Running Access

To open an existing database select Open Database... from the File menu in the Access startup window. A dialogue box similar to that illustrated above will display in which the Drive, Directory and File Name can be specified.

Alternatively a list of the four most recently opened databases appears towards the bottom of the File menu and one can be chosen by clicking on it.

To display the contents of a table in a Table Window, click the Table Button, highlight the table and click the Open button. A window, like that in the figure below, will appear displaying several records. This is referred to as Datasheet View.

The Resize Handles on each corner of the window can be used to resize it.

The Scroll Bar on the left, which appears when there are too many records to fit into the window, can be used to control which block of records currently displays, as can the Navigation Controls at the bottom.

The grey area to the left of each record is known as the Record Selector. The Record Selector corresponding to the current record (that most recently clicked) contains a symbol: a triangle denotes an unchanged record, a pen indicates a record currently being changed, and a no-go sign (a crossed circle) may display to indicate that you have attempted to change a record which is currently locked (and being changed) by another user - see Inserting, Deleting and Modifying Data below. An asterisk appears in the record selector of an empty record at the bottom of the table.

The Column Selector can be used to resize or re-order the columns.

The information displayed in a table window can be sorted in ascending or descending order based on a single field by clicking one of two Sort Buttons. If a more complicated sort is required a query can be used.

The Binoculars button appears on the tool bar when a table is opened in datasheet view. It can be used to find a record which contains some specified string or pattern.

In locating a record the search term (characters or pattern) specified in the Find What box is matched against data in records in the table in which the cursor was positioned when the binoculars were clicked. The specified characters are matched against the contents of the current field if the (Search In) Current Field option is selected or against all fields if All Fields is selected. The match can be made against the Whole Field, the Start of the Field or Any Part of the Field depending on the option specified in the Where box. The direction of search can be specified as Up or Down and either the First or Next record found depending upon which button is clicked to initiate the search. Specifying Match Case requests a case sensitive search. Specifying Search Fields as Formatted compares the search term against the data as formatted, otherwise it is compared against the data as it is stored in the field(s).

Patterns as well as words or phrases can be looked for. Special characters enable a pattern to be specified:

It is often preferable to alter data through forms (detailed later in this document), however, a new record can be entered by filling in the blank record (evidenced in Figure 8 by an asterisk appearing as its record status).

Existing records can be changed by appending information to fields, or by deleting or modifying the contents of fields. Data can be deleted by highlighting it and cutting (or by pressing the Del key) or by positioning the cursor and backspacing over it. Data can be copied and pasted in the normal way. Changes to the current field can be undone by pressing the Escape key - a second depression will undo any other changes that might have been made to the current record. Alternatively select Undo Current Field, Undo Current Record or (if you have moved away from it) Undo Saved Record from the Edit menu.

A record can be deleted by clicking selecting it and then pressing the Delete key, or by choosing Delete from the Edit menu (by default you will be prompted to confirm deletions).

One of a number of choices can be exercised if data already exists and you wish to use it with Access.

Access is capable of importing data from a number of other systems.

Access can also import data from ordinary text files provided:

Database tables in other systems, or in another Access database, can be attached to an Access database. In this case the data can be altered by Access but are maintained outside the Access database file.

Data can be exported to all of those systems from which it can be imported.