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CHAPTER 3

USING ACCESS TO IMPLEMENT

A RELATIONAL DATABASE

INTRODUCTION

This chapter introduces the Microsoft Access database management system (DBMS) to
provide hands-on practice in designing a database. After completing this chapter, you
should be able to:

• Understand the Access objects, including tables, queries, forms, reports, pages, and
macros
• Create, open, and display tables based on the data model
• Create forms to enter data into tables
• Establish relationships among tables

MICROSOFT ACCESS

Most integrated information systems use databases. The software program that defines the
database; provides for simplified data entry; manipulates, stores, and retrieves data; and
produces reports from the data is called the database management system (DBMS).
Microsoft Access (Access) is a relational DBMS. Access refers to the structures and meth-
ods used to manage the data as objects. There are seven types of objects as seen in the left
column of the Access database window in Figure 3-1.
Tables are the most important object. As you have already learned, a relational database
means that the data is stored in tables or relations. Similar to a file, a table is considered as a
file to store/collect data. Thus, the various tables contain all the data in a relational database.
Queries allow the user to ask questions about the data stored in the database. For
example, queries can be used to locate and display a subset of the records of a table (called
a "dynaset"), to modify data by combining information from several tables into a single
result, to perform calculations on fields,'or to specify criteria for searching the data.
Forms allow the user to see data from tables in another view, usually one record at
a time. This often facilitates data entry. Forms can be customized so that they are an exact
copy of an existing paper form, making it easier to move from hard copy to soft copy. In
a fully automated setting, the form could be filled out on screen at the time of purchase
removing a step and greatly enhancing the simplicity and accuracy of data entry.
Reports utilize data created from queries and/or from one or more tables to provide
the user with meaningful information in a printed format. Data can be sorted, grouped, and
summarized in almost limitless arrangements in reports. As a result, using reports, you can