Microsoft Access

What is MS Access?

MS-Access is application software for managing the databases. It is released

by Microsoft in November 1992. It actually stores the data on the basis of
the relational Jet Database Engine. It mainly provides the graphical user
interface for accessing the data and the tools for software development.

It helps the users for managing the related data more efficiently than Microsoft
Excel or other applications of spreadsheets. Users can easily analyze the large
amount of data stored in it. It is not used to create large or enterprise-level
databases but mainly used to create small databases. For the large databases,
Microsoft provides the SQL server database engine.

Uses of MS Access
Following are the important uses of Microsoft Access:
o Those users who have a basic knowledge of computers can easily create and
manage the database in Access.
o It is a software program which can be used in schools for making the
schedules.
o Any user can easily insert the data in the database of MS Access.
o It is also used to create user-friendly front ends.
o In MS-Access, repetitive tasks can be easily performed by the help of macros.
o Any user can access the data or information quickly with the help of
commands.
o It allows users for developing web applications. Various software developers
also use this software for developing the application software.
o This software works with the SQL Server, DB2, and Oracle databases.
Because these three databases support the (ODBC) standard.
o Any user can easily import data from and export data to word processing
files, or spreadsheet files.
o It is also used to link directly to those data which is stored in following
different

o databases and applications:

o Microsoft Excel
o Text
o Hypertext Mark-up Language (HTML)
o Outlook
o dBase
o Extensible Mark-up Language (XML)
o Paradox
o Oracle
o Microsoft SQL Server
o MySQL.
Features of MS Access

Following are the different features or characteristics of Microsoft Access:

o Any user can easily create the framework (i.e. tables) which stores the data
or information in the database.
o There is a Tell Me Function in MS Access, which allows you to create
queries, tables, reports, and forms easily.
o Any user can easily import the information in the created table of MS Access
from the other applications of Microsoft.
o The users who work with MS Access can easily create a report from the table
which is selected by them. For creating a report, users need to click on
the Report Wizard icon available in the toolbar.
o One of the important features of MS Access is Forms.
o Another important feature of MS Access is the template. Any user can use
the templates which are available in software MS access.
o Queries can also be considered as an essential feature of MS Access. It helps
for processing the data in the tables, and for displaying the data to the users.
o Microsoft Access 2010 introduced the new feature which allows the users to
publish the web databases to SharePoint sites, after developing them.
o A powerful feature also exists in this application software. This feature helps
the developers by creating custom solutions for their databases using
the VBA (Visual Basic Application) Code.
o The users who work with Microsoft Access can easily view their reports in
following different ways:
o Print preview
o Design View
o Layout View
o Report View
o It also introduced the multi-valued fields. This feature allows you to select
and store more than one values in one field.

Versions of MS Access
Following are the different versions of Microsoft Access:

Components of Microsoft Access

Following are the seven main components, which comes under the MS
access

o Tables
It is the main component of the MS Access software. In the MS Access
database, tables are mainly used for storing the data or information in the
form of rows and columns.
The Access tables which contain the data or information look similar to the
tables in MS Excel or MS Word.
Whenever, you create a new database in MS Access, firstly, you have to
create a table in that database. You can also relate a specific table to other
tables, and easily define the primary key in that table.
o Relationships
Relationships are the links or connections, which are formed between the one
 or more tables in the database. There exist following four types of
relationships:
1. One-to-One Relationship
2. One-to-Many Relationship
3. Many-to-One Relationship
4. Many-to-Many Relationship
o Queries
Queries are the commands, which are used to retrieve the data or
information from the database. It also allows you to insert the information in
the MS Access database.
o Forms
It is an object or a component, which helps the users for entering the data in
the table of any database by an interface. Any user can easily display the
data of the database.
o Reports
When the users inserted the data in the database, then they can easily view
their information in an organized manner by running the reports. Unlike
forms, the reports cannot be edited.
o Macros
Macros are used for performing the repetitive tasks on reports and forms in
the MS Access database. It also allows the user for adding functionalities to
forms, controls, and reports.
o Modules
Modules are used to perform the automating routine operations and user-
defined functions which are written in VBA. Any user can easily use these
modules from anywhere in the MS Access database.

