5 What’s New in Access 2007
5.1 Overview of Access 2007
Microsoft Access is a relational database application that stores, indexes, queries, and
retrieves data. Data are stored in tables which are linked to one another through common
fields. Queries extract data from a table (or multiple related tables) for use in forms and
reports. Forms present a user-friendly format for data entry, and reports layout data for
printing or onscreen display.
Of all the Office 2007 applications, Access has changed the most from previous versions.
The familiar Database window has been replaced by a Navigation Pane at the left side of the
window. Like the other Office applications, the menu bar and toolbars have been replaced
by the Ribbon. The main Access Ribbon includes four tabs – Home, Create, External
Data, and Database Tools.
The Home Tab
The Home tab displays by default. At the far left is the Views group where you can switch
between object views. When you are working with text in a table or form, you can cut, copy,
and paste using the tools in the Clipboard group or format text using the Font group. If you
are entering data in a Memo field, additional formatting options are available through the
Rich Text group.
Figure 1 The Home Tab
The Records group provides record navigation tools. These tools are the same whether you
are working in table datasheet view or entering data in a form. You can apply filter criteria
and sort data with the tools in the Sort & Filter group. The Find group includes commands
for Find and Replace as well as Go To and Select (used to select an entire record).
The Create Tab
The Create tab provides a quick and easy way to add new database objects.
Figure 2 The Create Tab
What’s New in Access 2007
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From the Tables group, you can create a new table from scratch in datasheet view or design
view. You can also create a new table based on one of the pre-installed table templates or
create a new table integrated with a SharePoint list. The Forms group makes it easy to create
user-friendly forms for data entry. The Reports group provides tools to create data reports,
including a convenient way to generate labels. Queries and Macros are grouped together in
the Other group.
The External Data Tab
The External Data Tab provides new tools to integrate your Access database with external
data sources.
Figure 3 The External Data Tab
Like previous versions of Access, Access 2007 allows you to import and export data from
Excel or other Access databases. The Import and Export groups also provide new tools to
work with a SharePoint server, and if your database is connected to a SharePoint server, the
SharePoint Lists group provides even more tools to facilitate and manage the integration.
Even if you are not using SharePoint, you can still use the tools in the Collect Data group, to
use Outlook as a data collection service.
The Database Tools Tab
Finally, from the Database Tools tab you can build, run, and manage your macro code
through the Macro group. The Show/Hide group provides access to the Relationships
window, properties, and object dependencies. From the Analyze group, you can analyze and
improve database performance. The Move Data group allows you to create a split database
with a back-end and front-end or “upsize” your database to a SQL Server database. The
Database Tools group brings together management and security features and provides onebutton access to creating an ACCDE file (the compiled binary format used for database
distribution).
Figure 4 The Database Tools Tab
In this chapter, you will learn about the top 10 things you need to know about Microsoft
Access 2007, including:
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What’s New in Office 2007
New User Interface
Easier Startup with New Templates
The Create Tab
Total Row in Datasheet View
Automatic Fields and Field Templates
Layout View for Forms and Reports
Improved Sorting and Filtering
Split Forms
Attachment Fields
Data Collection Using Outlook 2007
5.2 New User Interface
The Access 2007 user interface has changed dramatically from previous versions. The
database window has been replaced with a flexible Navigation Pane which allows you to
categorize and view database objects. The Navigation Pane is docked at the left side of the
screen, so you cannot "lose" it behind other windows (as sometimes happened with the old
database window). When you open a database object, it appears in a new tab within the
Access work area (unless the object is a form specifically formatted as a dialog).
Figure 5 The New Access 2007 User Interface
What’s New in Access 2007
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The Navigation Pane is usually expanded when you open an Access database. If you need
more room to work, you can collapse the Navigation Pane, by clicking the Shutter Bar
Open/Close button. To expand the Navigation Pane again, click the Shutter Bar
Open/Close button.
You can change the way your database objects are grouped in the Navigation Pane. Click the
arrow to expand the Navigation Pane menu, and click an option in the Navigate to Category
list:
Object Type – Groups database objects by type (tables,
forms, queries, reports) like the database window from
previous versions of Access.
Tables and Related Views – Displays tables grouped with
the other database objects dependent upon them (grouped by
object dependency).
Created Date – Sorts database objects by the date they were
created.
Modified Date – Sorts database objects by the date they
were last changed.
You can create your own custom categories and control
Figure 6 Navigation Pane Menu
which objects are visible to users through the Navigation
Options dialog. Right-click the top of the Navigation Pane and
click Navigation Options... Make the changes you want in the Navigation Options dialog, and
then click OK
Tips and Tricks
If you are familiar with previous versions of Microsoft Access, keep in mind that the
Navigation Pane can replace Switchboards. Use the Navigation Pane options to control
which objects or groups of objects are available to your users. Some switchboards created in
previous versions of Access may not work in Access 2007.
