Create an MS Access Database: 9 Simple Steps to a Productive Database

STEP 1: Define the purpose

Before trying to create an MS Access database, first decide what objective for the database it is. The software looks a lot like a vehicle. Cars transport people from one place to another. Trucks can carry few people and a lot of cargo. The database that you create must have a mission and objective. It can be to track jobs, log activity, record and monitor sales, or any of a myriad of purposes.

STEP 2: Define your workflow

Most of the people skip this step before trying to create an MS Access database. You will regret it if you do! You have work to do and you already have steps that you are probably taking now to get the job done. You are not yet using an access database to perform these tasks. Write these processes step by step. This is your work flow. The workflow usually begins with the arrival of some kind of information. That information should be entered into the database once it is built. What are you currently doing with that information? Do you use spreadsheets? Do you use paper? What steps are you taking once you receive that information? Do you process it? Are you addressing someone else for approval? Write down the workflow that you are currently using to process that information from start to finish. This is essential before creating your Access database.

STEP 3: Identify Forms and Reports

Then take that workflow and go through it step by step. Mark next to each step where you will need Enterokay gold information get it back information. That’s really all you can do with a computer: put information on or get information out of. Write down, next to each step, in your workflow the points where you need to:

  • For Enterokay Data Form)
  • For Modify Data Form)
  • For View data on screen (form)
  • For Print data in a report

STEP 4: Design forms and reports

After marking up your workflow with forms and reports, you then need to draw, on paper, how you want each form and report to look. This will become your database design. I suggest you use paper first. This is where it gets creative and using paper is quick and easy. On each form and report, you’ll want to type the names of the fields that you want to use or view. Draw the buttons you will need as well. Each form or report also needs a title. This will help you think about and figure out exactly what fields you need and where they should be located. Then review your reports and make sure you know where the data for that field or column is coming from.

STEP 5: Design your tables

Now you can design your tables. Based on each of your forms, you can see which tables you will need. Typically each form will have a table and that table will contain the fields of your form. Some of those fields may come from other tables, but most of it will usually come from a table.

  1. List the tables you will need and the fields for each one.
  2. Each table must have a unique “Primary Key” identifier for each record. For instance; If the table is full of drivers, a “Driver ID” key will be assigned to each driver record in the table. No two primary key fields in the database have the same name.

STEP 6: Discover your relationships

Relationships in Access are not designed, they are discovered based on your actual business practices. Look for one-to-many or parent-child relationships. And put a foreign key in each of the child tables. For example, if you have a state table and a county table, you know that each state has many counties. This is a relationship between parents and children. The state table must have a key field ID. Put this same field ID in your table of counties. Make sure it is the same field type, but not a key field. The county table must have its own key field.

STEP 7: Build your tables

After design your tables you can build up your tables. Microsoft included many tools to help you build your database components. I will not go into all the details in this article. However, it is more important that you build your tables before you build your forms.

  1. Create your tables
  2. Create your fields
  3. Set your field properties
  4. Establish your relationships

STEP 8: Create your forms

After building your tables, you build your forms. Follow the layout of the paper to know where your fields should be placed. You can use wizards or add them by hand. Make sure to build your tables first before you build your forms.

STEP 9: Create your reports

After creating your forms, enter some test data so that you can see what you are doing in your reports. Reporting is usually the last step.

conclusion

As you can see, the process goes in reverse when you build your database. If you don’t design from the top down and build from the bottom up, you will run into the problems that 95% of people have when trying to create an access database.

TEA RIGHT WAY TO CREATE A DATABASE MS ACCESS

  1. Design of Forms and Reports on paper
  2. Design tables on paper
  3. Build tables
  4. Create forms and reports

TEA INCORRECT WAY TO CREATE A DATABASE MS ACCESS

  1. Start creating forms on the go
  2. Try to build the tables to work with the forms.
  3. Change forms to fit tables
  4. Generate the reports
  5. Change tables to fit reports
  6. Change forms to fit tables
  7. Keep repeating the steps above until you are completely confused and frustrated!

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