Access (.

accdb file extension): a computer program used to enter, maintain, and retrieve related data in a format known as a database. Aggregate functions perform arithmetic operations on selected records in a database (Average, Count, Max, Min, Sum) Although you can move fields in Datasheet view by dragging a fields column heading to a new location, doing so rearranges only the display of the tables fields; the table structure is not changed. To move a field permanently, you must display the table in design view. Anchor property: automatically resizes a control and places the control in the same relative position on the screen as the screen size and resolution change. Backing up a database is the process of making a copy of the database file to protect your database against loss or damage Backstage view: the first screen that appears when you start access; provides options for opening an existing database, creating one, etc. Bound control: connected, or bound, to a field in the database based on the record source, or the underlying table or query. The bound control has a field value text box and an attached label to its left. Bound form: form that has a table or query as its record source Calculated control: displays a value that is the result of an expression. Calculated field: field that displays the results of an expression. Always save query before creating a calculated field. Ex: Net Donation: = [then input formula] Candidate key: one column, or a collection of columns that can serve as a PK. You choose one of the candidate keys to be the PK, and each remaining candidate key that wasnt chosen is called an alternate key Caption property: specifies how the field name is displayed in database objects Combo box: control that provides the features of a text box and a list box; it lets you choose a value from the list or type an entry Combo wizard: asks a series of questions and then uses your answers to create a control (combo box [only for table or query], list box, subform, etc.) in a form or report Common field: connects the records in the separate tables that appear in both tables Compacting a database rearranges the data and objects in a database to decrease its file size, thereby making more space available on your disk and letting you open and close the database more quickly Comparison operator: compares the values in a field to the condition value and to select all the records for which the condition is true Ex: >50,000 Composite entity: a relationship that has the characteristics of an entity Composite key: two or more fields might be needed to function as the primary key; multiple-column PK aka concatenated key Condition: rule that determines which records are selected. To define a condition for a field, you place the condition in the fields criteria box in the design grid. Conditional formatting: special formatting applied to certain field values depending on one or more conditions similar to criteria you establish for queries Control layout: set of controls grouped together in a form or report, so that you can manipulate the set as a single control Control margins property: controls the spacing around the text inside a control Control padding property: controls the spacing around the outside of a control Control source property: specifies the source of the data that appears in the control; the Control Source property setting can be either a field name or an expression Control: an item on a form, report, or other database object that you can manipulate to modify the objects appearance. Three types: Bound, Unbound, and Calculated ControlTip Text property: specifies the text that appears in a ScreenTip when users hold the mouse pointer over a control in a form Crosstab query: performs aggregate function calculations on the values of one database field and displays the results in a spreadsheet form Ctrl + keys insert the same value above in the column below, for efficiency purposes Current record box: displays the number of the current record as well as the total number of records in the table Data Modeling: taking the description of a business and putting in a database to run the business Data redundancy: when you store data in more than one place, which wastes storage space and can cause inconsistencies. The problems caused by data redundancy and by partial and transitive dependencies are called anomalies because they are undesirable irregularities of tables. Three types: insertion, deletion, and update. Insertion anomaly occurs when you cannot add a record to a table because you do not know the entire PK value. Deletion anomaly occurs when you delete data from a table and unintentionally lose other critical data. Update anomaly occurs when you change one field value and either the DBMS must make more than one change to the database or else the database ends up containing inconsistent data. Data type gallery (Add/Delete group on Fields Tab): allows you to add a group of related fields to a table at the same time, rather than adding each field to the table individually. The group of fields you add is called a quick start selection. Data type: determines what field values you can enter for the field. AutoNumber is a type of data type that automatically inserts a unique number in this field for every record. The text data type allows field values containing letters, digits, and other characters that are appropriate for identifying numbers that are never used in calculations. Database design: the process of determining the content and structure of data in a database in order to support some activity on behalf of a user or group of users Database management system (DBMS): software program that lets you create databases and then