The Access Interface
DATABASE THEORY AND APPLICATION
Starting with MS Access
“Click on ‘Start button’.”
“Then open up the ‘MS Access’.”
Available Templates:
Starting from the Scratch
“Choose ‘blank database’.”
Down on the bottom right corner, you’ll see a
section to specify a filename for your database.
Access wants to know what name you want to
give to your database.
Starting from the Scratch
Right now it says (what’s in there).
Let’s “use ‘PC Resale Customer
Database’ filename” (fictional company).
Below the filename you’ll see folder that
Access is going to place this database file in.
Starting from the Scratch
If you want to change it, “click the folder
button beside the filename.”
“Click on -‘Create button’.”
Access builds a blank database in the folder
specified and it wants you to start building your
first table.
Starting from the Scratch
You’ll see it says ‘Table1’
And on top it says ‘TableTools’ that’s
because Access started out by creating a
blank table for you.
Starting from the Scratch
Let us define the table first.
Let us set up the rules for this table.
“Close the down the table. It will leave a blank
database container.”
Right now it’s empty. We are going to put data in it.
Before we start, let’s learn the parts of the excel
interface.
Title Bar
Title bar – contains the name of the current
database.
We can find it at the very top of the window.
The file format says ‘Access 2007’
And of course it says Microsoft Access.
Window Controls
Window Controls – include the minimize,
restore/maximize buttons, and the close
button.
In the upper right corner, we can see the Window
Controls.
Ribbons
Ribbon – is a new menu interface that was
introduced in MS Access 2007.
- designed to group commands
together to make things easier to find.
In previous versions, there is a different menu interface.
Ribbons
The ribbon is divided up into different tabs.
*Home Tab
*File Tab
*Create Tab – used for creating objects.
*External Data – for working data outside of our
database.
*More Advance Database Tools
Home tab and Create tab will be used most of the time.
Create Tab
Inside each tab, your can the various
command buttons are organized into
groups. Ex. Queries, Forms, and so on.
The ribbon is designed to be dynamic.
It will change based on what you are
doing. It will also change based on how
large your access window is.
Resizing Your Window
“Try to resize your window.” The
buttons on the ribbon change the groups –
will collapse or expand based on how much
space they have available).
If you maximize your window or make it
larger by resizing it, you’ll see the buttons
take more space. (What is a button?)
Buttons
If you can’t remember what a button does, “just
hold your mouse over it.”
A little pop-up menu appears and explain what
that buttons function is.
There are lot of buttons up here, eventually will
cover all the buttons we need to build a great
database.
Resizing Your Window
If screen space is at a premium and you don’t a lot of
room in your window, you minimize the ribbon by
simply double-clicking on one of the ribbon tabs.
That will shrink it up and save you some more space.
To bring it back, “just double click again and that
will re-expand the ribbon.“
Menu Options
You might see additional tabs on the ribbon based on
what you are doing. Ex. If you “click on create and
then table, you will see the table tools section
appears and there’s new two tabs fields and
table.”
These are menu options that only appear if you are
working with tables. Access automatically hides these
commands if you’re not working with tables because
your don’t need to see them.
Quick Access Toolbar
In the upper left corner of the window,
you’ll find the quick access toolbar.
*Save
*Undo
*Redo
Quick Access Toolbar
You can use the quick access toolbar to add commands
that you use all the time. Ex. You always use the table
design, “right click on Table Design Button, then
add to the Quick Access Toolbar.”
It will put a copy of that button on the Quick Access
Toolbar. You have access to that button no matter
where you are on the ribbon. “Undo it by right
clicking on it and selecting Remove from Quick
Access Toolbar.”
Navigation Pane
On the left side of the screen, you’ll find the
navigation pane.
Navigation Pane
Navigation pane – this is where a list of all of
your access objects will appear. (Ex. Forms,
Reports, Tables, Queries, etc.)
You can resize the navigation pane if you’d like to
by clicking on its rightmost border and dragging.
You can also hid it completely clicking on the
‘chevron button’.
Status Bar
Status Bar - most of the time the status bar
just says ready but it does pop up occasional
messages.
Bottom of the window, you’ll see the status bar.
You can also program it with custom prompts.
Object Pane
Object pane – this is where the objects
in your database will appear when you
open them up.
*You could see the
tables here, queries,
forms reports,
whatever other
objects you open
up.
