Electronic Database Management System (DBMS) – Microsoft

Access 2010

Prepared by: Teo Siew Faculty of Business, Finance, and Hospitality

Copyright© 2017 MAHSA UNIVERSITY

Content

• What is Microsoft Access

• Why use Access

• Limitations

• Basic background information

• Conclusion

MS Access

• Microsoft Program

• Part of the Microsoft Office suite

• Used to create relational database management system (RDMS) • consists of multiple tables, each storing specific information

• relates information from one table to another

• One-to-many relationships are the power behind a relational database

• Query the database to find information

• Enter information into forms

• Display results in reports

Why use RDMS

• Facilitate information sharing • data can be queried from multiple tables

joined and displayed in a subset of records

• Reduce data redundancy • the same data is not stored over and over again

• Keep data accurate • a change in data is made in one table but appears updated in all queries and

reports

Why use MS Access

• Easy to use • GUI, Looks good

• Stand-alone • Do not require any other program to run or use

• Lots of support • Help File, Message boards

• Relatively cheap • Comes with MS Office Suite

• Integration • Can be integrated with other MS Office applications

Limitations

• It’s a Microsoft product • Bugs galore

• Overly user- friendly • Tried too hard to predict what you what to do

• Not suited for large databases • Takes up lots of computer resources

• Expensive • Must buy from Microsoft. Not open source

• Complicated to use for connectivity to other types of databases

Basics of Access • The key window in Access is known as

the ‘database window’.

• Seven objects can be launched from this window: • Tables • Queries • Forms • Reports • Pages • Macros • Modules

• These objects, in turn, become their own windows.

Basics of Access

• The smallest piece of information in a database is called a field • customer name

• A group of related fields is called a record • customer name, address, phone number

• A table is a collection of records about a particular subject • customers

• A relational database consists of a set of related tables • Customers and Orders and Products

Basics of Access • Primary Key

• A field used to uniquely identify each record

• Every table in a database must have a primary key defined

• Composite Key • More than one field used in combination to uniquely identify each record

• Foreign Key • A field (in one table) that is related to a primary key in another table within the

same database.

Tables

Views

Table (Fields – design view)

Table (Fields – datasheet view)

Relationships

Relationship Chart

Basics of Access

• Queries • A subset of table information

• Similar to filter or find operation within table • searches for records according to specified criteria and displays these records

• Also like a sort operation • can change the order of records

• Differs from filter and sort in that a query can be run against several tables

Query

Basics of Access • Forms

• Used to easily view, enter, and change data directly in a table

• retrieves the data from one or more tables, and displays it on the screen

• also display pictures and other objects

• can contain a button that prints, opens other objects, or otherwise automates tasks

• Reports • Used to analyze your data or present it a certain way

Form

Form

Report

Report

Conclusion • Explained MS access

• Relational Database Management System

• Basics you need to know • Keys, Tables, Queries, Forms, Reports

Questions