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Missing Manuals
Access 2010: The Missing Manual
Go from Access novice to true master with the professional database design tips and crystal-clear explanations in this book. You'll learn all the secrets of this powerful database program so you can use your data in creative ways -- from creating product catalogs and publishing information online to producing invoices and reports. Five Touchstones to Understanding Access
Let’s face it--learning the tricks and techniques of database design can be a bit of a slog. But if you’re just starting out with Access, here are five key insights that can help you understand how the database world works. Keep these points in mind, and you’ll be on the inside track to mastering Access. 1. Databases hold database objects. Most people are familiar with tables , the grid-like grouping of data that stores your information (for example, lists of items you own, friends you have, or products you sell through your small business). But tables are just one type of object that an Access database can hold. The other key ingredients are queries (customized search routines that pull out the information you need at the drop of a hat), reports (similar to queries, but nicely formatted and ready for printing), forms (windows that make it easy to review and edit the data in your tables), and macros and modules (miniature programs that can do just about anything—from updating 10,000 records at once to firing off an email). 2. Relationships hold it all together. Access newbies sometimes start out thinking a database is just a glorified spreadsheet. After all, can’t Excel hold long lists with hundreds of thousands of rows? (And yes, it can.) However, Access has a feature Excel can’t duplicate: relationships . A typical Access database holds several tables, and relationships link these tables together. For example, a table of customers might link to a table of orders, which would link to a table of products, allowing you to answer questions like “What customers spent the most money?” and “What is the most popular product for customers living in New York?” Relationships also safeguard your data--for example, they make it impossible for someone to accidentally place an order for a product or a customer that doesn’t exist. 3. There are two ways to work with a database: as a designer and as a user. The database designer is the person who sets up the database. The database designer has the responsibility of laying out the tables, building the queries, and knocking together some nice reports and forms (assuming you want all those features). By comparison, the database user is the person who uses the tables, queries, reports, and forms in day-to-day life. The user reviews records, makes changes, and fills the tables up with data. Depending on what type of database you’re creating (and what you want to accomplish), you may be both the database designer and the database user. But it’s important to realize that these are distinct tasks. In fact, when using a properly designed database, database users don’t need to be particularly skilled with Access. They can just work with the forms and reports that the database designer created. 4. Sooner or later, you’ll need macros. To become an Access expert, you must first learn to design a logical, consistent set of tables and add the relationships that link them together. Next, you must learn to build the other types of objects--queries, forms, and reports--that make it easier to perform common tasks. At some point, while tackling this second stage, you’ll run into a challenge that forces you to step up to the third level of Access mastery: macros . Macros are miniature programs that perform custom tasks. The good news is that in Access 2010, you can design your own macros without becoming a programmer. You just need to drag, drop, and arrange a sequence of ready-made macro commands into the Access macro designer. For example, you can use macros to build buttons that send emails, start printouts, make updates, or just take you around your database. 5. Expert user, meet Visual Basic. Some people stop their Access journey at this point, content to use tables, forms, reports, and macros to do all their work. But if you want to see everything Access has to offer, you need to take a look at its high-powered Visual Basic engine. Using VB code, you can do almost anything, from validating a credit card to leading a customer through an order process (two examples that are discussed in Access 2010: The Missing Manual ). And if you’re willing to pick up some basic programming concepts, you can use code to transform a simple database into a cohesive database application—for example, something that looks more like the traditional desktop programs you run on your computer.
