Summary of Access 2003 Procedures (Rev. 1)
Important Notes:
 The instructions that follow assume you are using one of the following versions of
Microsoft Access: Access 2000, Access XP (2002), or Access 2003. These
instructions do not apply to Access 2007 or later. If you do not have the
appropriate version of Access on your personally-owned computer, please see if
one of the computer labs on campus (like the one located in DeGarmo 309) has the
correct version.
 If the instructions for a particular task ask you to click on an item, and then click
again, this is not the same as double-clicking. Make sure to wait a short while
between the two clicks of the mouse.
 Please keep in mind that there is often more than one “right” way to perform a
particular task. An attempt was made in the instructions that follow to provide as
similar a sequence of steps for each task as possible in the hope of making them
easier to understand and remember.
 Before building a database for your class project, it is a good idea to make a
practice database designed around a personal interest. For example, if you like
music, why not design a database to help you catalog your CD collection? If you
like sports, why not design a database that would enable you to keep track of the
personal “stats” of players? Doing this will give you the experience needed to
create the education-related database you will submit to your professor.
 Remember to design your database around an educational purpose. This is not
simply an exercise to help you learn how to use database technology. Instead, it is
intended to encourage you to think about how database technology can be used in
the service of education to satisfy a particular instructional, curricular, or
administrative need.
I. Creating the database file:
Before you can make tables, queries, forms, and reports, you must first create the
database file that will contain these components. To do this, follow these steps:
A. Open Microsoft Access and, in the New File pane on the right, click on the Blank
Database option under the New heading.
B. You are now asked to select the location where you want to save the database file
and prompted for a name. Please provide a meaningful name for your database in
the File Name field near the bottom of the File New Database window.
Although you can use capital letters, small letters, numbers, and spaces in the
name of the database, please avoid the use of punctuation marks. Microsoft
Access will automatically insert the .mdb extension at the end of the file name
(even though you may not see these characters because modern versions of
Microsoft Windows are set, by default, to hide file extensions).
C. Click on the Create button at the bottom right of the File New Database window
to save the (empty) database file you just created and close the window.
II. Creating and using tables:
The table is the heart of your database. This is where the “data” in the database are
stored. Before you can enter data into the table, you must design (i.e., format) it to
properly store the information.
A. Making a table:
1. Open Microsoft Access and click on the Tables button on the left.
2. Then, click on the New button at the top.
3. In the New Table window that opens, click on the Design View option on the
right to select it, and then click the OK button at the bottom to close the New
Table window. Note: You are now in the Design View. Here you can
specify the names and characteristics of the fields you want to put in your
table. This is not where you enter in the data that will go into each of these
fields: That is done later when you have finished designing the table. Keep in
mind that the Field Names (which are displayed vertically in the Design
View) will be displayed horizontally when you leave the Design View and
open the table to enter data.
4. In the Table1 : Table window that now appears on your screen, type in the
name you wish to give the first (or any other) field in your table in the blank
space under the Field Name heading. (Use meaningful names for all fields in
your table. Please use only capital letters, small letters, and/or numbers in the
names of fields. Avoid spaces and punctuation marks in field names. For
example, if you want to provide a name for a field that will contain the last
names of individuals, a good choice would be LastName. Notice how a
capital letter is used at the beginning of each word to make the field name
easier to read.)
5. To the right of the Field Name you just entered, click in the blank space under
the Data Type heading. Click on the downward-pointing arrow at the right
side of this blank space, and select (by clicking) the type of data that best
represents the information you plan to enter in the field you named in the
previous step. The most common choices are:
 Text---a relatively short string of characters (i.e., letters, numbers,
punctuation marks, etc.) that will not be used in calculations (e.g., names
of people, bird species, street addresses, zip codes, phone numbers, name
of city/state where a coin was minted, etc.)
 Memo—a large block of characters (i.e., letters, numbers, punctuation
marks, etc.) that will not be used in calculations (e.g., notes on a student’s
behavior, qualitative observations made while observing a planet through
a telescope, your impressions of a book you have read and are now
cataloging, etc.)
