Microsoft Access

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Microsoft Access

• A Database Management System (DBMS)

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What is a Database?

• A collection of data organized in a manner that
  allows access, retrieval, and use of that data.

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DBMS are a part of modern life,

• Airline reservations system
• Phone book
• Hospital records
• Telemarketer records
• Grocery store customer records
• Shopping mall kiosks
• Student information

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Database Management Systems

• DBMS a program that sets up, or structures, a
  database. It provides tools to enter, edit, and
  retrieve data from the database.
• DBMS are used by all kinds of organizations from
  large corporations to small businesses to
  individuals.
• Microsoft Access, Corel Paradox, Lotus Approach,
  Oracle

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Database Management Systems
The next best thing to knowing something is
knowing WHERE TO FIND IT. - Samuel Johnson

• Locate records quickly
• Rearrange or sort records
• Extract records that meet certain conditions
• Make inquiries
• Generate reports

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The Many Faces of a DBMS
Store manager inventory tracking, pricing
changes, etc.
Programmer create user interfaces and custom
reports
Store clerk scan bar codes to access prices
data, print receipt
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Database Management Systems

• The relational database is the most widely used
  database structure.
• Data is organized into tables.
• Each table is made up of rows called records, and
  columns called fields.
• Each record contains fields of information about
  some specific item.

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DBMS vs Spreadsheet

• Although both types of software organize data
  into a similar format (tables with rows and
  columns) they are used differently.
• Spreadsheets are great number crunchers, and are
  helpful for small database applications
• DBMS are great for organizing large amounts of
  data, but not as great for number crunching.

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The Future of Database Technology

• Advances in the last two decades have changed the
  way most organizations deal with data, and
  current trends suggest even bigger changes in the
  near future.
• Data Mining
• Databases and the Web
• Multimedia Databases
• Natural Language queries

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How big is the largest database?

• 29 trillion characters
• 29,000,000,000,000
• Within the next few years, the size of the
  largest database is expected to exceed 5
  quadrillion characters.

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The Privacy Problem

• We live in the information age and data is one of
  the currencies of our time.
• Businesses and government agencies spend billions
  of dollar every year to collect and exchange
  information about us.
• Databases are bought and sold everyday.

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Access Project 1

• You will be creating a database for Ashton James
  College
• You will be recording information on their
  clients and their trainer in two different tables
  (that are in the Ashton James College Database
• Database terms
• Database
• Records
• Fields
• Primary key unique identifier

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Page AC 4 Figure 1-1
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Creating a New Database

• In Access, all tables, reports, forms and queries
  that you create are stored in a single file
  called a database.

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BEWARE!

• The database file can get big quickly.
• If you are using a floppy disk to save your work
  use a clean floppy for the Ashton James College
  Database (project 1 and 2)
• If your file is too big for your disk you wont
  know it until you try to save it you wont be
  able to and will lose your work from your last
  save.

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Create a Table

• First you must describe the structure of the
  table to Access by describing the fields within
  the table.
• Field name
• Primary Key? (unique identifier)
• Data type
• Field size
• Description

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Fig 1-10a on page AC 15
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Fig 1-15 on page AC 19
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Fig 1-19 on page AC 20
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• Once you have the table set up, then you add
  records to it.
• You will set up more than one table in a
  database.
• After the tables have data in them, you can then
  begin to manipulate the data.

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Queries, Forms and Reports

• Queries are simply questions, the answers to
  which are in the database.
• Forms are another way to view the data and
  manipulate the data
• Report are way to present the data in a more
  organized and appropriate manner.