Quick Help Understanding Access

[dbaxter]

I am totally lost in Access 2000. I have 5 books on
Access 2000 now and thought this was going to be fairly
simple to teach myself. I came from the Helix and Double
Helix, Macintosh applications, what I call "icon driven"
relational databases. Everyone using Access keeps talking
code, code, code. I don't even know where to paste the
code if you give it to me! Can someone tell me where to
get some help? I have an Access 2000 database that I
inherited in which no tables are related, none are indexed
and who knows what else. My predicessor copied and pasted
info into each table. If I try to relate something, then
something I need does not work. I try to make a copy to
work with and it won't let me into the design view so I
can experiment. This is really frustrating...

 

[SCHMO]

Um.... build a simple form & on the "events" part (properties) of a button
or whatever you want to trigger there is "on change" or "on click" or what
ever event you want to use... click on the "..." button & select "code
builder" and add the code there. you can also open the "Visual Basic Editor"
by pressing <ALT> + <F11> or going to "tools" menu & under the "macro" and
then "Visual Basic Editor."

I hope that helps.

 

[Pete Sheridan]

Hello 'dbaxter'

Sounds like you have a tiger by the tail but with a little
bit of info you may be able to tame that tiger and take
control.

First are you signing onto the database 'DB' as the
administrator, or are you using a 'user access' set up by
the previous db administrator?

To find out, open Microsoft access. Goto 'File' on the
menu bar & select 'Open'. Now use the 'open window' to
select the db file and open it. If it asks for a
password, you will have to go to the previous db
adminstrator to get it. If it doesn't ask for a password,
you are signed on as 'admin'. This is the preferred mode
to be in when you are making changes or additions to the
db.

The basics to know about a 'DB' are as follows:
1. tables are the depository for all data.
a. They don't have to be indexed or related (in access)
if you don't want them to be.
b. you may add indexes or relationships at any time.

2. Queries are the usual method to fetch data and populate
a form or report.
a. You may set table relationships within queries as you
design them.
b. You may select the dataset that you want to return to
the application by creating a 'Parameter' Query.
c. You may do a number of data transformations in a
query by adding columns to do basic functions such as
summing a few of the columns, getting averages,
converting 'Null columns' into empty or default values,
etc.

3. Forms and Reports are the work horses of an Access
application.
a. Use a query to fetch the data necessary for the form
or report.
b. This is the area of Access where the use of 'Code'
will help if you want to do something 'special' with the
data returned by a query.
The 'Code' I'm referring to is 'Visual Basic Code'.
This code can be written as a code module attached to the
report or form. It can also be written as a
seperate 'Module' and accessed via calls from a form or
report (this is a bit advanced for you at this time).

a good place to get some help with access is a Microsoft
site ' http://msdn.microsoft.com/default.aspx '

Look about half way down the page and you will see a text
box labled 'All Products & Technologies'. Select 'Access'
& click 'Go'

Let the next page open in your web browser and it should
be pionting to "Microsoft Access'. Now choose 'Microsoft
Access 2000' and then choose the second option 'Building
applications with forms and reports'

This is a microsoft tutorial on how the parts of 'Access'
work together' It's not as good as sitting down with an
instructor but it is good!

I have covered a lot of territory in this note but I hope
this helps, Pete