5.3 Easier Startup with New Templates
When you first open Access 2007 from the Windows Start menu, the Getting Started with
Microsoft Office Access window opens. The most recently opened databases are listed along the
right side of the window. To open one of these databases, click the filename. If the database
you want is not listed, click the More... link at the top of the list and navigate to find the file
you want.
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What’s New in Office 2007
Figure 7 Getting Started with Microsoft Office Access
Access 2007 includes a variety of templates to help you get started with some of the most
common types of databases. Templates include databases to manage contacts, track projects,
and create a sales pipeline. When the database opens, you'll have an empty database
structure complete with tables, forms, and reports, ready for you to enter data.
To create a new database based on one of the preinstalled templates:
1. From the Getting Started with Microsoft Office Access window, click Local Templates in
the Template Categories list.
2. Click the icon for the template you want to use.
3. Access will suggest a name for the database in the File Name: box. You can change
this name if you want.
4. If necessary, click the folder icon and navigate to the folder where you want to save
your database.
5. Click the Create button.
The local templates in Access 2007 replace the Database Wizard used in previous versions of
Access.
What’s New in Access 2007
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5.4 The Create Tab
The new Create tab makes it easy to add well-formatted database objects in just one or two
clicks of the mouse.
To create a new table:
1. Click the Create tab.
2. From the Tables group, click the button for
the type of table you want to create.
3. Access 2007 helps you work faster and more
productively by providing table templates.
Click the Table Templates button, and then
click one of the templates.
4. Access automatically creates the table with
pre-formatted fields appropriate to the
template you selected.
5. The table opens in Datasheet view, ready for
you to enter data.
From the Tables group, you can also create a table
ready-made in SharePoint List format. Click the
SharePoint Lists button, and then click the table
format you want.
Figure 8 Table Templates
To create a new form:
1. In the Navigation Pane, select the
table or query from which the form
should be created.
2. Click the Create tab.
3. From the Forms group, click the
button for the type of form you want
to create.
4. Access automatically creates the
form and opens it in Layout view so
you can adjust control sizes or layout
as necessary.
The Form Wizard familiar to previous
Access users is available from the More
Forms button.
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Figure 9 The Forms Group
What’s New in Office 2007
To create a new report:
1. In the Navigation Pane, select the table or query from which the report should be
created.
2. Click the Create tab.
3. From the Reports group, click the button for the
type of report you want to create. The Report
Wizard is available for creating more complex
reports.
Figure 10 The Reports Group
4. Access automatically creates the report and opens
it in Layout view so you can adjust control sizes or layout as necessary.
Tips and Tricks
Access 2007 includes a report option to create labels. Click the Labels button in the Reports
group on the Create tab. The Label Wizard opens and walks you through steps to create labels
in the format you want from the fields you choose.
5.5 Total Row in Datasheet View
New to Access 2007 is the ability to add a total row to a datasheet. From the Totals row, you
can quickly calculate an aggregate function:
Sum – Calculates the total of all the values in the column. Sum works with the following
field types: number, decimal, and currency.
Average – Calculates the average value, ignoring null values in the column. Average works
with the following field types: number, decimal, date/time, and currency.
Figure 11 Adding a Total Row to Calculate the Average Value
What’s New in Access 2007
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Count – Counts the number of items in the column. Count works for any data type.
Maximum – Returns the largest numerical value for number, decimal, date/time, and
currency field types.
Minimum – Returns the smallest numerical value for number, decimal, date/time, and
currency field types.
Standard Deviation – Calculates the statistical standard deviation for numeric field types
only (number, decimal, and currency).
Variance – Calculates the statistical variance for numeric field types only (number, decimal,
and currency).
To add a total row to a datasheet:
1. Click the Totals button in the Records group on
the Home tab. Clicking the Totals button toggles
the Total row on and off.
2. In the Total row at the bottom of the datasheet,
click the column where you want to add a total.
Click the arrow, and select the function you want
to use.
Figure 12 The Records Group
Tips and Tricks
The Totals row is available for any database object in Datasheet view (table, form, or query).
5.6 Automatic Fields and Field Templates
Access 2007 makes it easy to add new fields to a table without leaving Datasheet view. At
the far right side of the table, there is a column with the header Add New Field. Type data
for your new field in the first cell in this column. If possible, Access will automatically detect
and apply the appropriate field type. (For example, if you type a currency value, with a dollar
sign $, Access will apply the Currency data type to the field.)
If you want to add a field that is a more complex, try using a field template. Field templates
are preformatted with a name, data type, and properties (including format and size). With a
field template, you can create a new complex field and begin entering data in just a few
mouse clicks.