 Number---a string of digits (either integer or decimal numbers) that you
do intend to use in calculations (e.g., the amount of money a family
spends per month on groceries to compute the yearly cost of food for that
family, the capacity of a car’s gas tank to compute how far the car can
travel on a tank of gas when the gas mileage of the car is known, the
weight of a cubic meter of concrete to compute the total weight of a
concrete structure when the total volume of concrete used to build the
structure is known, etc.)

Date/Time---the date and/or time of an event (e.g., an individual’s
birthday, the start and end times of a class, the date and time an
appointment is supposed to take place, etc.)
 Currency---monetary values (e.g., a worker’s yearly income, the price of a
piece of classroom laboratory equipment, the amount of money pledged
by an individual during a school fundraising drive, etc.)
 AutoNumber---a unique identifying number that can be automatically
assigned to each row (record) in a table. It is a good idea to include an
AutoNumber field (to serve as a primary key) in every database table to
help the database distinguish between rows (records) having similar or
identical content in their cells (fields). It might be helpful to think of
AutoNumbers as line numbers (i.e., 1 for the first row (record), 2 for the
second row, etc.). No two lines (records) in a database table can have the
same line number. (Instructions for designating a particular AutoNumber
field as a Primary Key can be found in the third bulleted item under step 9
(below).)
 Yes/No---refers to one of 2 possible logical states (e.g., a student either
marks a statement True or False on a true-false test, the answer to a
question regarding whether or not a prospective student teacher has gotten
his/her TB test is either Yes or No, a two-position switch is either On or
Off, etc.)
 Hyperlink---consisting of a clickable address or description that points to
a web site, an e-mail address, or a link to a file on your computer (e.g.,
http://www.ilstu.edu/, www.isbe.net/, Edutopia Magazine for Teachers,
[email protected], a link to a video file on your hard drive,
etc.)
6. To the right of the Data Type you have just selected, under the Description
heading, type in a short (plain english) description of what you intend to put in
the field you have been working on in the previous two steps. (This is
optional, and need not be included if the Field Name you have supplied is
obvious (e.g., a field having a name of LastName needs no description).
7. Repeat steps 4 through 6 (above) for each of the fields you wish to have in
your table.
8. Immediately below the Field Name, Data Type, and Description area, you
will find the Table Properties area. This is where you specify the
characteristics of each field in your table. Click on the name of each field
under the Field Name heading at the top (one at a time), make sure the
General tab has been selected (clicked on), and verify that the following
parameters are set correctly for the data that will be contained in that
particular field. (If you need to change one of the settings, click in the blank
space to the right of the parameter you wish to change to display a downwardpointing arrow, and then click on the arrow to bring up a menu of choices that
you can select from (by clicking). In instances where there is no downwardpointing arrow, simply type in the correct setting—usually a number.)

If the field’s Data Type is set to Text, set Field Size to the maximum
number of characters you think you will need to contain the data that will
be stored in that field. (In most instances, the default value of 50 is fine.)
 If the field’s Data Type is set to Memo, you do not need to change any of
the settings.
 If the field’s Data Type is set to Number, set Field Size to Long Integer if
you plan to enter positive or negative integers (that are intended to be used
in calculations) into that field, or Decimal if you plan to enter positive or
negative decimal numbers (that are intended to be used in calculations)
into that field.
 If the field’s Data Type is set to Date/Time, set Format to the format you
want to have the date and/or time displayed in.
 If the field’s Data Type is set to Currency, set Format to the format you
want to have monetary values displayed in. (Usually, the default setting of
Currency is fine.)
 If the field’s Data Type is set to AutoNumber, you do not need to change
any of the settings.
 If the field’s Data Type is set to Yes/No, set Format to reflect how you
want the values in this field to appear (i.e., Yes or No, True or False, On
or Off).
 If the field’s Data Type is set to Hyperlink, you do not need to change any
of the settings.
9. In the process of designing a table, you may need to perform one or more of
the following operations:
 To change the location of a field in your table, click once on the gray box
to the left of the name of the field you want to move, then click again on
the same gray box—(this time holding the mouse button down)—and drag
the box up or down, and release the mouse button when the Field Name is
positioned where you want it. (Remember that the vertical listing of Field
Names in the Design View will change to a horizontal listing when you
leave the Design View and open the table to enter data.)