manipulate data in them. Most of todays database management systems, including Access, are called relational database management systems. Database, or relational database: a collection of related tables; World wide web biggest database Datasheet selector: tool in the upper left of access that selects all the records Datasheet tool creates a form in a datasheet format that contains all the fields in the source table or query Datasheet view: shows the tables contents in rows (records) and columns (fields). Delimited text file is one in which fields of data are separated by a character such as a comma or a tab. Description property: enter an optional description for a field to explain its purpose or usage Design grid: the bottom portion of the Query window in Design view. In the design grid, you include the fields and record selection criteria for the information you want to see Design view: allows you to modify or define a table structure or the properties of the fields in a table Detail record: the set of field values of each record in the related table Detail section: rectangular area consisting of a grid with a section bar above the grid Determinant: is a field, or a collection of fields, whose values determine the values of another field. A field is functionally dependent on another field if that other field is a determinant for it. You can graphically show a

tables functional dependencies and determinants in a bubble diagram, data model diagram and a functional dependency diagram. Display control property: specifies the default control used to display a field, from Combo Box to Text Box Documenters: creates detailed documentation in a database Domain integrity constraint: is a rule you specify for a field. By choosing a data type for a field, you impose a constraint on the set of values allowed for the field. Drawbacks of excel: for number orientated data it is a mess; limited to a single user at one time Editing mode: you can insert or delete characters in a field value based on the location of the insertion point. Entity integrity constraint says that the PK cannot be null. For a composite key, none of the individual fields can be null. Entity integrity: Access forces you to enter a value for the PK field in every record in the table. If you dont, youve given the field a null value. A null is the absence of a value in a particular table entry Entity subtype: a table whose PK is a FK to a second table and whose fields are additional fields for the second table. Entity: person, place, object, event, or idea for which you want to store and process data Entity-relationship diagram: shows a databases entities and the relationships among the entities in a symbolic, visual way. Entities, or tables, appear in rectangles, and relationships appear in diamonds. Exact match: must match condition exactly in order for the record to be included in the query results Equal to = Hall, not equal to <> Hall, less than <#1/1/99#, less than or equal to <=100, between two values Between 50 And 325, Matches a pattern that includes wildcards Like 706* Expand indicator: the plus sign that allows the related records to be displayed Expression builder is a tool that makes it easy to create an expression. Expression: to perform a calculation containing a combination of database fields, constants, and operators. F2 key is a toggle that you use to switch between Navigation mode and editing mode. F6 allows you to move from the Table Design Grid to the Field Properties Pane Field list: contains the fields for the table(s) you are querying. The table name appears at the top of the field list, and the fields are listed in the order in which they appear in the table. Field Properties pane: the bottom portion of the Table window in Design view Field selector or a record selector selects the entire column or row, which you then can manipulate. A field selector is also called a column selector, and a record selector is also called a row selector. Field size property: defines a field values maximum storage size for Text, Number, and AutoNumber fields only Field validation rule verifies a field value by comparing it to a constant or a set of constants. The Validation Rule property value specifies the valid values that users can enter in a field. The Validation Text property value will be displayed in a dialog box if the user enters an invalid value. Field value: the specific value, or content, of a field is called the field value. Field: column/attribute; a single characteristic or attribute of a person, place, object, event, or idea. Filter: set of restrictions you place on the records in an open datasheet or form to temporarily isolate a subset of the records. A filter lets you view different subsets of displayed records so that you can focus on only the data you need. The simplest technique for filtering records is Filter by Selection, which lets you select all or part of a field value in a datasheet or form, and then display only those records that contain the selected value in the field. Filter by Form changes your datasheet to display blank fields. Find command: allows you to search a table or query datasheet, or a form, to locate a specific field value or part of a field value. Find duplicates query: select query that finds duplicate records in a table or query You can create this type of query using the find duplicates query wizard. Find unmatched query: select query that finds all records in a table or query that have no related records in a second table or query. First normal form (1NF) if it does not contain repeating groups. A Table in 1NF is in second normal form (2NF) if it does not contain any partial dependencies. A table in 2NF is in third normal form (3NF) if every determinant is a candidate key. This definition for 3NF is referred to as Boyce-Codd normal form (BCNF) Focus refers to the control that is currently active and awaiting user action; focus also refers to the object and record that is currently active Foreign key: When you include the primary key from one table as a field in a second table to form a relationship between the two tables. The foreign key doesnt necessarily have to contain unique values. Form Header and Form Footer sections let you add titles, instructions, command buttons, and other controls to the top and bottom of your form Form selector: selector at the intersection of the horizontal and vertical rulers; you click the form selector when you want to select the form and set its properties Form view: view, enter, and maintain data in the table on which the form is based Form: database object you use to enter, edit, and view records in a database Grid consists of the area with dotted and solid liens that help you position controls precisely in a form. Group by operator: divides the selected records into groups based on the values in the specified field those records with the same value for the field are grouped together, and the datasheet displays one record for each group. Grouped report: the data from a record in the primary table appears as a group, followed on subsequent lines of the report by the joined records from the related table Import: process that allows you to copy the data from a source without having to open the source file In comparison operator lets you define a condition with a list of two or more values for a field Ex: In (Holland,Rockford,Saugatuck). Input mask: predefined format that is used to enter and display data in a field; use Input Mask Wizard Integrity if its data follows certain rules; each rule is called an integrity constraint. Join: process of relating tables Layout view: can make design changes to the form while it is displaying data, so that you can see the effects of the changes you make immediately List-of-values match selects records whose value for the designated field matches one of two or more simple condition values. You could accomplish this by including several Or conditions in the design grid, but the In comparison operator provides an easier and clearer way to do this. Logical operators: multiple conditions require this, which combines two or more conditions. When you want a record selected only if two or more conditions are met, you need to use the And logical operator. When you place conditions in different Criteria rows, you are using the Or logical operator. Lookup field: lets the user select a value from a list of possible values to enter data into the field; use Lookup Wizard Field. To do, delete relationships in table involved, create lookups, go back and enforce referential integrity Main form: when you create a form containing data from two tables that have a one-to-many relationship, you actually create a main form for data from the primary table and a subform for data from the related table.

Many-to-many relationship (M:N): exists between two tables when each row in the first table matches many rows in the second table and each row in the second table matches many rows in the first table. In a relational database, you must use a third table (often called an intersection table, junction table, or link table) to serve as a bridge between the two many-to-many tables. The original tables now each have a one-to-many relationship with the new table Move handle: the larger handle in a controls upper-left corner, which you use to move the control, while sizing handles are used to resize the control Multiple items tool creates a customizable form that displays multiple records from a source table or query in a datasheet format Navigation mode: access selects an entire field value. If you type while you are in navigation mode, your typed entry replaces the highlighted field value. Navigation Pane divides database objects into categories, and each category contains groups. The groups contain one or more objects. The default category is object type, and the default group is All Access Objects. Navigation pane: area of the Access window that lists all the objects in a database, and it is the main control center for opening and working with database objects. An icon is located to the left of it that identifies the objects type. Nonkey field: a field that is not part of the PK Nonunique if more than one record can have the same value for the sort field. Normalization: the process of identifying and eliminating anomalies/redundancy through a set of rules Not logical operator negates a criterion or selects records for which the designated field does not match the criterion. Ex: Not In (Holland,Rockford,Saugatuck). The & operator is a concatenation operator that joins text expressions. Ex: LastName & , & FirstName. To display the correct customer value, youll use the IIF (Immediate IF) function, which assigns one value to a calculated field or control if a condition is true, and a second value if the condition is false. Three parts: a condition is true or false, the result when the condition is true, and the result when the condition is false. The isNull function tests a field value or an expression for a null value; if the field value or expression is null, the result is true; otherwise, the result is false. Ex: IIf(IsNull(Company),LastName & , & FirstName, Company) means that if the Company Field value is null, then se the calculated field value to the concatenation of the LastName field value and the text string , and the First Name field value. If the Company field is not null, then set the calculated field value to the