Reviewing Terms and Importing Data
In this first lesson, we'll review Access key concepts and terminology. You'll also learn how to import or share, data between Access and other applications without retyping. The objects you import in this lesson will be the basis of a project that we'll work on for the rest of the course.
Key Fields and Action Queries
You'll learn how to set up key fields in tables, plus you'll use action queries to quickly and easily manipulate multiple-table records with one command.
Relationships of the Database Kind
What are table relationships? And what does referential integrity mean? It's time to find out how and why to use these features.
Creating and Modifying Forms
Forms are the user-friendly gateway to Access table data. In this lesson, you'll learn how to create and modify forms and make them easy to use.
Subforms and the Tab Control
In this lesson, you'll learn how to add a subform to the main form without the wizard, and you'll use the Tab control to arrange form data.
Queries
You've already learned to put data into your database in an efficient way. In this lesson, you'll learn about query joins and data functions. These tools will help you get timely, high-quality data out of your database, so you see all the data you want and none of the data you don't want.
Query Calculations
Suppose your boss tells you, "I want a list of the customers who placed the most orders and a separate list of the customers who spent the most overall." How can you find these answers quickly and accurately? Access comes to your rescue again! In this lesson, you'll explore Access functions, crunch numbers with the best of them, and even design a mathematical formula of your own. And don't worry if math makes you nervous . . . I'll walk you through every step!
Summary Queries
In this lesson, you'll build powerful, fast summary queries that total, count, or average the values in a set of records. You'll also discover the power of the crosstab query, which can not only summarize data but also rearrange it so that it becomes easier to understand. Finally, you'll add query parameters that allow you to change a query's criteria without altering its design.
Building Reports That Pinpoint Key Information
Today you'll use the Report Wizard to build a basic report. Then you'll fine-tune what you've built, and I'll share some tips and tricks I've developed after building thousands of Access reports. Finally, you'll learn about a fantastic tool—conditional formatting, which allows you to visually identify key report data. With a few clicks, your report will change from a mass of numbers to a map of trends and changes that affect your business.
Run Reports from a Custom Dialog Box
Just about every time you run a report, you'll want to limit the data it displays. You might want to see only a certain customer or a particular month and year. In this lesson, you'll build a dialog box that allows the user to run reports based on custom-built criteria.
Using Visual Basic to Automate the Reports Dialog Box
Visual Basic is a powerful programming language that allows database developers to automate simple and complex tasks. In this lesson, you'll learn a little bit about Visual Basic, using it to make the reports dialog box you built in Lesson 10 fully functional.
Putting It All Together
If you're creating a database for others, you must make it easy to use—and as you may remember, Access can look intimidating to a newbie! In this lesson, you'll build a navigation form that directs users to the forms and reports they need. You'll also set up a database for shared use and modify the start-up options.