Introduction


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Microsoft Access is a Windows Relational Database Management System (RDBMS).

This document assumes a basic familiarity with RDBMSs and with Microsoft Windows. It describes, in broad terms, the facilities offered by Access and demonstrates how some of the commoner tasks can be carried out.

A database based on the operation of a bank is described in Appendix I of this document and will be used in examples throughout.

Fundamentals

An Access database is made up of a collection of tables, queries, forms, reports, macros and modules (programming code). All of the information connected with a database is stored in a single file. The file will have a name of your choice and extension MDB.

Access enables its users to:

  • Create a database
  • Create tables within a database
  • Insert, delete and modify data
  • Validate data
  • Display wanted data (run queries)
  • Import data from other database systems and from ordinary files
  • Export data
  • Sort data
  • Produce simple graphics
  • Create forms
  • Create reports (and mailing labels)
  • Create macros
  • Create programs (to operate on the data stored)
  • Manage concurrent access to data
  • Obtain on-line help

System Requirements

To run Access you will require:

  • An IBM compatible PC with an 80386 or higher processor
  • A mouse
  • EGA, VGA or higher display
  • 6Mb RAM
  • MS DOS 3.1 or higher
  • Microsoft Windows, Windows for Workgroups or Windows NT version 3.1 or later

Data Types Supported by Access

The following data types are supported by Access:

  • Text - up to 255 alphanumeric characters
  • Memo - up to 64000 characters
  • Number
    • Byte: integers in the range 0-255
    • Integer: range -32768 - +32767
    • Long Integer: range -2147483648 - +2147483647
    • Single precision floating point: range +-3.4 * 1038 (7 sf)
    • Double precision floating point: range 1.79 * 1038 (15 sf)
  • Currency
  • Date/Time
  • Counter (An automatically incremented long integer)
  • Yes/No
  • OLE Object (binary data)

Restrictions imposed by Access

Many of the restrictions imposed are not restrictions in any practical sense: e.g. the maximum database size of 1GB (1000Mb) is hardly likely to be exceeded before disk space is exhausted. The only maxima likely be approached in practice are:

  • Number of tables in a query: 16
  • Number of sorted fields in a query: 10
  • Number of characters in a query cell: 255
  • Form/Report - Width: 22", Section Height: 22", Overall height: 200"
  • Number of levels of nested Forms/Reports: 3
  • Number of group headers/footers in a report: 10

A complete list of restrictions can be found in Appendix A of the Access User's Guide.

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