Microsoft Access

Microsoft Access: -Microsoft Access 2007 is a powerful multi-user RDBMS (Relational Database Management system) developed by Microsoft Corporation and can be used to store and manipulate large amounts of information and perform repetitive tasks. Access creates desktop and client/server database applications that run under the Windows operating system and stores an entire database application within a single file with a .mdb or accdb extension, which can contain data objects, like tables, indexes and queries, as well as application objects like forms, reports, macros, and visual basic code.

Database:-

Database is a kind of application software which is responsible for storing data in organized manner. It is a collection of data as well as programs required to manage that data. The data is stored in a database in a tabular format across row and columns in the same way in a spreadsheet. In addition to all these, database also allowed multiple users to share data, which implied cost effectiveness, as common resources could be used. A database was defined as a collection of interrelated data, and programs that manipulate the data to provide information. 

DBMS (Database Management System):

A database-management system (DBMS) consists of a collection of interrelated data and a set of programs to access those data. The collection of data, usually referred to as the database, contains information about one particular enterprise. Some popular DBMS are: FoxPro, Clipper, and Sybase etc.

RDBMS (Relational Database Management System): 

 Relational Database Management System is a specialized computer program, where the data are split in tables to reduce data redundancy and get consistency in data. Relational database is based on the relational database model. . In RDBMS the data structure or relationship between data are defined in logical rather than physical terms. Relational approach uses the computer to search the database for the desired data rather than accessing data through series of indices and physical addresses. Some of the popular RDBMS are MS-Access, MS-SQL Server, and ORACLE etc.

Starting Ms- Access

1.                      Click on start.

2.                      Click on run.

3.                      Type ‘msaccess’ in run box.

4.                      Click on ok.

Database Objects:

            Access database is made up of different Objects like tables, queries, forms, reports, data access pages, macros and modules.

A.     Tables:

Tables are grids that store information in a database similar to the way an Excel worksheet stores information in a workbook. Table is the first object that you add to your database is used to store all the data in the database. Each row of a table contains one record.

Data Types:

The data type you have selected for a particular field greatly affects the performance and the functionality of your application.

1. Text Fields: -

            Stores all valid printable characters and the default size of the text Field is 50 but up to 255 characters can be stored.

2. Memo Fields: -         Can store of up to 64,000 characters and if the size of the field data varies widely then it is suitable to use memo data type because space equal to the actual size of the data value is allocated and is called multi line text field.

3. Number Fields: -      Stores numeric values that can be used for calculation.

4. AutoNumber: - Automatically generates serial or random numbers (The numbers never repeat).

5. Date/Time: - This data type is used to store date        and       time. MS-Access stores in the standard             mm/dd/yy format.

6. Yes/No: - The data type stores logical or Boolean value of ‘yes/no’ or ‘true/ false’.

7. Hyperlink: - This data type is used to store URLs, email addresses or link to other files on the            system.

8. Currency: -Stores a currency values.

9. OLE Object: -

            Stores any types of object like picture, video clip, Sound, word document etc.

10. Look-Up- Wizard: -

It creates combo-box from the records. It can be used to store different data and information in the combo-box.

Field Properties

Field Size: - Used to defining Size of field for selected field.

Format:-It is used to change the format of data or records. We can change the format of date & time, currency. Number data types only.

Input mask: A format that consists of literal display characters and mask characters that specify where data is to be entered as well as what kind of data and how many characters are allowed.

0	Digit (0 through 9, entry required; plus [+] and minus [-] signs not allowed).
9	Digit or space (entry not required; plus and minus signs not allowed).
L	Letter (A through Z, entry required).
?	Letter (A through Z, entry optional).
<	Causes all characters that follow to be converted to lowercase.
>	Causes all characters that follow to be converted to uppercase.
Password	Setting the InputMask property to the word Password creates a password entry text box.Any character typed in the text box is stored as the character but is displayed as asterisk (*).

Caption: - Used for displaying the field name in datasheet view as you typed in caption box. The Caption property is a string expression that can contain up to 2,048 characters.

Validation rule: - It is used to validate anyone field of our database by using some rules.

Validation text: -It is a description of validation rule.

Required: - Used for specify whether a value is required in a field.