Step by step guide on how to use microsoft access

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Not enough pictures. Any additional feedback? Submit feedback. A blank database is a standard Access database, and is good for local use. Creating a blank database will create one table as well. Templates are pre-built databases designed for a wide range of uses. Name your database. Type the file name of your database in the "File Name" box. Choose "Create" to generate the new database file. Part 2. Determine the best structure for your data. There are several ways that you can format and interact with your data in Access: Tables — This is the main way that data is stored in your database.

Tables can be compared to spreadsheets in Excel: the data is organized in rows and columns. Because of this, importing data from Excel and other spreadsheet programs is a relatively straightforward process.

Forms — Forms are the way that data is added to your database. While you can enter the data into the database directly into the tables, using forms allows for quicker and more visual data entry.

Reports — These summarize and display the data in your database. Reports are for analyzing data and returning answers to specific questions, such as how much profit was made, or where customers are located. These are usually designed to be printed out. Queries — This is how you retrieve and filter your data. You can use queries to display specific entries from multiple tables. You can also use queries to create and update data.

Create your first table. If you are starting a blank database, you will automatically begin with a blank table. You can begin entering your data into this table, either by hand or by copying and pasting from another source. Each piece of data should be give its own column field , while each record should be a separate row. For example, each row would be a customer while each field would be a different piece of information about that customer first name, last name, email address, phone number, etc.

You can rename the column labels to make it easy to tell what field is what. Double click the column heading to change the name. Import data from another source. If you want to import from a supported file or location, you can set Access to grab the information and add it to your database. This is useful for grabbing data off of a web server or some other shared resource. Click the External Data tab. Select the file type that you are importing. You can click the More button to see more option.

Navigate to the location of the data. If it is on a server, you will need to provide the server address. In the next window, choose "Specify how and where you want to store the data in the current database. Add another table. You will want to keep your different records in different databases.

This will help keep your databases running smoothly. For example, you may have a table of customer information and another table for order information.

You will then be able to link the customer information into the order information table. In the Create section of the Home tab, click the table button. A new table will appear in your database. You can enter information in the same way you did for the first table. Part 3. Understand how keys work. Each table will have one primary key that is unique for each entry. By default, Access creates an ID column that increases in number for each entry.

This is set as the primary key. Tables can also have foreign keys. These are fields that are linked with another table in the database.

The linked fields would contain the same data. For example, in your Orders table, you may have a Customer ID field to track which customer ordered which product. You can create a relationship for that field with the ID field in your Customer table. Using relationships helps keep your data consistent, efficient, and readable. Click the Database Tools tab. Click the Relationships button in the Relationships section. This will open a new window with an overview of all of the tables in the database.

You will need to have created the field for the foreign key before you create the relationship. For example, if you want to use the Customer ID on the Orders table, create a field in the Orders table called Customer and leave it blank.

Make sure it is the same format as the field you are linking numbers in this case. Drag the field you want to use as a foreign key. Drop it to the field that you created for the foreign key. Click Create in the window that appears to set the relationship for the fields. A line will appear between the two tables, connecting the fields.

This means that if data is changed in one field, the other field is automatically updated. This will help keep your data accurate. Part 4. Understand the role of queries. Queries are actions that let you quickly view, add, and edit the data in your database.

There are a wide variety of query types, ranging from simple lookups to the creation of new tables based on existing data. Queries are essential tools for building reports. Select queries pull data from tables and can make calculations. Action queries can add, edit, and delete data from tables. Use the Query Wizard to create a basic Select query. If you want to create a basic select query, use the Query Wizard to walk you through the steps.

You can access the Query Wizard from the Create tab. This will allow you to view specific fields from a table. Open the Query Design tool. You can use criteria to narrow down your select query and only display the information you need. To start, click the Create tab and select Query Deign. Choose your table. The Show Table box will open. Double-click the table that you want to run the query on, and then click Close. Add fields to be retrieved. Double-click on each field in the table that you want to add to the query.

The fields will be added to the Design grid. Add your criteria. You can use several different types of criteria, such as text or functions. You can use multiple criteria per query.

Click Run to see your results. Before we create a Database, lets quickly understand the holistic picture of what Database is, with particular reference to MS Access.

Result : The below window will appear. All the Database templates are displayed below. Step 2 We can select any template by clicking on it. Click on Contact Template for further reverence. Step 6 Optionally, you can click on any of the objects from left navigation pane and open that object for further references and work. For, E. The first step in this Microsoft Access tutorial to store data in the database is creating a Table where data will reside.

Post creation of the table, we can keep inserting the rows in the table. Step 1 First Click Create tab. Then from Tables group, click Table. Step 2 Table Dialog box appears. And Click on the View you need to display. Steps 2 Select the Datasheet view option in the ribbon and add some data by entering the values in It. Updated Data will be Autosaved. Step 3 Select the row by clicking on the leftmost column and Right Click on the row. Step 4 Popup Window will appear to confirm the deletion of the record.

Displays the view, which allows you to enter fields, data types, and descriptions into your database table.