CHAPTER

1
Getting started to use Microsoft
Access 2013

INTRODUCTION TO
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relevant photo
around this box]
DATABASE TOOLS
Subtopics:-
1.1 Database Window
1.2 Objects of Database
1.3 Creating Objects in Design View
1.4 Creating Objects by Using Wizard
1.5 Exit Access and Getting Help

1.1. Database Window

The use of Microsoft Access is introduced here in several steps. First of all, it is the way to start the
Microsoft Access and to create a database. Secondly, the commonly used objects of database, which
include tables, queries, forms and reports, are created using the Design View or by Using Wizard in
Microsoft Access. The creation approaches are detailed in a step by step manner.

Before proceeding to other chapters that describe much, much more on the use of Microsoft Access for
designing databases, here in this chapter will also describe the Help mechanism of Microsoft Access that
may become handy to anyone who uses it.

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Microsoft Access is a powerful database program that enables you to organize and manipulate data, perform
selection queries, develop reports and converts file for use on the Web.

To start the Microsoft Access 2013

1. From the Start screen (Windows 8) or the Start menu (Windows 7) displayed when you click at the
left end of the Windows Taskbar.
2. When you start Access without opening a database, the program’s starting screen appears.
3. From this screen, you can create a new database or open an existing one.
4. Either way, the database is displayed in a program window that contains all the tools you need to
create database objects and enter and manipulate data.

The Access 2013 interface is designed to closely reflect the way people generally work with a database

Figure 2-2 Database Window

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Identifying program window elements

The program window contains the following elements:

 Title bar

This bar across the top of the program window displays the name of the active database and by default
display the path to the folder where it is stored. It also provides tools for managing the program and the
program window.

You can use the tools on the title bar to move and size the window, undo or redo changes, save the database,
and get help with the program.

At the left end of the title bar is the program icon, which you click to display commands to restore, move,
size, minimize, maximize, and close the program window. To the right of the Access icon is the Quick
Access Toolbar. By default, the Quick Access Toolbar displays the Save, Undo, and Redo buttons, but you
can customize it to display any command you want.

TIP: You might find that you work more efficiently if you organize the commands you use frequently
on the Quick Access Toolbar and then display it below the ribbon, directly above the workspace.

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At the right end of the title bar are four buttons: a Help button that opens the Access Help window, in which
you can use standard techniques to find information; and the familiar Minimize, Maximize/Restore Down,
and Close buttons.

 Ribbon

Below the title bar, all the commands for working with an Access database are represented as buttons in this
central location so that you can work efficiently with the program.

TIP: If your ribbon appears as a row of tabs across the top of the workspace, click the Home tab to
temporarily display that tab’s buttons so that you can follow along. We tell you how to control the display of
the ribbon in a minute. Don’t be alarmed if your ribbon looks different from those shown in our screens. You
might have installed programs that add their own tabs to the ribbon, or your screen settings might be
different.

Across the top of the ribbon is a set of tabs. Clicking a tab displays its associated set of commands.

Commands related to managing Access and Access databases (rather than their content) are gathered
together in the Backstage view, which you display by clicking the colored File tab located at the left end of
the ribbon. Commands available in the Backstage view are organized on pages, which you display by
clicking the page tabs in the colored left pane. You redisplay the database and the ribbon by clicking the
Back arrow located above the page tabs.

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Commands related to working with database content are represented as buttons on the remaining tabs of the
ribbon. When an object is selected in a database, one or more tool tabs might appear at the right end of the
ribbon to make commands related to that specific object easily accessible. Tool tabs disappear again when
their associated object is no longer active or when the current view does not support their use.

TIP: Some older commands no longer appear as buttons on the ribbon but are still available in the
program. You can make these commands available by adding them to the Quick Access Toolbar.

On each tab, buttons representing commands are organized into named groups. You can point to any button
to display a ScreenTip with the command name and its keyboard shortcut (if it has one).

Some buttons include an integrated or separate arrow. If a button and its arrow are integrated, clicking the
button displays options for refining the action of the button. If the button and its arrow are separate, clicking
the button carries out the default action indicated by the button’s current icon. You can change the default
action by clicking the arrow and then clicking the action you want.

