Creating A New Database
Open Microsoft Access.
On the task pane on the right-hand side of your Access screen, click on Blank Database
IMPORTANT: You must enter your own filename. If you do not, the program will give its own default name - it will start with db1 and next to db2 and so on. Obviously these file names mean nothing, so make sure that you give your database a name that makes sense.
Select the Create button.
You have now created your database but at the moment it has no structure and contains no data. To set up these things we must create a table.
CREATING A TABLE
Designing The Table's Structure
Before we can enter data into a database, we must:
- Create a TABLE to take the data.
- Define the table's FIELDS - that is, the categories of information required in this database.
- Give each field a FIELD NAME.
- Specify the DATA TYPE that we wish to enter into each field (i.e. whether the data in that field will be Text, Number, Currency, Date/Time etc.)
- It is best todo this planning on paper before you start putting it into Access. In this handbook the planning has already been done for you and you just have to follow the instructions.
The Database Window
The Database Window contains a number of options for different sorts of databaseOBJECTS: Tables, Queries, Forms, Reports and more.
To design a table we need to select Tables as above. There are three different ways of creating a new table. We are going to use Create table in Design view so click on it.
The Design view appears as a blank grid with 3 columns headed Field Name, Data Type and Description. You are going to use this grid to design your table.
Enter the word TITLE as the first Field Name in the top left-hand corner. Press the Tab key to move to the second column and note that the Data Type “Text” appears. Don't change this because the data type of film titles must be Text.
Press the Tab key twice to move down to the beginning of the second row.
Enter the next Field Name, which is STAR. Press the Tab key to move to the second column and again leave the Data Type “Text”.
Continue the same process by copying the details in the following Table Design box until you can see all five field names and their data type “Text”.
Check your own version against this next graphic:
Changing Data Types
Some of the above fields are of the wrong Data Type so we must make some changes.
First of all, we must change the Data Type of the DATE field. We shall put numeric data into that field (e.g. 1941 or 1980) so the Data Type must be NUMBER.
Click in the Data Type column in the same row as the field name DATE. Then click on the drop-down button which has appeared in the right-hand side of the box.
This produces a list of possible data types.
Now change the Data Type of the PRICE field to Currency in the same way and press the Tab key twice.
We could also use the Description column to include information about the fields that would be helpful to the persons who use the database. However, in this exercise we shall leave that column blank.
Saving The Table
As with other Microsoft programs, go to File and Save. Change the table name in the Save As box by calling it Table 1 followed by your name. For example, my table would now be called Table 1 - Ray.
Click OK. This will produce a Dialogue Box asking you whether you want to create a PRIMARY KEY.
Click on NO because at the moment it isn't necessary to use a primary key.
Closing The Table
The table has been saved and you have completed the design of a simple database.
Close the table by clicking on the X in the top right-hand corner of the design box.
This takes you back to the Database Window - close it in the same way.
NEXT: ENTERING DATA