 To delete a field in your table, click once on the gray box to the left of the
name of the field you want to delete, and then right-click on the same
gray box and select the Delete Rows option from the menu that appears.
When the Microsoft Access dialog box appears, click on the Yes button to
confirm that you actually do want to delete that particular field.
 To designate an AutoNumber field as a Primary Key in your table, click
once on the gray box to the left of the name of the field you want to set as
your Primary Key, and then right-click on the same gray box and select
the Primary Key option from the menu that appears. A tiny key symbol is
now displayed in the gray box to the left of the name of the field you set as
your Primary Key.
10. When you have finished setting up your table, click on the Save button in the
button bar at the top of your screen to save the table. Note that the table will
not be saved as a separate file. Instead, it will be saved as part of the database
file you created earlier. Give your table a meaningful name that ends in the
word Table, and obey the same rules that were applied to the naming of fields
(i.e., use only capital letters, small letters, and/or numbers in the name, and
avoid spaces and punctuation marks). Examples of good table names might
be InventoryTable, FlightReservationsTable, or ClassRosterTable.
Remember to Save any time you make changes to the design of the table.
B. Entering data into the table:
Now that you have finished designing the table, it is time to enter data into it.
There are two basic ways in which you can enter information into a database
table. One way is to simply open the table and type data in the same way you
would enter data into a spreadsheet.—(See step IIB1, (below).) The other is to
first create a form, and then use that form to streamline the data entry process.—
(See step IIB2, (below).) Depending on which of these options you want to use,
please do one of the following:
1. To enter data in the same way you would enter information into a spreadsheet
table, do this:
a. If you still have the table open in the Design View from step IIA (above),
jump to step d (below). Otherwise, start with step b (below).
b. After you have opened the Access file containing the (empty) table you
designed in procedure IIA (above), click on the Tables button on the left.
c. Then, either double-click on the name of the table you wish to open, or
click once on the table name and then click on the Open button near the
top left of the window.
d. Click on the first field that you want to populate with your data and type in
the data
e. Use the tab and arrow keys to navigate to other fields in the table and enter
more data until you are done.
f. Even though Microsoft Access is supposed to save your table
automatically each time you finish one row (record) and navigate to the
next, it is a good idea to also manually save your work by periodically
clicking on the Save button in the button bar at the top of the screen.
2. To create a form to streamline the data entry process, do this:
a. In the main window you see after opening Microsoft Access, click on the
Forms button on the left.
b. Then, click on the New button at the top.
c. In the New Form window that opens, first click on the Design View
option on the right to select it. Then, at the bottom of the New Form
window, to the right of the heading entitled Choose the table or query
where the object’s data comes from, use the pull-down menu to select (by
clicking) the name of the table (or query) you want to pull the fields from
to build your form. Finally, click on the OK button at the bottom to close
the New Form window. You are now in the Design View. Here you can
specify the names of the fields you want to place in your form.
d. In the Form1 : Form window that now appears on your screen, click on
the names of the fields you want to insert into your form (one at a time),
and drag them to the desired place on the form. (If you do not see the
Field List panel, click on the Field List button near the top of the screen to
make it visible.) Note that each text box on your form has an
accompanying description.
e. In cases where you want to place a Combo Box (i.e., a pull-down menu
containing a list of predefined values to choose from) on your form, click
on the Combo Box button on the Toolbox panel, and then click the place
on the form where you want to put the Combo Box. (If you do not see the
Toolbox panel, click on the Toolbox button near the top of the screen to
make it visible.) In the Combo Box Wizard that now appears on your
screen, click on the bubble to the left of the option entitled I will type in
the values that I want before clicking on the Next button at the bottom of
the window. Then, type 1 for the Number of Columns and type in all
possible values you want to use in the Combo Box under the Col1
heading. (Use the tab key to move from one value to the next when
entering values.) When done, click on the Next button at the bottom of the
Combo Box Wizard to move to the next screen. Then, click the bubble
next to the option entitled Store that value in this field and use the pulldown menu on the right to select (by clicking) the name of the field where
you want to store the values from the Combo Box. Finally, click on the
Next button at the bottom of the Combo Box Wizard, type in the label you
want to use to describe the Combo Box in the space provided, and click on
the Finish button at the bottom to close the Combo Box Wizard.
f. To insert a Label on your form (i.e., a descriptive string of characters, like
a title, that is not tied to a particular text or combo box), click on the Label
button on the Toolbox panel and then click and drag your mouse on the
form to draw a box of the desired size and shape. (If you do not see the
Toolbox panel, click on the Toolbox button near the top of the screen to
make it visible.) Then, click in the Label box you just drew and type in
the text you want to have displayed.
g. In the process of creating a form, you may need to perform one or more of
the following operations:
 To move the combination of the text box and description, click once
on either the text box or the description to select the combination.