Related but less common commands are not represented as buttons in a group. Instead, they’re available in a
dialog box or pane, which you display by clicking the dialog box launcher located in the lower-right corner
of the group.

To the right of the ribbon group names is the Collapse The Ribbon button. Clicking this button hides the
groups of commands but leaves the tab names visible. You can then click any tab name to temporarily
display its commands. Clicking anywhere other than the ribbon hides the commands again. When the full
ribbon is temporarily visible, you can click the Pin The Ribbon button (the pushpin) to the right of the group
names to make the display permanent.

 Navigation pane

On the left side of the program window, the Navigation pane displays lists of database objects. By default, it
displays all the objects in the database by type of object, but you can filter the list by clicking the pane’s title
bar and then clicking the category or group of objects you want to display. You can collapse and expand the
groups in the list by clicking the chevrons in the section bars. If the Navigation pane is in your way, you can
click the Shutter Bar Open/Close button in its upper-right corner to minimize it. To redisplay the Navigation
pane, click the Shutter Bar Open/Close button again. You can drag the right border of the pane to the left or
right to make it wider or narrower.

KEYBOARD SHORTCUT Press F11 to display or hide the Navigation pane.

 Status bar

Across the bottom of the program window, this bar displays information about the current database and
provides access to certain program functions. At the right end of the bar is the View Shortcuts toolbar, which
provides convenient buttons for switching the view of the active database object.

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The goal of all these user interface features is to make working in a database as intuitive as possible.
Commands for tasks you perform often are readily available, and even those you might use infrequently are
easy to find.

1.2 Creating Database

A database can be created in Microsoft Access for a database application. This database can then holds many
tables and other objects as required for the application.

To create a new database:

1. Click on the “File” menu

2. Click on “New”
3. Select “Blank Desktop Database”

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 Figure 2-3 Creating new blank database

4. New window will appear and set the name of the new database to create
5. Enter a custom name for the new database
6. Click on “create” to open the database

Figure2-4 File new database Dialog Box

1.3 Objects of Database

There are five database objects in Create Ribbon: Tables, Queries, Forms, Reports, Macros & Code.

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 Figure 2-5 Database Object

The basic database objects consist of tables, forms, queries and reports. Their functions are described as
follows:

a) Tables

• It stores information about specific topic, for example Student Record.

• Every table consists of field and record.

• We can have more than one table in one database.

Figure 2-6 Table

b) Form

• It displays information from database in an attractive way.

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• It prepares a fast and efficient way to view, enter or edit data in a database.

• Types of form commonly in use to display or enter data, is tabular, columnar and datasheet. But there are
also Justified, Pivot Table and Pivot Chart which rarely used.

Figure 2-7 Types of Forms

c) Queries

Queries allow you to search information from the database according to your requirements.

Example: You can create query to list all book that published by McGraw Hill.

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 Figure 2-8 Queries

d) Reports

• Reports are documents that summarize data in the database. • You can make calculation on report to help
you analyze that data.

Figure 2-9 Reports

Creating Objects

The four basic objects, which are tables, queries, forms and report, will be created at the Design View.

Creating Table

To create tables:

1. In Microsoft Access 2013, when start the application, the first table will be created named Table1
2. To click new table in Design View, Click on the “Create” Ribbon
3. Click “Table Design” to create table in Design View (as shown in Figure2-10)

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 Click here

Click “Table
Design” to create
table

Figure 2-10 Table in Design View

4. Design view allows you to change the structure of a table. Below are three basic features of a table.

Field Name
A field name identifies the information within a field.

Data Type
Determine the type of information you can enter in a field, such as text numbers or dates.

Field Properties
A set of characteristic that provides additional control over the information you can enter in a field.
Example: You can specify the maximum number of characters a field will accept.

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 Click here

Click “Table”
to create
new table

Figure 2-11 Create new table

5. You also can create a new Table by click “Create” Ribbon

6. Click “Table”
7. The new Table will appear (as shown in Figure 2-11)

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Creating Query

To create query in Design View

1. Click on the “Create” ribbon

2. Click “Query Design”

Click “Query
Design” to create
Query

Figure 2-12 Create query

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 Figure 2-12 Choose table or queries

For query creation in Design View, what have been done above are just the initial steps. However, Chapter 5
will continue on the query creation in Design View with steps to nature until the query is completely created.

