Access 2007: The Missing Manual: The Missing Manual

by Matthew MacDonald

Overview

Compared to industrial-strength database products such as Microsoft's SQL Server, Access is a breeze to use. It runs on PCs rather than servers and is ideal for small- to mid-sized businesses and households. But Access is still intimidating to learn. It doesn't help that each new version crammed in yet another set of features; so many, in fact, that even the pros don't know where to find them all. Access 2007 breaks this pattern with some of the most dramatic changes users have seen since Office 95. Most obvious is the thoroughly redesigned user interface, with its tabbed toolbar (or "Ribbon") that makes features easy to locate and use. The features list also includes several long-awaited changes. One thing that hasn't improved is Microsoft's documentation. To learn the ins and outs of all the features in Access 2007, Microsoft merely offers online help.

Access 2007: The Missing Manual was written from the ground up for this redesigned application. You will learn how to design complete databases, maintain them, search for valuable nuggets of information, and build attractive forms for quick-and-easy data entry. You'll even delve into the black art of Access programming (including macros and Visual Basic), and pick up valuable tricks and techniques to automate common tasks -- even if you've never touched a line of code before. You will also learn all about the new prebuilt databases you can customize to fit your needs, and how the new complex data feature will simplify your life. With plenty of downloadable examples, this objective and witty book will turn an Access neophyte into a true master.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780596554545
Publisher:	O'Reilly Media, Incorporated
Publication date:	12/29/2006
Series:	Missing Manual Series
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	754
File size:	27 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.

About the Author

Matthew MacDonald is a science and technology writer with well over a dozen books to his name. Web novices can tiptoe out onto the Internet with him in Creating a Website: The Missing Manual. HTML fans can learn about the cutting edge of web design in HTML5: The Missing Manual. And human beings of all description can discover just how strange they really are in the quirky handbooks Your Brain: The Missing Manual and Your Body: The Missing Manual.

Table of Contents

The Missing Credits; About the Author; About the Creative Team; Acknowledgements; The Missing Manual Series; Introduction; What You Can Do with Access; The New Face of Access 2007; The New Features in Access 2007; About This Book; Part I: Storing Information in Tables; Chapter 1: Creating Your First Database; 1.1 Understanding Access Databases; 1.2 Getting Started; 1.3 Saving and Opening Access Databases; 1.4 The Navigation Pane; Chapter 2: Building Smarter Tables; 2.1 Understanding Data Types; 2.2 Design View; 2.3 Access Data Types; 2.4 The Primary Key; 2.5 Six Principles of Database Design; Chapter 3: Mastering the Datasheet: Sorting, Searching, Filtering, and More; 3.1 Datasheet Customization; 3.2 Datasheet Navigation; 3.3 Advanced Editing; 3.4 Printing the Datasheet; Chapter 4: Blocking Bad Data; 4.1 Data Integrity Basics; 4.2 Input Masks; 4.3 Validation Rules; 4.4 Lookups; Chapter 5: Linking Tables with Relationships; 5.1 Relationship Basics; 5.2 Using a Relationship; 5.3 More Exotic Relationships; 5.4 Relationship Practice; Part II: Manipulating Data with Queries; Chapter 6: Queries That Select Records; 6.1 Query Basics; 6.2 Creating Queries; 6.3 Queries and Related Tables; Chapter 7: Essential Query Tricks; 7.1 Calculated Fields; 7.2 Query Functions; 7.3 Summarizing Data; 7.4 Query Parameters; Chapter 8: Queries That Update Records; 8.1 Understanding Action Queries; 8.2 Update Queries; 8.3 Append Queries; 8.4 Delete Queries; 8.5 Tutorial: Flagging Out-of-Stock Orders; Chapter 9: Analyzing Data with Crosstab Queries and Pivot Tables; 9.1 Understanding Crosstab Queries; 9.2 Creating Crosstab Queries; 9.3 Pivot Tables; 9.4 Pivot Charts; Part III: Printing Reports; Chapter 10: Creating Reports; 10.1 Report Basics; 10.2 Printing, Previewing, and Exporting a Report; 10.3 Formatting a Report; 10.4 Filtering and Sorting a Report; Chapter 11: Designing Advanced Reports; 11.1 Improving Reports in Design View; 11.2 The Report Wizard; 11.3 The Label Wizard; 11.4 Fine-Tuning Reports with Properties; 11.5 Expressions; 11.6 Grouping; Part IV: Building a User Interface with Forms; Chapter 12: Creating Simple Forms; 12.1 Form Basics; 12.2 Sorting and Filtering in a Form; 12.3 Creating Better Layouts; 12.4 The Form Wizard; Chapter 13: Designing Advanced Forms; 13.1 Customizing Forms in Design View; 13.2 Taking Control of Controls; 13.3 Forms and Linked Tables; Chapter 14: Building a Navigation System; 14.1 Mastering the Navigation Pane; 14.2 Building Forms with Navigation Smarts; 14.3 Linking to Related Data; Part V: Programming Access; Chapter 15: Automating Tasks with Macros; 15.1 Macro Essentials; 15.2 Macros and Security; 15.3 Three Macro Recipes; 15.4 Managing Macros; 15.5 Connecting Macros to Forms; 15.6 Conditional Macros; Chapter 16: Automating Tasks with Visual Basic; 16.1 The Visual Basic Editor; 16.2 Putting Code in a Form; 16.3 Understanding Objects; 16.4 Using Objects; Chapter 17: Writing Smarter Code; 17.1 Exploring the VB Language; 17.2 Dealing with Trouble; 17.3 Deeper into Objects; 17.4 Using VB to Run a Better Business; Part VI: Sharing Access with the Rest of the World; Chapter 18: Sharing a Database with Multiple Users; 18.1 Opening Up Your Database to the World; 18.2 Preparing Your Database; 18.3 Playing Well with Others; 18.4 Data Corruption; 18.5 Securing Your Database; Chapter 19: Importing and Exporting Data; 19.1 Case for Importing and Exporting; 19.2 Using the Clipboard; 19.3 Import and Export Operations; 19.4 Access and XML; 19.5 Collecting Info by Email; Chapter 20: Connecting Access to SQL Server; 20.1 Should You Switch to SQL Server?; 20.2 Getting Started: SQL Server 2005 Express; 20.3 Creating a SQL Server Database; 20.4 Adding Objects to a SQL Server Database; Chapter 21: Connecting Access to SharePoint; 21.1 Understanding SharePoint; 21.2 Setting Up SharePoint; 21.3 SharePoint and Access; Part VII: Appendix; Appendix A: Customizing the Quick Access Toolbar; A.1 The Quick Access Toolbar; Colophon;