Then, click anywhere on the border of the item you just selected
(where your mouse pointer changes to a hand with all fingers
extended) and drag the combination to the desired location on the
form.
 To move either the text box or description independently of one
another, click once on either the text box or the description to select
the combination. Then, click the large dark handle in the upper lefthand corner of the item you wish to move (where your mouse pointer
changes to a hand with thumb and forefinger extended) and drag the
selected item to the desired location on the form.
 To resize a text box, click once on the text box to select it. Then place
your mouse on one of the tiny handles around the text box and drag it
to resize it to the desired dimensions.

h.
i.
j.
k.
To change the description of a particular text box, click on the
description to select it. Then click again (this time directly on the
words in the description you want to change) and, when the “I” beam
appears over the description, delete it and type in the desired
description.
 To delete both a text box and its description, click once on the text
box to select the combination. Then hit the Delete key on your
keyboard to delete the combination.
 To delete only the description, click once on the description to select
it. Then hit the Delete key on your keyboard to delete the description.
 To change the background color of a form or text box, click once on
the form or text box to select it. Then, click on the downward-pointing
arrow to the right of the Fill/Back Color button near the top of the
screen to display a list of colors. Click on the color you want for the
background of the form or selected text box.
When you have finished creating your form, click on the Save button in
the button bar at the top of your screen to save the form. Note that the
form will not be saved as a separate file. Instead, it will be saved as part
of the database file you created earlier. Give your form a meaningful
name that ends in the word Form, and obey the same rules that were
applied to the naming of fields and tables (i.e., use only capital letters,
small letters, and/or numbers in the name, and avoid spaces and
punctuation marks). Examples of good form names might be
ClassRegistrationForm, GradebookForm, or ParentContactForm.
Remember to Save any time you make changes to the design of the form.
You can now open the form you just created by clicking on the View
button near the top left corner of your screen. Once opened, you can view
and change existing records, add new records, or delete records you no
longer want.
 To navigate through the records in order to view their contents or
change values in their fields, use the VCR-style buttons near the
bottom of the form.
 To add a new record to your database, click on the * button to the right
of the VCR-style buttons near the bottom of the form. Then, type in
the values for all fields in the new record.
 To delete a record, click on the vertical gray bar to the left of the
record you want to delete, and then hit the Delete key on your
keyboard.
When done interacting with your form, don’t forget to click on the Save
button near the top of the screen to save any changes you have made to
your database.
If you ever need to return to the Design View in order to make changes to
the layout of your form, click on the View button near the top left corner
of the screen.
III. Designing a Query:
A query enables you to “mine” the information in your database. A query could, for
example, help you search, sort, or filter information; find data that is less than,
between, or greater than certain values; or even locate empty fields that still need to
be filled out.
A. In the main window you see after opening Microsoft Access, click on the Queries
button on the left.
B. Then, click on the New button at the top.
C. In the New Query window that now appears on your screen, click on the Design
View option on the right to select it, and then click the OK button at the bottom to
close the New Query window.
D. In the Show Table window that opens, click on the Tables tab, then click on the
name of the table you want to pull fields from to make your query, and finally
click on the Add button on the right. Repeat this procedure for any other tables
you want to use in your query. (If you want to pull fields from other queries to
make your query, click on the Queries tab, then click on the name of the query
you want to pull fields from, and finally click on the Add button on the right.)
When you have finished selecting the table(s) and/or query/queries you want to
use, click the Close button on the right to close the Show Table window. Note:
You are now in the Design View. Here you can select the names of the fields you
want to use in your query as well as the conditions (Criteria) you want to apply to
these fields.
