IS there a simple book or tutorial on how to use Access 2003?

[Guest]

Is there a simple book or tutorial on how to use Access 2003? Microsoft
offers an 18 Part training course -- no doubt for money. I don't need that. I
am an database expert. I have designed databases. I have written database
applications. I sat on the ANSI database groups for several years to
standardize SQL databases. I have worked as a DBA. I read documentation very
well. But I cannot figure out how to use Microsoft Access. The instructions
are just too obtuse.

I am used to a book or tutorial that gives you a sample database and first
shows you what you can do with the database. Then, the book or tutorial gets
into database design. Am I missing something. I cannot find any sample
databases under "Open" in the task pane, or in any other directory. In fact,
I do not even know the suffix of the database so I can look for a database.

If such a book is not available, can anyone recommend another database --
preferably an SQL-based database to use on my PC.

Thank you.
Wendy Rauch

 

[John Nurick]

Hi Wendy,

All versions of Access come with a sample database called Northwind. In
a standard install of Access 2003 it's under Sample Databases in the
search menu.

Standard Access database files have the MDB extension. If you use the
File|New menu in a standard Access 2003 installation you will have the
choice of creating a database from any of several templates, or of
creating a new empty MDB file. If you choose the latter, it's then
simple to use the GUI to create a schema ("tables" and "relationships").
Or you can create a "query", switch it to SQL view, and type a DDL
statement (but there's no simple way of executing a script containing
more than one SQL statement).

The Help system leaves a lot to be desired, but if you (1) go to the
Help menu and select Microsoft Office Access Help, (2) on the resulting
"Assistance" pane click the Table of Contents link and (3) select
Microsoft Jet SQL Reference, you'll find the documentation on Jet SQL
(Jet is the database engine used with MDB files). This includes topics
on the differences between Jet SQL and ANSI SQL which should give you a
flying start.

As for books: few of them are intended for database experts. John
Viescas's Microsft Access 2003 Inside Out gets into the kind of detail
you'll soon want; also check out the Access Developer's Handbook (I
don't think there was an Access 2003 edition, but the 2002 one is fine).

On Sun, 30 Jul 2006 11:06:01 -0700, Wendy Rauch <Wendy

 

[tina]

okay, if you already understand the principles of relational design, then
you just need to know how to use this particular tool that is based on those
principles, correct? suggest you pick up a copy of Microsoft Access
<version> Bible by Prague and Irwin; it takes you through the basics of
using the software, with minimal attention to database design concepts, and
those bits you should be able to skip through easily.

the file extensions for Access databases are .mdb, .mde, .mdw, and a few
others, i think. for your immediate purposes, all you need to worry about is
the .mdb file extension.

also, when you open Access 2003, there is a "create a new file" option on
the Startup Task Pane. click it, and it offers numerous options, including a
Templates section with an "On my computer..." option. click that, and then
choose the Databases tab in the Templates dialog. you'll see a list of the
templates that ship with Access. also, you should find the sample
Northwind.mdb, which also ships with the software, in the C:\Program
Files\Microsoft Office\OFFICE11\SAMPLES folder - or just do a search for it
on your hard drive. this database is commonly referred to in many Access
reference books and training materials.

hth

 

[Guest]

If you’re looking for a good tutorial book, "TEACH YOURSELF ACCESS 97 IN 14
DAYS" really helped me with allot of unanswered questions. It was better
then the "FOR DUMMMIES" series.