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This
course introduces you to
a powerful relational database tool for
personal computers, Microsoft Access. This
software is a member of the Microsoft Office Suite and is perhaps the most commonly used
database in the business world. The software may well
have been 'sitting' on your computer for a long time and you may
have had lots of opportunities to use it, but not known how. We
will remedy that situation in this Access training course which
will help you get rolling quickly and producing some useful
databases.
Databases are used to store information
that an individual (or company) might require. They commonly
contain very large amounts of information indeed. Their major advantage over other
methods of storing information is the speed with which relevant
information can be recalled and displayed in useful form.
The figure below shows a typical database
applications developed by our students.
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A plant selection database developed using
Microsoft Access and used by a firm of
landscape architects. |
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Microsoft
Access Database used to keep training
records; again developed by one of the
graduates of this course. |
The ability to efficiently use databases has almost become a mandatory skill for
anyone working in a modern business environment. This
course will provide you with the capability and
confidence to use Microsoft Access professionally.
We will work with you and show you how to use Access to
build a simple database application; one containing several
tables. We will demonstrate the use of forms as an aid
to put data in and queries to get data out. We will also
show that Access is a relational database and
illustrate how relationships are created between one table
and another. This greatly increases the efficiency of
database storage and information retrieval.
We would like you to 'try before you
buy' and so we have provided two small 'on screen' movies
from the course
which you can download to sample our training materials.
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Click
here to play a sample
movie from the course (1.2Mb). In the movie, we use Access to look at
a contact management database - a database which
can be developed quite quickly using one of
Access's wizards. |
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Access can be used
in quite esoteric ways. Click
here to view a database
in which we use Access in the field of genetic
engineering and store data from a gene bank. |
We offer two different pricing models covering
the same material:
1.
Online learning via broadband - fast Internet connection required.
The most popular option is to take the course by online
learning at
http://www.softwaretutor.net. The cost is $AUD250.00 for
many
hours of high quality training. The course features rapid enrolment,
multi media materials, online forums, multi choice reviews, questionnaires,
submission of assignments etc. This is an enhanced learning experience at an
affordable price. Click
here to visit our
broadband online
learning site and click on the blue information button to sample a
course.
2. group or one-on-one courses (Adelaide or Canberra - in our offices or
yours).
Each course takes one day and
costs $AUD750.00. That is, the daily rate is $750 a day,
irrespective of the number of participants in the range 1-3).
As part of our continuing drive to
reduce our
carbon emissions by using digital delivery, each participant in our group or one-on-one courses is
automatically enrolled at no extra cost in the broadband
learning version of this course. This would normally cost an
additional $250.00.
In this way, students get a double benefit - personal tuition
and the ability to access any of the written instructional
materials online, replay any of the demonstration movies,
download sample files, log questions, take quizzes and submit
assignments for review.
We usually work group or one-on-one, but can take up to 3 students in our
training room. ** Please note that we only run groups if all students come
from the same organization.**
We
use
PayPal, an organization which takes all credit cards
using a secure Internet facility. PayPal is a partner
within the eBay system. We have chosen PayPal because it
is independent of us, allows us to hold money in trust
until we have delivered the course and is now
operational in Australia. We will provide a tax invoice on
receipt of payment.
Experience over many years has taught us that adults learn best by
progressing through a course of study at their own pace and at times
that suit them. Wherever possible, they like to learn by working on
their own materials, rather than work through long practice exercises. Our courses are specifically designed so that this can
occur- we introduce a topic, provide a movie which shows you how to do
it and then give detailed step-by-step instructions for you to follow.
Courses may be taken at Thebarton in Adelaide, South Australia, in
Canberra in hired facilities, or by distance learning or
broadband learning.
If a course is taken 'in-house' at Thebarton, it normally runs for a
whole day
with a break for lunch. Starting time is 9.15 am and finish time around
4.15 - 4.30 pm.
When courses are taken externally, students take
significantly longer to complete the course, primarily because they are
able to break up their learning into small 'chunks' as time permits. We
suggest allowing 20 hours for a distance course. This
includes the time taken to email samples of your work for review and
feedback.
Enrolment is continuous and most requests
can be accommodated within
2 weeks on enquiry.
We have listed the content of the course
in the table below. Details on how to enrol have been
placed at the bottom of the table.
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The Database Process |
When should you use Access?
When not to use it. Thinking about your database requirements.
The database features of Excel vs. Access. Using Excel as a flat
file database and comparing it to Access. Getting Access to do
some work for you by using some databases that others have
developed. Copying sample databases to your hard disk. Starting
Access and using a previously built database - the North Wind
Traders database. Run some forms from the North Wind database.
Opening a Contact Management database - one with a menu
system. Entering information into an Access database - using
data controls. . |
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Database Components |
Some brief comments of the
need to plan database applications before you begin. A look at the structure and
organization of a database that you will build in this course -
a student record database.
Data flow in Access applications.
Exploring the database window and the 'user interface' using the
database application which will be developed in this course. The main parts of an Access
database. Selecting various Access objects. Editing information
in a form. A brief look at the objects in an Access database - Tables, Queries,
Forms and Reports. File naming conventions in Access
- tbl, frm, rpt, qry. Altering a form in Design View
changing the size of a field on a form.
Creating a new Event management Access database using an
in-built wizard. Wizards online.
Examining a customized Contact Manager for a company with world wide
customers - PetroSys.MDB.
Some database
theory. A discussion of some database concepts and terminology.
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Preliminaries |
Some steps to take before you start
using Access. Configuring Access for ease of use. Inter alia,
setting up Access to open files in a particular folder. |
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Access
Tables |
Creating a brand new table in
Access with a number of fields. Deciding on the type of data to
be placed in a field. Field sizes. The value of including a
meaningful description when defining fields. Inserting,
deleting and modifying fields in a table. Entering data directly
into a table. |
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Access
Forms |
Creating a new form.
Alternative methods of creating forms - design view, wizards,
Pivot Forms, AutoForm, chart wizard. Entering
data via a form. Searching through a database using a form. The importance of the
'home' field when searching a database using a form. Editing forms
- moving controls, placing labels, altering the size of labels,
placing labels in the header and footer. Using cut, copy paste
and undo to speed data entry. Linking
database objects to form items. |
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Access
Queries |
Running queries in a
sophisticated database, creating new queries, saving
and altering queries. Creating a query which uses a parameter.
Example: - one query can be used to select all students each of the states
of Australia, simply by typing the abbreviation for the state
name. |
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Access
Reports |
Running existing reports, creating
a new report using a wizard, basing the report on an existing
query. Setting the sort order in a report. Altering the layout
of a report in design view. |
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Access
Relationships |
Explaining the advantages of using relational
databases. Setting up database keys. Creating two new tables and building relationships
between them. Creating forms and queries that depend on
relationships. Referential integrity. Designing and building
multi-table queries, reports and forms. Adjusting the sort order
in a report. Creating combo boxes. A detailed review of database
planning. |
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Future directions - where
to from here? |
Future directions for your Access
programming. Compiling Access databases, creating documentation,
testing and validation, importing data from mainframe
applications, exporting data to other applications. |
Click
here for a
link to a discussion paper on Microsoft Access.
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