Company field value. Object dependency: exists between two objects when a change to the properties of data in one object affects the properties of data in the other object. The object dependencies pane displays a collapsible list of the dependencies among the objects in an Access database. One-to-many relationship: exists between two tables when one record in the first table matches, zero, one, or many records in the second table, and when one record in the second table matches at most one record in the first table. The two tables are still separate tables, but because they are joined, you can use the data in them as if they were one table. The one side of a one-to-many relationship is represented by the digit 1 at the end of the join line. The join line connects the common field used to create the relationship between the two tables. The many side is represented by the infinity symbol at the end of the join line. The primary table is the one table, while the related table is the many table. When you add a table to the Relationships window, the fields in the table appear in a field list. One-to-one relationship (1:1): exists between two tables when each row in each table has at most one matching row in the other table Orphaned record: not having a matching record, making the data inconsistent. Referential integrity is used to prevent this Parameter query: displays a dialog box that prompts the user to enter one or more criteria values when the query is run Ex: Like [Type the city:] & * Allows a parameter that when you select nothing all the cities will show up because of * Partial dependency: functional dependency on part of the PK, instead of the entire PK Pattern match: selects records with a value for the designated field that matches the pattern of a simple condition value. You do this using the Like comparison operator. The like comparison operator selects records by matching field values to a specific pattern that includes one or more of these wildcard characteristics: *, ?, #. The asterisk represents any string of characters, the question mark represents any single character, and the number symbol represents any single digit. Using a pattern match is similar to using an exact match, except that a pattern match includes wildcard characters. Pencil symbol: indicates the record is being edited. Primary key: a field, or a collection of fields, whose values uniquely identify each record in a table. No two records can contain the same value for the primary key field. Propagate: update (property options button) Property propagation: update field properties in objects automatically when you modify a table field property Qry prefix tag: identifies each query in the database Query by example (QBE): you give Access an example of the information you are requesting. Access then retrieves the information that precisely matches your example. Query Wizard: different types of wizards that guide you through the steps to create a query, which is a question you ask about the data stored in a database. Queries can display selected fields and records, sort records, perform calculations, generate, update, and display data. The result of a query is also known as a recordset because the query produces a set of records that answers your question. Record: set of field values; row/tuple Redundant data: occurs when same data is stored in more than one place, which leads to inconsistencies and loss of data integrity. Must avoid at any extent possible in database design with exception of PK/FK data. Referential integrity: set of rules that Access enforces to maintain consistency between related tables when you update data in a database. Rules: When you add a record to a related table, a matching record must already exist in the primary table. If you attempt to change the value of the PK in the primary table, Access prevents the change if matching records exist in a related table; each nonnull foreign key value must match a PK value in the primary table you cannot add a row with an unmatched FK value. However, cascade update related fields option permits the change in value to the PK and changes the appropriate foreign key values in the related table. When you attempt to delete a record in the primary table, Access prevents the deletion if matching records exist. Cascade delete related records deletes the record in the primary table and also deletes all records in related tables that have matching FK values. Relational database management system, data is organized as a collection of tables. A relational DBMS controls the storage of databases on disk and facilitates the creation, manipulation, security, and reporting of data. Unlike spreadsheet programs, a DBMS can handle massive amounts of data (two GB in size, 32,768 objects, and 255 people) and can be used to create relationships among multiple tables. Relational database model: All data is organized into tables, tables contain records, records contain fields, fields have a data type, tables may be related to each other through PK and FK fields, each table has a PK field, and PK field values have to be unique for each record

