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Datasheets I: Create a table by entering data – You type,
Access listens
Lesson 18
By the end of this lesson you will be able to complete the following:• Create a new, blank database with a new table.
• Enter data in the new table.
• Set or change field (column) names.
• Set and change data types, settings that help you enter the correct type of data in each column.
Datasheets I: Create a table by entering data
You type, Access listens
So, you’ve heard about Access, you’ve decided to try it.
What do you do now?
That’s easy. And the figure above shows how to get started, first by creating a new database and creating a table in that database.
Read on to learn about the process in more detail.
Datasheets I: Create a table by entering data
You type, Access listens
When you start Access, you’ll see the Getting Started with Microsoft Access page.
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Click Blank Database.
On the Blank Database pane, accept the default name, or enter your own, and then click Create.
Access opens the new database and displays the new table.
Datasheets I: Create a table by entering data
You type, Access listens
The table contains one row and two columns, or fields.
In Access, tables are a lot like the worksheets in Excel — a grid of cells that store your data.
Tables are the backbone of any database, and all databases contain at least one table and usually more.
Datasheets I: Create a table by entering data
Easy data entry
If you've entered data in Excel, you'll have no problem entering data in Access.
The picture shows how.
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Enter data in the first blank cell and press RIGHT ARROW …
… then enter data in the next blank cell.
Datasheets I: Create a table by entering data
Easy data entry
If you've entered data in Excel, you'll have no problem entering data in Access.
The picture shows how.
3 Or, you can copy data and column headers from another source — Excel or tables in Access, Microsoft® Office Word, or a Microsoft Office® SharePoint® Server site. Click that first blank cell, and paste.
Datasheets I: Create a table by entering data
What’s in a name?
While you're entering data, Access names your fields: Field1, Field2, and so on.
You use those names, or you change them.
Naming your fields is easy. Just double-click a field header and type away, as in the figure above.
Your names can be up to 64 characters long, and entering or changing a name doesn't affect the rest of your data.
Datasheets I: Create a table by entering data
A quick look at data types
While you enter data in a new table — either manually or by pasting it in — Access sets a data type for each new column.
A data type is a setting that controls the kind of data you can enter in each column of a table.
Datasheets I: Create a table by entering data
A quick look at data types
This illustration shows fields set to three different data types.
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The Text data type.
The Date/Time data type.
The Currency data type.
Datasheets I: Create a table by entering data
A quick look at data types
All databases use data types, because they help keep your data accurate.
Data types also help you manage the size of your database by controlling the size of each field.
When you follow the steps we've discussed so far, Access sets data types for you. Keep going to see how.
Datasheets I: Create a table by entering data
Data types, automatically
When you enter data in the first cell of a new field, Access looks at the kind of data you enter and infers a data type for the field, based on what you enter.
For example, if you enter a currency value, Access infers the Currency data type for that field. If you enter a date, Access infers the Date/Time data type.
The animation above shows this process.
Animation: Right-click, and click Play.
Datasheets I: Create a table by entering data
Data types, automatically
When you enter data in the first cell of a new field, Access looks at the kind of data you enter and infers a data type for the field, based on what you enter.
For example, if you enter a currency value, Access infers the Currency data type for that field, as shown here.
If you enter a date, Access infers the Date/Time data type.
Datasheets I: Create a table by entering data
But not all the data types
You can’t set all the available data types by entering data into a cell — Access can’t infer everything.
For example, if you want to display photos of your employees in a column, you can't paste a photograph into a new field. You have to set the Attachment data type manually.
Datasheets I: Create a table by entering data
But not all the data types
To set a data type, you click the Datasheet tab, and in the Data Type & Formatting group, you select an option from the Data Type list.
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You can set these data types by entering data in a new table.
You set these data types manually.
Datasheets I: Create a table by entering data
And you can change data types as needed
At times, you may also need to change a field's data type manually.
In that case, you follow the procedure we described earlier:
Click the Datasheet tab, and in the Data Type & Formatting group, select an option from the Data Type list.
Datasheets I: Create a table by entering data
And you can change data types as needed
But you need to be careful when you change a data type, because Access may delete data when you change a type.
You can't recover that data unless you have a backup copy of your database.
What's more, other components in your database may stop working because they depend on a specific data type.
Datasheets I: Create a table by entering data
And you can change data types as needed
But you need to be careful when you change a data type, because Access may delete data when you change a type.
So here's another rule: When you change a data type, pay attention to any warning messages, and stop if you aren't sure of what you're doing.
Datasheets I: Create a table by entering data
Suggestions for practice
1. Download File from Moodle:
“7.1 Datasheets (Practice)”