E. Click and drag the names of the fields you want to use in your query from the
Field List panel to the desired location opposite the Field heading in the query.
(Double-clicking on the name of the field in the Field List panel accomplishes the
same thing as clicking and dragging.) Note that the name of the field now appears
in the blank space you drug your mouse to opposite the Field heading, and the
name of the table from which the field was taken appears in the blank space
below the field name opposite the Table heading. Since Access reads queries
from left-to-right, it is important to populate the Field row in that same left-toright order.
F. When you have finished populating the Field row with the fields you want to use,
it is time to specify the Criteria you want to apply to these fields. Below is a list
of some of the most common criteria that are applied to fields. (Since Access
reads the query from left-to-right and top-to-bottom, it is important to be
mindful of this ordering when specifying the Criteria you want to apply to each
field. As you move from left-to-right in the query, the Criteria are ANDed
together, and as you move from top-to-bottom, the Criteria are ORed together.)
 To generate a query that displays all data in all fields, simply make no
changes to any boxes in the Sort, Show, or Criteria rows.
 To generate a query that displays only data in certain fields, uncheck the
boxes in the Show row for any fields you want to hide.
 To generate a query that displays the data sorted in either ascending or
descending order for one or more fields, click once in the box under the name
of the field(s) you want to sort in the Sort row, then click on the downwardpointing arrow in the box(es) you just clicked on, and finally select either the
Ascending or Descending option from the pull-down menu for each field you
want to sort.
 To generate a query that displays only data from rows having fields with
certain values, type in the value(s) you want to use to limit your search in the
Criteria row under the appropriate field name(s), and then hit the Tab key on
your keyboard. (Note that this type of query works not only for Text and
Number fields, but for Date/Time, Currency, and Yes/No fields as well.)
 To generate a query that displays only data from rows having fields with
values greater than, less than, or between certain limits, type in the appropriate
symbol (i.e., >, <, or the word Between) followed by the limiting value(s) in
the Criteria row under the appropriate field name. Examples of the correct
syntax include >50, <100, or Between 5 and 10.
 To generate a query that displays only data from rows having fields with
values beginning with a certain character, type in the word Like followed by
the limiting character and an * in quotes into the boxes in the Criteria row
under the field(s) you want to limit. Be sure to hit the Tab key after typing in
the appropriate syntax into each box. For example, a query that will display
only rows of data containing a field beginning with the letter M would be Like
“M*”.
 To generate a query that displays data from all rows with fields that do not
contain data, enter Is Null into the box in the Criteria row under the
appropriate field name(s). (Note, please do not confuse this type of query
with one that searches for a No response in a Yes/No field, or the number 0 in
a Text, Number, or Currency field. A field with a No or 0 entry is not the
same as an empty field that contains no data..).
 To generate a query that displays data from all rows that have fields that do
contain data, enter Is Not Null into the box in the Criteria row under the
appropriate field name(s). (Note, please do not confuse this type of query
with one that searches for a Yes response in a Yes/No field, or any number
other than 0 in a Text, Number, or Currency field. A field with a No or 0
entry does indeed contain data, and is not considered to be empty.)
 To generate an interactive (parameter) query where the user can specify the
criteria for the query, enter a user prompt in square brackets into the
box(es) in the Criteria row under the appropriate field name(s). For example,
to prompt the user of the query to enter the last name of a person he/she is
looking for, type in something like [Enter last name here] in the Criteria row
under the field heading for the last name.
G. When you have finished creating your query, click on the Save button in the
button bar at the top of your screen to save the query. Note that the query will not
be saved as a separate file. Instead, it will be saved as part of the database file
you created earlier. Give your query a meaningful name that ends in the word
Query, and obey the same rules that were applied to the naming of fields, tables,
and forms (i.e., use only capital letters, small letters, and/or numbers in the name,
and avoid spaces and punctuation marks). Examples of good query names might
be DailyEnrollmentQuery, ClassroomInventoryQuery, or MissingGradesQuery.
Remember to Save any time you make changes to the design of the query.
H. To Run your query after you have finished designing it, simply click on the Run
button at the top of the screen. (This is the button that has a large ! on it that
looks like a footprint.)