Difference between MS Excel and MS Access

Both Access and Excel software applications are the products of Microsoft used for
data analysis. But there are some differences which are given in the following table:
MS Excel MS Access

1. It is a spreadsheet, which performs the 1. It is a Relational Database

calculations and represents the Management System (RDMS) which
visualization of data. stores and manages the data or
information easily.

2. It helps the users for building the 2. It helps the users for storing and
financial and statistical models. manipulating the data in the MS
Access database.

3. It stores less data as compared to MS 3. It is mainly built for storing, so it

Access. stores a large amount of data than MS
Excel.

4. It contains spreadsheets, which look 4. This software contains the tables,

same as the paper spreadsheets. forms, queries, reports, modules and
macros.

5. This software application is less flexible 5. Its flexibility is more than MS Excel.
than MS Access.

6. Microsoft Excel is simple and easy to 6. It is more complex, and difficult to

learn. learn.

7. The programming concepts are not 7. The programming concepts are

required in this application software. required for using various features in
this application software.

8. It is actually based on the non- 8. This software actually works on

relational data model. Or, it also based on relational data models.
flat worksheets.

Launch the Microsoft Access

You can easily launch the MS-Access application in your Windows 10 system by
following the given steps:

Step 1: Click on the Search box in the toolbar.

Step 2: After clicking, type the MS Access. Then, it will show you the icon of MS
Access with the installed version of Microsoft office in your system. Select and click
the icon.

Step 3: After clicking, an application window of MS Access will appear on your

computer screen. The following screenshot displays the window of MS Access 2007.
Create a Database

In this section, you will learn how to create a database in the MS Access 2007
application software.

When you open the MS Access 2007, the following screen will display on your
computer screen.
On this screen, there are various online database templates such as contacts,
Events, Faculty, Students, Tasks. You can easily select the database template
according to your needs. You can also choose the Blank Database option, which
does not contain any existing data or objects.
In this section, we select the Blank Database option for storing the data. After
clicking the option, the following screen will display which gives the default name of
the file.

If you are satisfied with the default file name, click on the Create button,
otherwise change the name of a file, and then click on Create Button.
We give the name of a file as Employee as shown in the above screenshot
and then click the Create button. After clicking, the following screen will
display, which shows that the new database is created with the given name
in the MS Access:
Create a Table
In this section, you will learn how to create a table in any database in the MS
Access 2007 software. For storing any data in the database, the creation of a
table is the main aim.

The table is a collection of rows and columns (fields). In a table, every row is
referred to as a record. Before the creation of the tables, you have to
determine all the tables that are to be created.

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The table can be easily created in the MS Access database by the following
two ways:

1. Using Datasheet View

2. Using the Design View

1. Using Datasheet View

When you create a new database, then the MS Access automatically creates
a new table for you in the datasheet view as shown in the following
screenshot:

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When you work in an existing database, and you have to create a new table
in the datasheet view, then follow the given steps:

Step 1: Select the Create tab in the toolbar of MS Access.

Step 2: Then, click on the Table, in the Tables group.
Step 3: After clicking, a default table is opened in the datasheet view as
shown in the following screen:

When the table has been opened in the datasheet view, then you have to
add or enter the name of the fields in the table.

For adding the fields in a table, you have to follow the given steps:

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Step 1: Double-click on the column header or Add New Field.

Step 2: Now, type the name of the field. When you entered the name,
Access software sets a data type to that field.
You can also set the data type to the field in the Data type option of
the Datasheet tab as described in the following screenshot:

There are various data types in that option. You can select an option
according to what type of value field stores.

When all the fields of a table are entered and assigned by a data type, then
you have to save the table by the following steps:

Step 1: Right-click on the name of the table as shown in the following

screenshot:
Step 2: Now, click the Save option in the drop-down list. After clicking,
a Save As dialog box will appear on your computer screen.

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Step 3: Now, you have to insert/type/enter the name of the table. After
entering, click on the OK button. We enter the Marks as the table name.

Now, the table is successfully created and saved in the MS Access database.
2. Using the Design View
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When you create a new database, then the MS Access 2007 creates a new
table in the datasheet view. For converting the table into the design view,
you have to follow the given steps:

Step 1: Right-click on the name of the table as shown in the following

screenshot:

Step 2: Select and click the Design View option from the list.
Step 3: After clicking, the table is displayed on the screen in the design view
same as shown in the following screenshot.

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When you work in an existing database, and you have to create a
new table in design view, then follow the given steps:

Step 1: In the toolbar, click on the Create tab as shown in the following
screenshot.
Step 2: Now, you have to click on the Table Design button or option in
the Tables group.
Step 3: After clicking, you will see the following screen on your computer:
When the table is opened in the design view, then you will see the three
columns. The first column is Field Name, which allows a user to enter the
name of a field.
The second column referred to as a Data Type, which is also defined by the
user.

The third column is Description, which is optional. In this column, a user

provides a short description of each field.

Now, you have to add or enter the name of fields and assign the
data type from the provided list. For adding the fields in the design
view of the table, you have to follow the given steps:
Step 1: Firstly, you have to type the name of a field in the first column.
Then, press the Tab button.

For example, we type the Student RollNo in the field name as shown in
the following screenshot.

Step 2: Then, you have to choose or select the data type for the field from
the drop-down list. Again, you have to press the Tab button. We select
the Text data type.
Step 3: After pressing the Tab button, Access moves to another column,
which is optional. Now, you have to press the Tab button again for entering
the next field name.
Step 3: You have to repeat all the above three steps until all the fields are
entered in the table. When all the fields are entered in the table, and then
click on the Save button on Quick Access Toolbar.
Step 4: Now, you have to type the name of a table, and click on
the OK button
Then, your table is successfully created in the design view of the MS Access
database.

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Adding/Deleting the Record to/from a Table

Once the table has been successfully created in the MS Access database,
and the properties are properly defined, the next step is to add the data or
information in the tables.
You can easily add, delete and edit the data in the tables in the datasheet
view.

Following steps are used to insert the new record in the table:

Step 1: Open the table in datasheet view, in which you have to insert the
data.

Step 2: Click on the Asterisk (*) sign, which is presented in the lower-left
corner of a table as shown in the following screenshot:

Step 3: Now, add the data into the fields of "New Record" Row. In this row,
you can easily move to the next cell using the Tab button.
When you completely inserted the data in each field of a new row, then
press Enter key. After pressing Enter, Access automatically saves the new
record.

Following steps are used to delete the existing record in the table:

Step 1: Open the table in datasheet view, from which you have to delete the
record.

Step 2: Select the record to be deleted from the table. Then, Right-click on
the selected record as shown in the following screenshot.
Step 3: Then, select and click the Delete Record option.
Step 4: After clicking, a confirmation box will appear on the screen, which
confirms from you that "are you sure you want to delete these
records". If yes, then click on Yes button, otherwise No.

Step 4: After clicking, the record is successfully deleted from the table.
Advantages of MS-Access:
o The main advantage of MS Access is that, it is easy to understand.
o It is the most popular because it is one of the best desktop databases.
o The graphical user interface of this system also provides easy
functionality.
o Any user can easily import the data or information in the MS Access
database from different sources.
o It works easily with various programming languages which actually
works on the Windows operating system.

Disadvantages of MS-Access
o The main disadvantage of MS access is that, it is limited in size. It is
used for only single departments and small enterprises.
o This software application is not available over the internet, but it can
be run on local systems after downloading from the internet.
o It only supports 255 concurrent users.