Introduction to Access

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 of programs and is perhaps the most commonly used database in the business world. Interestingly, Microsoft Access 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 to. We will remedy that situation in this training course. Our aim is to help you get rolling quickly and producing some databases that will assist with your work.

What is a database?

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.

An example

The figure below shows a typical database applications developed by one of our students. It's a plant selection database developed using Microsoft Access and used by a firm of landscape architects.

Here is an example of a database used to keep training records; again developed by one of the graduates of this course.

Why should you learn to use Microsoft Access?

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.

Sample some materials from the course:

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. Playing one of these mmovies also confirms that your computer system is suited to our learning methods.

	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.
	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.

Cost of courses

Online learning via broadband

The most popular option is to take a course as an online learning student. Our online broadband learning courses features rapid enrolment, many multi media instructional movies, online forums, multi-choice reviews, questionnaires, submission of assignments, email support etc. This is an enhanced learning experience at an affordable price. Click one of the broadband online learning sites above and click on the blue information button to sample a course. Visit http://www.softwaretutor.designcad.com.au now and enrol. The course cost is $AUD75.00 for >30 hours of high quality training.You can pay by PayPal which accepts direct deposit and credit cards and start immediately or send us an email requesting an enrolment. We will enrol you and post out an invoice. Payment can then be made by direct deposit. Our bank details will be on the invoice. We do offer reduced rates for students from the same organisation.

One-on-one training (Adelaide or Canberra - in our offices or yours).

We can provide face-to face training. Each course takes one day and costs $AUD550.00. We do require some information about what it is that you or your organisation hopes to achieve by training so that we can prepare appropriate materials in advance of the course.

Each participant in one-on-one full day courses is automatically enrolled at no extra cost in the broadband learning version of the matching course (at either softwaretutor.net or landscapetutor.net). This would normally cost an additional $75.00 per person. 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.

Printing materials

Workbook

We continue our drive to reduce our carbon emissions by using digital delivery of course materials. If you do need to a paper print of part of the course notes (say to print the steps in an operation), we encourage you to print just the web page you are currently viewing rather than the whole module. This can usually be done through the preview option in the print facility of the browser you are using, and selecting print the current page. Another option is to press the Shift PrntSc key combination which puts a copy of what you are viewing onto the Windows clipboard. Then start your word processor Microsoft Word or WordPad (available in everyone's computer) and paste the clipboard contents into the page and print from Word or WordPad.

About our courses & methodology

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 unrelated practice exercises. Our courses are specifically designed so that this can occur. We introduce a topic, provide a movie showing you how to do the task with your software and then give detailed step-by-step instructions for you to follow.

When you have finished this course

Please remember to build on your knowledge of Illustrator after you complete this course. We strongly recommend that Illustrator be used quite intensively after these early stages of learning. You will lose a lot if you let new-found skills ‘wither on the vine’. Practice is the key to learning sophisticated software. The key to success is to complete your first real project as soon as possible.

Prerequisites

An understanding of basic computer operation including the ability to create, save and locate files. We would expect that you have used a computer with the Windows or Macintosh operating system for some time and perhaps developed reasonable facility with a word processor such as Microsoft Word.

The syllabus:

We have listed the content of the course in the table below.

Module	Description
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. .
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.

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