Relationships window: illustrates the relationships among a databases tables. Using this window, you can view or change existing relationships, define new relationships, and rearrange the layout of the tables in the window. Repeating group: the set of fields which can have more than one value Report: formatted printout of the contents of one or more tables/queries in a database Row source property: specifies the data source for a control in a form or report or for a field in a table or query Rulers: define the horizontal and vertical dimensions of the form and serve as guides for placing controls in a form Saving a table: the records you enter are immediately stored in the database as soon as you enter them; however, the tables design the field names and characteristics of the fields themselves, plus any layout changes to the datasheet are not saved until you save the table. After saving, access will sort the numbers by primary key. Secondary sort field is a second field that determines the order of records that are already sorted by the primary sort field (the first sort field specified). Select query: one in which you specify the fields and records you want Access to select. Database object that presents a view into data; running query does not modify data Select Record(s) option: to print only the current record displayed in a form Semantic object modeling: an entire area of study within the database field devoted to the meanings and relationships of data Set: when you select or enter a value for a property. Spacebar: To insert a check mark in an empty check box for a Yes/No field, you press the spacebar. Special effect property: specifies the type of special effect applied to a control; flat, raised, sunken, etc. Split form tool: creates a customizable form that simultaneously displays the data in both Form view and Datasheet view Stacked layout: arranges text box controls vertically with a label control to the left of each text box control Star symbol: identifies the second row as the next row available for a new record Tab order: the order in which you move from control to control, or change the focus, in a form when you press the Tab Key Tab stop property: specifies whether users can use the Tab key to move to a control on a form. If the Tab Stop property is set to No, users cant tab to the control. Table design grid: the top portion of the Table window in design view Table validation rule: compares one field value in a table record to another field value in the same record to verify their relative accuracy Table: two-dimensional structure made up of rows and columns; a collection of fields that describes a person, place, object, event, or idea; relation Tabular layout: arranges text box controls in a datasheet format with labels above each column. Theme: predefined set of formats including colors, fonts, and other effects that enhance an objects appearance and usability. Top values property for a query lets you limit the number of records in the query results Transitive dependency: functional dependency between two nonkey fields, which are both dependent on a third field Trusted folder/location: a folder on a drive or network that you designate as trusted and where you place databases you know are safe. When you open a database located in a trusted folder, Access treats it as a safe file and no longer displays a Security Warning Unbound control: not connected to a field in the database. You use unbound controls to display text, such as a form title or instructions, labels, or lines; an unbound control that displays text is called a label Unbound form: forms that do not have a record source and are usually used for forms that help users navigate among the objects in a database. Unique: a sort field in unique if the value in the sort field for each record is different. Unnormalized relation: does not meet the requirements for a table, or relation Updating, or maintain, a database is the process of adding, modifying, and deleting records in database tables to keep them current and accurate. View: cross section of data, i.e., certain data is presented Visible property determines if Access displays a control or section Set the Visible property to Yes to display the control or section, and No to hide it. Wildcard character: a placeholder when you know only part of a value or when you want to start or end with a specific character or match a certain pattern: * matches any number of characters th* finds the, that, this, therefore, etc. a?t finds act, aft, ant, apt, etc. a[fr]t finds aft and art but not act, ant, and apt a[!fr]t finds act, ant, and apt but not aft and art a[d-p] matches the range of characters in brackets. #72 finds 072, 172, 272, and so on. Zoom box: dialog box that you can use to enter text, expressions, or other values. To use the Zoom box, you must know all the parts of the expression you want to create. Database design guidelines: Iterative process 1. Understand problems to be solved, i.e., understand your business and how database is to help you 2. Analysis: to determine the entities (tables) and relationships. Determine fields, data types, PK/FK, and avoid redundant data 3. Open access to physically implement tables based on above data and relationships 4. Normalize tables (analysis for redundant data) 5. Go back to step 2 if you find redundant data 6. Implement queries, forms, and reports 7. Review user interface (process of refining the design of database to avoid redundant data) for consistency 8. Test it Order of a Report: Report Header: appears once at top of report, e.g., title, date Page Header: appears at the top of every page, e.g., page number, author name Group Header: appears at the top of each group Detail: contains all the field values Group Footer: appears at the bottom of each group, e.g., subtotals Page Footer: appears at the bottom of every page, e.g., page number, author name Report Footer: appears at the bottom of the report, e.g., field totals Summary report: main report with detail information Calculated control on Subform values: Open the subform, place control on form footer = Count([Last Name]) The label for calculated control, Text 10 Next open the main form and place calculated control on the form, open expression builder and select form and subform and refer to Text 10