MICROSOFT ACCESS DATABASE CREATION HOW TO

You can change the data type from the FIELDS tab in the Ribbon: The вЂњData TypeвЂќ option in the Ribbon allows you to change the data type of a field. From here you can rename the field, delete the field, insert a new field and more.

Right clicking on a field name brings up a contextual menu. You can rename fields by right clicking on the field header and selecting Rename Field. You can (and probably should) rename these to something more meaningful. It doesnвЂ™t know what data will need to be enteredВ in the future.ДЄlso, when you create fields in this manner, Access will name each field Field1, Field2,В etc. If you use this method, be sure to check the data type.В AccessВ can only guess, based onВ what you entered now. So if you enter say, вЂњBobвЂќ, Access will probably make it a Short Text field. Access will assign a data type to the field based on what you enter. Quick Tip:В You can also add new fields byВ adding dataВ directly into the cell underneath the Click to Add text. Use the following names and data types: Field Name

MICROSOFT ACCESS DATABASE CREATION HOW TO

Rename the ID field to CustomerId (see below for how to rename fields). Once youвЂ™ve added three more fields, you will have four fields. You can type over the top of this to change the field name to something more meaningful. Once youВ select a data type, Access will highlight the field header with Field1. Access requires that you assign each field a data type.

To add each field, click on the Click to AddВ header and selectВ the data type (see below for theВ data types to use). It assigns this field as the primary keyВ for that table. Normally, when you create a table, Access creates the first field called IDВ with a data type of AutoNumber. For example, noВ oneВ will be able to enter a phone number into the вЂњFirstNameвЂќ field. By assigning a data type, Access can make sure that nobody enters the wrong type of data into that field. This data type tells Access the type of data that will be stored in that field. Now the thing is, when you add a field, you must select a data type for the field. You give each field its own name (eg, вЂњCustomerIdвЂќ, вЂњFirstNameвЂќ, вЂњLastNameвЂќ etc). Add Fields to the TableДЇieldsВ are basically another name for column. The first thing you need to do is add fields and name them. One of the differences between Access and Excel, is that the tables in Access require some extra setting upВ before you start adding lots of data. Now, if this was an Excel spreadsheet, youВ mightВ start adding data right about now. For example, you could have a вЂњCustomersвЂќ table that storesВ customer info, a вЂњProductsвЂќ table that stores info on products that you sell, and an вЂњOrdersвЂќ table that stores info on which customers ordered which products. Each table stores a different set of data. Most Access databases have lots ofВ tables. So you can click that button any time you need to create a new table.

YouвЂ™ll now have anotherВ blankВ table in your database. HereвЂ™s what that button looks like on the Ribbon: Clicking the вЂњTableвЂќ icon from the вЂњCREATEвЂќ tab creates a new table. Access creates this automatically when you create a new database.

Your new database will already have one table called Table1. Clicking the вЂњFileвЂќ tab will provide options for creating a new database.ДЇorВ more screenshots and detail, see How to Create a Database in Access. You can also do it from the File menu (from theВ top menu). You can now customise this database to your own needs.Д«ut you need notВ go to the welcome screen every time you want to create a database. And it willВ look something like this: This is a newly created blank desktop database. ThatвЂ™s all there is to it!В You will now be proud owner of aВ blank database.

Name the database at the prompt and click Create.

You can create your first database straight from there. When you first open Access, aВ welcome screen is displayed. LetвЂ™s start byВ creating a blank database.

Add four fields to the table, name/rename them, and set upВ their data type.

This article is Part 1 of the Microsoft Access tutorial.

Microsoft access database creation