Creating Form

To create form:

1. Click on the “Create” ribbon

2. Click “Form Design” to create new form (as shown in Figure 2-13)

Click here

Click “Form
Design” to create
Form

Figure 2-13 Create form

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 Design form in
“Design” ribbon

Figure 2-14 Form design

3. The form will appear (as shown in Figure 2-14)

4. The form will allow you to design with the form design tools at the “Design” ribbon.

For form creation, what have been done above are just the initial steps for creating form. However,
Chapter 7 will continue on the form creation in Design View with steps to nature until the form is
completely created.

Creating Report

To create Report:

1. Click on the “Create” ribbon

2. Click “Report Design” to create new form (as shown in Figure 2-13)

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 Click here

Click “Report
Design” to create
Report

Figure 2-15 Create Report

Figure 2-16 Report Design view

3. The report design view will appear (as shown in Figure 2-15)

For report creation, what have been done above are just the initial steps for creating a report.
However, Chapter 8 will continue on the report creation in Design View with steps to nature until the
report is completely created.

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1.4 Creating Objects by Using Wizard

The basic objects, which are tables, queries, forms and report, will be created here by using wizard.

Creating Queries by Using Wizard

To create queries by Using Wizard:

1. Click on the “Create” ribbon

2. Select and click “Query Wizard” (as shown in Figure 2-17)

Click here

Click “Query
Wizard” to create
Query

Figure 2-17 Create query by using wizard

Figure 2-18 Simple Query Wizard

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 3. The Simple Query Wizard will appear (as shown in Figure 2-18)
4. Choose a Table
5. Choose the available fields to construct your query.

For query creation by Using Wizard, what have been done above are just the initial steps. However, Chapter 5 will
continue on query creation by Using Wizard with steps to nature until the query is completely created.

Creating Form by Using Wizard

To create forms by Using Wizard:

1. Click on the “Create” ribbon

2. Select and click “Form Wizard” (as shown in Figure 2-19)

Click here

Click “Report
Design” to create
Form

Figure 2-19 Create Form using wizard

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 Figure 2-20 Field to be inserted in the form

3. The “Form Wizard” will appear (as shown in Figure 2-20)

4. Choose tables/queries for creating the form.
5. Choose the fields for the form.

For form creation by Using Wizard, what have been done above are just the initial steps for creating form. However,
Chapter 7 will continue on form creation by using wizard with steps to nature until the form is completely created.

Creating Report by Using Wizard

To create reports by Using Wizard:

1. Click on the “Create” ribbon

2. Select and click “Report Wizard”
3. The Report Wizard will appear (as shown in Figure 2-21)

Click here Click here

Figure 2-21 Report Wizard

4. Choose tables/queries for creating the report.

5. Choose the available fields for the report.

For report creation by Using Wizard, what have been done above are just the initial steps for creating report by
Using Wizard. However, Chapter 8 will continue on form creation with steps to nature until the report is completely
created.

1.5 Exit Microsoft Access and Getting Help

Exit Access

To exit Microsoft Access:

1. Click on File (as shown in Figure 2-22)

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 2. Click in Close to close the database file in Microsoft Access (as shown in Figure 2-23)

3. Click the Exit button on top right of the Microsoft Access windows to EXIT (as shown in Figure 2-23)

Click here

Figure 2-22 Exit Microsoft Access

Click here

Click here

Figure 2-23 Close database file and Exit Microsoft Access

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 Getting Help

Using the Microsoft Access Help

There are 2 ways to open the Microsoft Access Help task pane:

1. Press F1.
2. Click on the Help toolbar button (as shown on Figure 2-24)

Click “?” button for

Help function

Figure 2-24 Help function

Type a keyword or
phrase here

Figure 2-25 Search Online help

Using the Search Online Help

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 • Simply type a key word or phrase in Search Online help box.

• Press ENTER and the Search Result task pane displays list of relevant topics.

• Scroll down the list and click on that matches your question.

Figure 2-2 Top Categories

Using the Top Categories Help

• The Top Categories Help displays a lists of topics for you in Microsoft Access.

• Click on the title to expand the topics into individual Help articles.

• Scroll down the list and click on that matches your search categories.

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