Take a Quick Tour of Access

Getting started might be your biggest hurdle in learning Access.  If you've worked with spreadsheets and word processors in the past but never looked at Access, you might be unsure about what a database does and how to get started with it.

Access is called a relational database management system (RDBMS) because it stores data and provides tools with which you can manipulate that data.

Note |

Windows should add the Microsoft Access item to the Window program list when you install Access.  If you can't find Access on the Start menu or in the list of programs, select Search from the Start menu and search for the file msaccess.exe.  When Windows finds the file, you can drag it from the Search dialog box and drop it on the Start menu to create your own shortcut.

Note |

Remember, we're using Windows XP in this section.  If you have an older version of Windows, things will look different - but Access will still work fine!

Tip |

The Windows Quick Launch bar (to the right of the Start button) displays small representative icons for programs.  Instead of browsing through all the programs on the Start menu, you can simply click the icon on the Quick Launch bar.

To add Access to the Quick Launch bar, drag the Access icon from the Start menu to the Quick Launch portion of the taskbar.  That's all there is to it! If your Quick Launch bar is not visible, right-click an empty area on the taskbar and select Toolbars, Quick Launch

Caution |

Access security is an advanced topic that this section do not cover.  You are recommended that you do not create an MDW file until you're very familiar with Access security because you could inadvertently disable your databases.

Caution |

Be especially careful when you choose to convert an earlier file version when opening that file in Access.  After you convert the file, you won't be able to open it in the original version.  In other words, if you convert an Access 97 or Access 2000 file to Access 2002, you will no longer be able to open that file in Access 97 or Access 2000, respectively

 

Database Toolbar

Toolbar Tools Description
Tool Purpose
New Displays the task pane
Open Displays the Open dialog box and opens a database file.
Save Saves a database object
Search Searches for text or files within Access
Print Prints the current object.
Print Preview Previews the current object as it will print
Spelling Runs the Office Spell-Check feature
Cut Deletes the current object
Copy Copies the current object
Paste Copies the current contents of the Clipboard in the active object
Undo Voids the last action
OfficeLinks Provides a quick way to merge data with or publish data in Word or analyze data in Excel. 
Analyze Launches one of three utilities: Analyze Table, Analyze Performance, and Documenter.
Code Allows you to edit programming code associated with an object.  You won't need to do this in your 1st database.
Microsoft Script Editor Allows you to edit programming code associated with an object.
Properties Displays the current object's properties in the Properties window.
Relationships Show a graphic representation of the existing relationships.  You can also create new relationships and modify existing ones in this window.
New Object A quick way to create database objects.
Help Display the Office Assistant or the Help window if the Office Assistance is disabled.

 

Tip |

Notice that some of the characters in the menus are underscored, which indicates a hotkey.  That means you can press that key to initiate the command.  For example, to display the File menu, you'd press Alt+F.  After the menu itself is open, you press just the underscored key.  For instance, the letter ) in the Open command (File menu) is underscored.  After the File menu is displayed, you press just O to display the Open dialog box.

Caution |

Turning off your system without properly closing your database (and Access) could result in a corrupted file and unrecoverable data.