Microsoft Access Fundamentals

Instructor:   Paul N. Lee, [Owner/Consultant of Nahee Enterprises]

This course introduces students to the Access software program.   Participants will review the Access Tables, Queries, Forms, Reports, and pull down menus.   This workshop explains how relational databases work and teaches basic database functions.   Much time will be spent doing actual hands-on exercises for the student to discover how to enter records, find and filter data, design tables, run basic queries, create forms, and simple reports.   The class will also serve as an introduction to Events and how to control them.   Besides the class handouts, a CD is supplied with over 1,625 files of examples, templates, add-ins, training, help files, 458 actual databases, and 300+ tips/tricks (a total of over 540-MB of information).

The following is the outline used for this class:

  1. Beginning Basics.
    1. Concepts of Data.
    2. Creating a new database.
    3. Getting started with Access.
      1. Areas of the Application Window.
      2. Menus, Toolbars, Options, and Customizing.
      3. Database Objects.
        1. Tables.
        2. Queries.
        3. Forms.
        4. Reports.
        5. Data access Pages.
        6. Macros.
        7. Modules.

  2. Database Design.
    1. The Relational Model.
    2. Relational Database Design.
      1. Tables, Uniqueness, and Keys.
      2. Foreign Keys and Domains.
      3. Determining Which Type of AutoNumber Column to Use.
      4. Indexed Tables.
      5. Joins (or Links and Relationships).
        1. One-to-One Joins.
        2. One-to-Many Joins.
        3. Many-to-Many Joins.
        4. Join Type (or Linking) Options.
          1. Inner Join.
          2. Left Outer Join.
          3. Right Outer Join.
          4. Full Outer Join.
    3. Normalizing a Set of Tables.
      1. Before First Normal Form:   Relations.
      2. First Normal Form.
      3. Second Normal Form.
      4. Third Normal Form.
      5. Higher Normal Forms.
    4. Integrity Rules.
      1. General Integrity Rules.
      2. Database-Specific Integrity Rules.

  3. Tables.
    1. Design View and Fields.
      1. Field Names.
      2. Data Types.
      3. Desciptions.
    2. Field Properties.
      1. General.
      2. Lookup.
    3. Entering Data.
    4. Example Input Mask.

  4. Queries.
    1. Query types and how they are used.
      1. Select queries.
      2. Parameter queries.
      3. Crosstab queries.
      4. Action queries.
        1. Delete.
        2. Update.
        3. Append.
        4. Make-Table.
      5. SQL queries.
    2. Creating a simple query.
      1. Design View and Grid.
      2. Sorting.
      3. Criteria.
    3. Using Totals

  5. Forms.
    1. Building the basic Form.
      1. Form Wizard.
      2. Navigation.
      3. Modifying and Adjusting.
    2. Adding functionality to a form.
      1. Command Buttons.

  6. Reports.
    1. Creating a simple Mailing List.
      1. Report Wizard.
      2. Adding Totals and Counts.

  7. Reference Tables.
    1. Microsoft Access Specifications.
      1. Access database or project.
      2. Table.
      3. Query.
      4. Form and Report.
      5. Macro.
    2. DataType Property.
    3. FieldSize Property
    4. Format Property
      1. Date/Time.
        1. Predefined Formats.
        2. Custom Formats.
      2. Number and Currency.
        1. Predefined Formats.
        2. Custom Formats.
      3. Text and Memo.
      4. Yes/No.
        1. Predefined Formats.
        2. Custom Formats.
    5. Wildcard Search Criteria.
    6. Startup command-line options.