Let’s face it--learning the tricks and techniques of database design can be a bit of a slog. But if you’re just starting out with Access, here are five key insights that can help you understand how the database world works. Keep these points in mind, and you’ll be on the inside track to mastering Access. 1. Databases hold database objects. Most people are familiar with tables , the grid-like grouping of data that stores your information (for example, lists of items you own, friends you have, or products you sell through your small business). But tables are just one type of object that an Access database can hold. The other key ingredients are queries (customized search routines that pull out the information you need at the drop of a hat), reports (similar to queries, but nicely formatted and ready for printing), forms (windows that make it easy to review and edit the data in your tables), and macros and modules (miniature programs that can do just about anything—from updating 10,000 records at once to firing off an email). 2. Relationships hold it all together. Access newbies sometimes start out thinking a database is just a glorified spreadsheet. After all, can’t Excel hold long lists with hundreds of thousands of rows? (And yes, it can.) However, Access has a feature Excel can’t duplicate: relationships . A typical Access database holds several tables, and relationships link these tables together. For example, a table of customers might link to a table of orders, which would link to a table of products, allowing you to answer questions like “What customers spent the most money?” and “What is the most popular product for customers living in New York?” Relationships also safeguard your data--for example, they make it impossible for someone to accidentally place an order for a product or a customer that doesn’t exist. 3. There are two ways to work with a database: as a designer and as a user. The database designer is the person who sets up the database. The database designer has the responsibility of laying out the tables, building the queries, and knocking together some nice reports and forms (assuming you want all those features). By comparison, the database user is the person who uses the tables, queries, reports, and forms in day-to-day life. The user reviews records, makes changes, and fills the tables up with data. Depending on what type of database you’re creating (and what you want to accomplish), you may be both the database designer and the database user. But it’s important to realize that these are distinct tasks. In fact, when using a properly designed database, database users don’t need to be particularly skilled with Access. They can just work with the forms and reports that the database designer created. 4. Sooner or later, you’ll need macros. To become an Access expert, you must first learn to design a logical, consistent set of tables and add the relationships that link them together. Next, you must learn to build the other types of objects--queries, forms, and reports--that make it easier to perform common tasks. At some point, while tackling this second stage, you’ll run into a challenge that forces you to step up to the third level of Access mastery: macros . Macros are miniature programs that perform custom tasks. The good news is that in Access 2010, you can design your own macros without becoming a programmer. You just need to drag, drop, and arrange a sequence of ready-made macro commands into the Access macro designer. For example, you can use macros to build buttons that send emails, start printouts, make updates, or just take you around your database. 5. Expert user, meet Visual Basic. Some people stop their Access journey at this point, content to use tables, forms, reports, and macros to do all their work. But if you want to see everything Access has to offer, you need to take a look at its high-powered Visual Basic engine. Using VB code, you can do almost anything, from validating a credit card to leading a customer through an order process (two examples that are discussed in Access 2010: The Missing Manual ). And if you’re willing to pick up some basic programming concepts, you can use code to transform a simple database into a cohesive database application—for example, something that looks more like the traditional desktop programs you run on your computer.
830 pages, Paperback
First published June 18, 2010
40 people are currently reading
68 people want to read
About the author
Matthew MacDonald
178 books25 followersMatthew MacDonald is a science and technology writer with well over a dozen books to his name. He's particularly known for his books about building websites, which include a do-it-from-scratch tutorial (Creating a Website: The Missing Manual), a look at cutting-edge HTML5 (HTML5: The Missing Manual), and a WordPress primer (WordPress: The Missing Manual). He's also written a series of books about programming on and off the Web with .NET, teaches programming at Ryerson University, and is a three-time Microsoft MVP.
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August 24, 2025Unlock the secrets of this powerful database program and discover how to use your data in creative ways. With this book’s easy step-by-step process, you’ll quickly learn how to build and maintain a complete Access database, using Access 2013’s new, simpler user interface and templates. You also get practices and tips from the pros for good database design—ideal whether you’re using Access for school, business, or at home.
The important stuff you need to know:
Build a database with ease. Store information to track numbers, products, documents, and more.
Customize the interface. Build your own forms to make data entry a snap.
Find what you need fast. Search, sort, and summarize huge amounts of information.
Put your data to use. Turn raw info into printed reports with attractive formatting.
Share your data. Collaborate online with SharePoint and the Access web database.
Dive into Access programming. Get tricks and techniques to automate common tasks.
Create rich data connections. Build dynamic links with SQL Server, SharePoint, and other systems.
November 2, 2015
For someone who had had prior experience with data manipulative/analytical software in education and professional background, my current job really needed me to take a step back and grasp/master all the basic + finer points of Microsoft Access, including integrating my macro and Visual Basic knowledge into database design, datasheet manipulation and data management. MacDonald's manual is superb- I can imagine all levels of Access experience- from my relative inexperience to the more proficient user- gaining and learning a great deal from reading this book. It really helped me sharpen my knowledge of how SQL is integrated into Access' query structure, how to design and perfect forms, and the fine minutia of relational database generation. Highly recommended!
October 11, 2012
The instructions were very clear and very detailed in creating basic to advanced databases. I felt comfortable creating, editing, and manipulating databases after reading this book and still find it helpful for reference to specific sections. The examples were entertaining and gave a broad perspective of how a database can be used based on your needs. As a library assistant keeping track on hundreds of newly aquired library items I find databases to be the most useful and most organized method for record keeping and pulling information. Honing my skills in access databases with the help of this book has made my job easier and more efficient.
October 28, 2012
Very helpful book - I refer to it often.
September 11, 2012
Not as detailed as I wanted, but I still learned a lot. Where can I find "the missing manual that teaches you to make access do everything"
December 21, 2013
Overall a great reference book for MS Access. Definately recommend to another for learning MS Access and database fundamentals.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews