Simnet Access

theme

a unified color and font scheme

Message bar

at the top of the window, below the ribbon

blank form

can start a new one directly in layout or design view

text box control

display text, numbers, dates, and similar data

multiple items form

displaying multiple records at one; more flexible than a datasheet form because you can modify the layout and design

calculated field

displays a value returned by an expression (formula)

single record form

displays one record at a time

field

each column in the table that represents a specific data value

subform

form within the form

total row

quickly calculate an aggregate function such as the sum or average of all the values in a column

Tables

stores all the database data; essential building blocks of the database; looks similar to a spreadsheet

bound control

text box control that displays data from a table or a query field; connected to the field

form header/report header

the section directly above the detail section where the data are displayed

form wizard

walks you through the steps of creating the form, including selecting fields and a layout.

Database

a collection of data: allowed you to enter, store, organize, and retrieve large amounts of related data

portrait

default page orientation; height of page is greater than width

select query

displays data from one or more related tables or queries, based on the fields that you select.

criterion

each field data type takes a certain type

Record

each row in the table that contains data

enable data integrity

only values from the lookup list are allowed in the field

Relationship window

provides a visual representation of the relationships in your database

Access

relational database

control layout

restricts movement of controls to the layout rows and columns ensuring that controls align with one another

only an interface to the

underlying table or query (record source)

sort

you can control the order in which the records appear in a table, query, or form

Compact and Repair tool

Eliminates these unnecessary database objects for optimum efficiency

expression

a formula; can reference fields, mathematical operators, and functions

relational database

a group of tables related to one another by common fields

one-to-many relationship

a main table that contains a primary key field that is included as a field (the foreign key) in the secondary table

reports depend on

a record source for their data; cannot enter new data into a report

parameter query

a type of select query that allows the user to provide the criteria

when a lookup field in one tale reference values in a field in another table

access will automatically create a one-to-many relationship between the tables for you; you can also manually create a relationship between two tables.

default value property

adds a preset value to the field: can save time during data entry

navigation pane

all the database objects are organized in the left side of the screen

Forms

allow users to input data through a friendly interface

lookup field

allows the user to select data from a list or items.; one type of lookup list presents values from a field in another table or a query

calculated control

an unbound text box control that contains an expression (a formula)

page header/footer section

appear at the top and bottom of every printed page in the report

report header/footer section

appear only at the very beginning and the very end of the report

filter

by applying this to a database object, you display a subset of records that meet the filter criteria

PDF (Portable Document Format)

can be read by anyone who had the Adobe Reader software installed

deleting records

cannot undo

split form

combines the convenience of a continuous Datasheet form with the usability of a single record form displaying one record at a time; both formats are displayed and work together in sync

criteria

conditions that the record must meet in order to be included in the query results

primary key field

contains data unique to that record; often IDs; basis for relationships between tables

backing up database

creating a copy and preserve the data at a certain point

reports

display database information for printing or viewing on-screen; do not allow data entry; the are read-only

Field Properties Pane

displays detail about the selected field

Format Field Property

does not affect the data stored in the table; only controls the way the data are displayed to the end user

referential integrity

ensures that related database records remain accurate

queries

extract data from a table or related tables; can perform actions on tables such as updating values or deleting data

input mask

forces users to enter data in a consistent format; only available from the design view field properties pane

form view

forms open which provides a user-friendly interface for entering data; if similar to a table, it will open ina special form datasheet view; cannot change the form layout or formatting from these view

look up field does not

need to reference data in another table or query, you can enter your own values to create a custom list; "i will type the values i want"

controls

needed when starting with a blank form

unbound control

not connected to field data directly

grouping

organizes the report into sections (groups) by the value of a specific field; makes a long report much easier to follow; allows you to add group-specific headers/footers where you can calculate totals for each group

datasheet form

reproduces the exact look and layout of the table datasheet as a form

Queries in datasheet view

show the record that matches the query criteria; doesnt allow you to modify fields

report view

shows a static view of the report; cannot change the layout or formatting of the report in this view

print preview

shows how the report will look when printed

landscape

sideways on the page; meant for columns

Attachment Fields

stores files as attachments to records: can be pictures, word docs. any type of data file except program files or files greater than 256 MG

datasheet view

tables open where you can enter, sort, and filter data; can also add new fields and modify some field properties

margins

the blank spaced at the top, bottom, left, and right of the printed page

find unmatched query wizard

to create a query that shows records from one table that have no corresponding records in another table

expression builder

used to build a formula

design view

used to modify the structure of the database object; you see only the structural elements of the object, not the data

find duplicated

useful for finding records that may have been entered more than once

report wizard

walks you step by step through the process of creating a report; allows you to combine fields from more than one table or query and gives you more layout and design option than using the basic report button

Rich Text Format (RTF)

when exporting Access data to word

stacked layout

where an unbound text control, called a label control, displays the name of the field to the left of a bound text box control displaying the field data

query grid

where you specify which fields to include in the query

tabular layout

which the data are arranged similar to a table with the label controls at the top of each column