To add a new field, using one of the field templates:
1. Open the table in Datasheet view.
2. In the Fields & Columns group on the Table
Tools Datasheet contextual tab, click the New
Field button.
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Figure 13 The Fields & Columns Group
What’s New in Office 2007
3. The Field Templates list appears. Doubleclick the field you want to add to your table.
4. Continue adding as many new fields as you
want without closing the Field Templates
list.
5. Click the close X to close the Field
Templates list when you are finished.
Tips and Tricks
In the Field Templates list, the templates are
organized into groups based on the fields used in
each of the table templates, with a list of basic fields
at the top. You can collapse or expand each group
by clicking the + or – next to the group name.
Figure 14 The Field Templates List
5.7 Layout View for Forms and Reports
One of the more complicated tasks in Access has always been designing forms and reports.
Novice users often found Design view difficult to use. Modifying layouts in Design view
required the user to switch back-and-forth between Design view and Form view or Report
view to see how the changes looked with real data. Now, with the new Layout view you can
modify the layout of a form or report while viewing data “live”.
Figure 15 It is much easier to resize controls in Layout view, where you can see actual data.
When you open a form or report from the Navigation Pane, it opens in Layout view by
default. You can make almost any change to a form or report from Layout view. If you try to
make a change that requires Design view instead, Access will show a warning message and
prompt you to switch to Design view.
What’s New in Access 2007
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5.8 Improved Sorting and Filtering
Access 2007 includes easier-to-use sorting and filtering tools. Database objects formatted as
a datasheet now include the same sorting and filtering tools available for Excel tables.
Sorting Data
Access 2007 offers the same in-place sorting options available for Excel 2007 tables (and
Excel 2003 lists). Sorting options are available for any object formatted as a datasheet.
To sort a datasheet:
1. Notice the arrow at the top of each column in the datasheet. Click the arrow at the
top of the column you want to sort by.
2. Click the sorting option you want. The sorting options change depending on the type
of data in the column you are sorting. For example:
a. If the field type is Date/Time, Excel detects this and offers sorting options:
Sort Oldest to Newest and Sort Newest to Oldest.
b. If the field type is Text, the sort options are Sort A to Z and Sort Z to A.
c. If the field contains numbers, the sort options are Sort Smallest to Largest
and Sort Largest to Smallest.
Try This
You can right-click any cell in the column you want to sort by, and then select the sorting
option you want.
You can also click one of the sort buttons in the Sort & Filter group on the Home tab.
Just like in Excel, the AZ button sorts alphabetically from A to Z, or by date from
oldest to newest, or by value from smallest to largest. The ZA button sorts
alphabetically from Z to A, or by date from newest to oldest, or by value from largest to
smallest.
Sorting in Report Layout View
You can filter records in a report dynamically, but to sort records, you must add sorting
through Layout or Design view. In reports, you can define a different sort order and
multiple sort levels for each grouping in the report.
To add sorting to a report:
1. Switch to Layout view.
2. Click the Group & Sort button in the Grouping & Totals group on the Report Layout
Tools Format tab.
3. The Group, Sort, and Total pane appears beneath the report.
4. If necessary, click the row for the group you want to add sorting to.
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What’s New in Office 2007
5. Click the Add a sort button.
6. A list of available field names appears. Click the field you want to sort by.
7. The sort level defaults to the equivalent of smallest to highest (or A to Z). To change
the sort order, click the arrow next to with A on top and make a selection from the
list.
Figure 16 Sorting Records in a Report
Filtering Data
Access 2007 now offers AutoFilter which works exactly the same on Access datasheets as it
does on Excel tables. AutoFilter is available for any object in datasheet format.
To filter a datasheet using AutoFilter:
1. Click the arrow in the column that contains the data you want to filter for.
2. At first, all of the filter options are checked. Click the (Select All) check box to
remove all of the checkmarks.
3. Click the check box or check boxes in front of the values you want to filter by.
4. Click OK. Access displays only the records that include the values you specified.
What’s New in Access 2007
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To clear the filter:
1. Click the arrow at the top of the column that you filtered by. Notice that when
filtering is enabled, the column header includes a filter icon.
2. Click the Clear Filter option from the menu.
Figure 17 A Form Datasheet with a Filter Applied
Try This
You can also clear the filter by clicking the Toggle Filter button in the Sort & Filter group
on the Home tab.
Tips & Tricks
Besides filtering by matching exact values, you can filter for values that meet broader criteria.
Columns with different data types will have different filtering criteria available. For example,
if the column contains text, the AutoFilter menu includes a Text Filters submenu.
5.9 Split Forms
Split forms are a new form type available in Access 2007. A split form combines the
convenience of a continuous datasheet form with the usability of a single form displaying
one record at a time. In a split form, both formats are displayed and work together, so when
you navigate records in one pane, the other pane will automatically synchronize.
