IST 220 – Intro to Databases

Lecture 2

Touring Microsoft Access

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Microsoft Access As A DBMS

Basic objects are provided to support common DBMS functionality

Multiple views are used to provide graphical interfaces to different users

User friendly graphical interfaces make define and implementation DB’s easy

Macros (and modules) facilitate convenient application capabilities

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Main Objects In Access

Table – defines and stores data Query – provides a custom view of data from one or

more tables Form – provides a convenient way to enter, display,

and/or print data Report – presents selected data in attractive fashion Page – formats selected data in HTML file so that is

can be displayed by a Web browser Macro – built-in functions that can be customized to automate

certain processes Modules – VBA code for further automation

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Objects & Their Relationships

Tables

Queries

DA Pages

Forms Reports

Macros

Trigger Trigger

Open/Filter Print/View/Filter

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Typical Usages

Administrators/Developers Use all objects

End users with read/write permission Use forms to display, add or modify data entries

they are allowed to access End users with read-only permission

Read data from reports End users have no knowledge of macros

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The Database Window

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Tables

Tables contain columns and rows, or Fields – store different types of data, and Records – collect all the information of a particular

instance of the subject (or an entity) No two records may be identical A set of attributes which can uniquely identify a record is

referred to as a primary key of the entity. For two different records, their primary keys may have the

same value.

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Design & Normal Views

Design view is used during development Normal view is used

By end users during operation By developers during development, to make sure

their product looks right For tables, normal view is the datasheet view,

in which data are represented in a tabular format

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Table Window In Datasheet View

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When Is Data Saved?

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Table Window In Design View

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Find & Replace

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Data Validation

Data validation is a crucial part of any database system Some simple validations are supported

automatically by Access A non-numeric value is entered to a field which is integer

by definition More sophisticated validation are implemented by

user Garbage In, Garbage Out (GIGO) – no system can

produce valid output from invalid input

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Forms

Forms are used to Control and enhance the way the data looks Perform extensive editing using macros Link multiple forms or reports by using macros that

are run from buttons on a form Forms can be displayed in

Design view, or Form view

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Form Window In Form View

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The Clubs Table

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Queries

Queries can be used to select data from one or more tables E.g., to select club names and addresses from the

club table The outcome of a query can also be

represented by a table Queries can be displayed in two views

Design view Datasheet view

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Filters & Sorting

Filter by selection Filter by form

Specify multiple criteria simultaneously Specify logical relationship among criteria

Logical AND or logical OR

Remove filters Sorting in

Ascending order, or Descending order

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Example – Filter By Form

Filterdefinition

Original data

Filtered data

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Query Window In Design View

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Reports

Reports help to format your data in an attractive fashion & be ready for printing

They can also help to carry out Calculating Grouping and summarizing

Features frequently used include Page header and footer Grouping and summarization

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Report Window In Print View

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Data Access Pages

Data access pages can publish your data as Web pages To display them, Access is needed on the user’s

local machine Used by employees on the company’s intranet, to

view and/or modify data The two views are

Design view Page view

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Page Window In Page View

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Macros

A macro cannot be displayed, it can only be run No normal view, only design view available

A macro doesn’t relate to data directly, but to actions on data Take effects only through forms and reports on

which a macro is embedded

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Objects & Their Relationships

Tables

Queries

DA Pages

Forms Reports

Macros

Trigger Trigger

Open/Filter Print/View/Filter

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Macro Window In Design View

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Modules

Similar to macros, cannot be displayed, only triggered from other objects Include a number of VBA procedures or functions to

provide more power in more flexible ways

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Objects & Their Relationships

Tables

Queries

DA Pages

Forms Reports

Macros

Trigger Trigger

Open/Filter Print/View/Filter

Modules

Trigger

Trigger

Run

Run

Data flow

Action

Run