting and Grouping
    2. Report Properties and Why to Use Them
    3. Basing Reports on Stored Queries or Embedded SQL Statements
  28. 17. Automating Your Database with Macros
    1. Learning the Basics of Creating and Running a Macro
    2. Running an Access Macro
    3. Modifying an Existing Macro
    4. Creating an Embedded Macro
  29. 18. Advanced Macro Techniques
    1. Creating Data Macros
    2. Creating a Drillthrough Macro
    3. Other New Features Available in Macros
    4. Testing a Macro
    5. Determining When You Should Use Macros and When You Shouldn’t
    6. Converting a Macro to VBA Code
    7. Creating an AutoExec Macro
  30. 19. Sharing Data with Other Applications
    1. What Is External Data?
    2. Importing, Linking, and Opening Files: When and Why
    3. Exporting to Another Access Database
    4. Exporting to an Excel Spreadsheet
    5. Exporting to ASCII
    6. Importing from Another Access Database
    7. Importing Spreadsheet Data
    8. Importing ASCII Data
    9. Linking to Tables in Another Access Database
    10. Linking to Another Type of Database
    11. The Linked Table Manager
  31. 20. Working With Web Databases
    1. Working with Web Databases
    2. Creating a Blank Web Database
    3. Creating a Query
    4. Creating and Working with Forms
    5. Using a Template to Create a Website
    6. Viewing Your Website in a Browser
  32. 21. Putting It All Together
    1. Designing the Tables to Store Your Data
    2. Building the Forms to Edit Your Data
    3. Building the Queries to Extract the Data You Need
    4. Designing the Reports to Display Your Data
  33. Index

Product information

  • Title: Access® 2013 Absolute Beginner’s Guide
  • Author(s):
  • Release date: April 2013
  • Publisher(s): Que
  • ISBN: 9780133260939