I. If you ever need to return to the Design View in order to make changes to the
design of your query, click on the View button near the top left corner of the
screen. Listed below are some common operations you might need to perform:
 To add a new field name to your query, click and drag the name of the field
you want to add to your query from the Field List panel to the desired location
opposite the Field heading in the query. (Double-clicking on the name of the
field in the Field List panel accomplishes the same thing as clicking and
dragging.)
 To move a field name and its associated criteria, click once on the small gray
strip above the field name to highlight the entire column, and then click again
on the same spot and drag the entire column to the desired location.
 To delete a field name and its associated criteria, click once on the small gray
strip above the field name to highlight the entire column, and then hit the
Delete key on your keyboard.
IV. Creating a report:
A report allows you to provide a formatted display of data from either a table or a
query. The process of making a report is, in many ways, similar to the process you
used when creating a form. Please follow these steps:
A. In the main window you see after opening Microsoft Access, click on the Reports
button on the left.
B. Then, click on the New button at the top.
C. In the New Report window that opens, first click on the Design View option on
the right to select it. Then, at the bottom of the New Report window, to the right
of the heading entitled Choose the table or query where the object’s data comes
from, use the pull-down menu to select (by clicking) the name of the table (or
query) you want to pull the fields from to build your report. Finally, click on the
OK button at the bottom to close the New Report window. You are now in the
Design View. Here you can specify the names of the fields you want to place in
your report.
D. In the Report1 : Report window that now appears on your screen, click on the
names of the fields you want to insert into your report (one at a time), and drag
them to the desired place in the report (under the detail heading). (If you do not
see the Field List panel, click on the Field List button near the top of the screen to
make it visible.) Note that each text box in your report has an accompanying
description.
E. To insert a Label on your report (i.e., a descriptive string of characters, like a title,
that is not tied to a particular text box), click on the Label button on the Toolbox
panel and then click and drag your mouse on the report (under the detail heading)
to draw a box of the desired size and shape. (If you do not see the Toolbox panel,
click on the Toolbox button near the top of the screen to make it visible.) Then,
click in the Label box you just drew and type in the text you want to have
displayed.
F. In the process of creating a report, you may need to perform one or more of the
following operations:
 To move the combination of the text box and description, click once on either
the text box or the description to select the combination. Then, click
anywhere on the border of the item you just selected (where your mouse
pointer changes to a hand with all fingers extended) and drag the combination
to the desired location in the report.
 To move either the text box or description independently of one another, click
once on either the text box or the description to select the combination. Then,
click the large dark handle in the upper left-hand corner of the item you wish
to move (where your mouse pointer changes to a hand with thumb and
forefinger extended) and drag the selected item to the desired location in the
report.
 To resize a text box, click once on the text box to select it. Then place your
mouse on one of the tiny handles around the text box and drag it to resize it to
the desired dimensions.
 To change the description of a particular text box, click on the description to
select it. Then click again (this time directly on the words in the description
you want to change) and, when the “I” beam appears over the description,
delete it and type in the desired description.
 To delete both a text box and its description, click once on the text box to
select the combination. Then hit the Delete key on your keyboard to delete
the combination.
 To delete only the description, click once on the description to select it. Then
hit the Delete key on your keyboard to delete the description.
 To change the background color of a report or text box, click once on the
report or text box to select it. Then, click on the downward-pointing arrow to
the right of the Fill/Back Color button near the top of the screen to display a
list of colors. Click on the color you want for the background of the report or
selected text box.
G. When you have finished creating your report, click on the Save button in the
button bar at the top of your screen to save the report. Note that the report will
not be saved as a separate file. Instead, it will be saved as part of the database file
you created earlier. Give your report a meaningful name that ends in the word
Report, and obey the same rules that were applied to the naming of fields, tables,
forms, and queries (i.e., use only capital letters, small letters, and/or numbers in
the name, and avoid spaces and punctuation marks). Examples of good report
names might be StudentProgressReport, EndOfYearBudgetReport, or
SurveyFindingsReport. Remember to Save any time you make changes to the
design of the report.
H. You can now open the report you just created by clicking on the View button near
the top left corner of your screen. Once opened, you can view or print the report.
I. If you ever need to return to the Design View in order to make changes to the
layout of your report, click on the View button near the top left corner of the
screen.
B.F. 8/24/07