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What’s New in Office 2007
Figure 18 Split Form
To create a split form:
1. In the Navigation Pane, select the table or query that you want to base the form on.
2. Click the Create tab.
3. In the Forms group, click the Split Form button.
Tips and Tricks
You can control the layout of a split form –
setting the position of the datasheet pane at the
top, bottom, left, or right of the form pane.
1. Switch to Design view.
2. From the Form Design Tools Design tab,
click the Property Sheet button in the
Tools group.
3. Ensure that Form is selected from the
drop-down list at the top of the
property sheet.
4. Scroll down the options in the Format
tab until you find Split Form
Orientation.
5. Expand the list of orientation options,
and select the layout you want.
What’s New in Access 2007
Figure 19 Split Form Property Sheet
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5.10 Attachment Fields
In previous versions of Access, adding multiple attachments to a record could require
programming skills, but Access 2007 makes it easy with a new field type specifically for
attachments. Attachments can be images, Word documents, or almost any other type of data
file. Access will not allow program files (for example, .exe or .bat files) as attachments or any
files greater than 256 MB.
Figure 20 A Record with Multiple Attachments
If you are using a form to enter data, you may see a placeholder image that you can doubleclick to add a new attachment. If the form is in datasheet format or if you are working with a
table, you will see a paperclip icon instead of an image.
To add an attachment to a record:
1. Double-click the placeholder
image or paperclip icon to
open the Attachments dialog
2. Click the Add... button in
the Attachments dialog.
3. Navigate to the file you want
to add. Select the file, and
click Open.
4. The file appears in the Attachments list.
5. Click OK to close the Attachments dialog and add the attachment to the record.
Try This
When you select a placeholder image or an attachment image, a Mini toolbar appears. Click
the View Attachments paperclip icon to open the Attachments dialog to add, remove, or
view attachments. If the record has multiple attachments, you can use the Back and
Forward arrows in the Mini toolbar to browse through the record attachments.
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What’s New in Office 2007
5.11 Data Collection Using Outlook 2007
Access 2007 works seamlessly with Outlook 2007 to collect data via e-mail messages. The
Collect Data Through E-mail Messages Wizard walks you through the process of
creating a form that Outlook sends via e-mail. When your recipients reply, Outlook can
automatically processes the new data and send it to Access.
1. In Access 2007, open the table you want to collect data for.
2. Click the External Data tab.
3. Click the Create Email button in the Collect Data group.
4. The wizard opens. The first page of the wizard summarizes the steps you will follow
to collect data via e-mail. Click Next to begin.
5. First select whether you will use an HTML form or an InfoPath form. Only use
InfoPath forms if you know that your recipients have InfoPath installed. HTML
forms can be read by anyone with an HTML-capable e-mail program. Click Next.
6. Click the radio button to Collect new information only or to Update existing
information. Click Next.
7. On the next page, select the fields to include in the e-mail. Select a field or fields in
the Fields in table list and click the > button to add them to the form. You prevent
the recipient from changing the value in a field by selecting the field name in the
Fields to include in e-mail message list, and then clicking the Read only check
box. When you are finished, click Next.
Figure 21 Select the Fields to Include in the E-mail
8. If you want, click the check box to Automatically process replies and add data to
your table. Click Next.
What’s New in Access 2007
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9. Click the radio button to either manually enter e-mail addresses or use e-mail
addresses from a field in the database. Click Next.
a. If you select the option to use e-mail addresses from a field in the database,
the next page will ask you to select the field that contains the addresses.
10. Customize the subject and body of the email message. Click Next.
Figure 22 Customize the E-mail Message
11. The next page reviews the process for you. Click Next.
12. Review the recipients list, un-checking any that you want to exclude. Click Send
when you are ready to create and send the e-mail.
Figure 23 Review the Recipients
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What’s New in Office 2007
13. If you chose to manually enter e-mail addresses, Outlook will open the outgoing
e-mail message where you can enter recipients in the To, Cc, and Bcc fields.
Figure 24 The Outgoing E-mail Message
Replies will be automatically gathered in a new folder Access Data Collection Replies in
your Inbox (unless you have specified another folder). You can open this folder to see the
e-mail replies and check to see if automatic data collection was successful. If one or more
of the replies appears unprocessed, you can right-click the message and select Export
Data to Microsoft Office Access.
Try This
You can right-click the table in the Navigation Pane and select Collect and Update Data
via E-mail to start the wizard.
Tips and Tricks
To use this feature, you may need to enable the Microsoft Office Access Outlook Add-in
in Outlook:
1. In Outlook 2007, expand the Help menu, and select Disabled Items...
2. In the Disabled Items dialog, click Addin: microsoft access outlook add-in for
data collection and publishing (accolk.dll).
3. Click the Enable button, and then click the Close button to close the dialog.
What’s New in Access 2007
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