Keeping Your Information Accurate

To set the data type for a field

  1. With the table in Design view, click the Data Type cell next to the desired field.

  2. Click the Data Type arrow, and then in the list, click the data type you want.

To view the properties of a field

  • With the table in Design view, click the field name to display its properties in the Field Properties area.

To set the Field Size property for text, number, and autonumber fields

  • With the table in Design view, click any cell in a field, and then in the Field Properties area, change the Field Size property to what you want.

To use the Input Mask wizard

  1. With the table in Design view, select a field, and then click Input Mask in the Field Properties area.

  2. Click the ellipsis button to the right of the cell to start the Input Mask wizard. (Click Yes if Access prompts you to install this feature.)

  3. Select an available mask in the Input Mask list, and then click Next.

  4. In the Input Mask and Placeholder character boxes, make any changes you want, and then click Next.

  5. Choose whether to store the data with the symbols, and then click Finish.

  6. Press to accept the mask. Then save your changes.

To set a field validation rule

  1. With the table in Design view, select a field, and then click in the Validation Rule box in the Field Properties area.

  2. Type an expression in the Validation Rule box, or click the ellipsis button to use the Expression Builder.

  3. Press . Then save the table.

To test the validation rules in a table

  • Open the table in Design view. Then right-click its title bar, and click Test Validation Rules.

To select an entire field

  • Move the pointer to the left end of a field, and when the pointer changes to a thick cross, click the field.

To set a table validation rule

  1. Right-click in the table window, and then click Properties.

  2. Click in the Validation Rule box, type the information for the rule, press , and then save the table.

To create a lookup list with the Lookup wizard

  1. Set the data type of a field to Lookup Wizard.

  2. Select the options you want, and then click Next.

  3. Continue selecting the options you want, clicking Next when you are done with each page. When you are done filling out the wizard, click Finish.

  4. On the Quick Access Toolbar, click the Save button.

To restrict what can be entered in a lookup list

  1. In Design view, in the Field Properties area, click the Lookup tab.

  2. Change Limit To List to Yes.

  3. Change Allow Value List Edits to No.

  4. Save the table.

To create a multi-column lookup list

  1. Add a new field, name it, and then set the data type to Lookup Wizard.

  2. Select the values option you want, and then click Next.

  3. Type the number of columns you want, and then enter the data you want in each column.

  4. Click Next, and then click Finish.

  5. Save your changes.

To prevent a column from being displayed in a multi-column lookup list

  • In Design view, on the Lookup tab, in the Column Widths box, change the width for the column you don’t want displayed to 0. Then save your changes.

To filter selections in a multi-column lookup list

  1. Right-click any cell in a column you want to filter, point to Text Filters, and then click the filter option you want.

  2. In the Custom Filter box, type criterion you want to filter for, and then press .

To create a select query

  1. You must first create a select query. On the Create tab, in the Other group, click the Query Design button.

  2. In the New Query dialog box, with Simple Query Wizard selected, click OK.

  3. In the Tables/Queries list, click the option you want. Then in the Available Fields list, double-click the fields you want to move to the Selected Fields list.

  4. In the Simple Query Wizard dialog box, click Finish to create the select query.

To create an update query

  1. First, create a select query that selects the records you want to update.

  2. Open the select query in Design view. Then on the Design contextual tab, in the Query Type group, click the Update button.

  3. In the design grid, type the expression for your update.

To create an action query

  1. First, create a select query that selects the records you want to manipulate.

  2. Open the select query in Design view. Then on the Design contextual tab, in the Query Type group, click the Make Table, Append, Update, or Delete button.

  3. Provide the information requested for the specified query type.

To create a delete query

  1. First, create a select query that selects the records you want to delete.

  2. Open the select query in Design view. Then on the Design contextual tab, in the Query Type group, click the Delete button to convert this select query to a delete query.

  3. In the design grid, set the delete criteria.

To back up a database

  1. Click the Microsoft Office Button, point to Manage, and then click Back Up Database.

  2. In the Save As dialog box, navigate to the folder in which you want to store the backup, and then click Save.

To compact a database

  • Click the Microsoft Office Button, point to Manage, and then click Compact and Repair Database. Acknowledge the safety warning if prompted to do so.

To analyze the performance of a database

  1. On the Database Tools tab, in the Analyze group, click the Analyze Performance button.

  2. In the Performance Analyzer dialog box, on the All Object Types tab, click Select All, and then click OK.

  3. Click each result in the Analysis Results box to display more information about that result in the Analysis Notes area.

To document a database

  1. On the Database Tools tab, in the Analyze group, click the Database Documenter button.

  2. In the Documenter dialog box, select the options you want on each tab. Then click OK to start the documentation process.

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