Microsoft Access 2010 Tutorial - Learn At Your Own Pace

Explore what constitutes a database as an organized collection of data, and compare paper versus digital databases. Learn to design, store, and flexibly sort, group, and filter data in Access.

Explore the components that make up a Microsoft Access 2010 database, focusing on tables, fields, and records as the data foundation, with queries, forms, reports, and macros.

Access 2010 uses relational databases to connect parent and child tables with one-to-many relationships, preventing empty fields and speeding queries via numeric IDs.

Learn to create an Access 2010 database using built-in templates and wizards, exploring sales pipeline templates, and editing tables, forms, queries, and reports.

Design your database on paper first, then create a blank Access database without the wizard. Name it, choose a location, and save in the 2007/2010 .accdb format for compatibility.

Design and create a single table for an address book by outlining fields, choosing data types, and saving a named table in Access, while avoiding spaces in field names.

Learn to assign the correct data types to each Access table field, choosing text, memo, number, date/time, currency, and more to ensure valid data and reduce errors.

Learn to add a lookup field in Access using the lookup wizard, create a list of marital status options, and display them in a combo box for single selections.

Apply an input mask in Access 2010 to enforce correct date of birth entry, using the wizard, placeholders, and pattern rules to guide users and safeguard data.

Enforce accurate data entry in Access 2010 by adding a validation rule and validation text, e.g., ensuring date of birth is in the past using date().

Create calculated fields in Access 2010 to form a full name from first name and surname, and use a date entered field with today’s date to compute a rolling age.

Identify each record uniquely with the primary key, which may be a single field or multiple fields. Use an auto number contact id to assign unique values that are indexed.

Learn how to enter data into an Access 2010 table using data entry mode, auto assigned IDs, keyboard-driven navigation, and immediate save when you leave a record.

Learn how to sort a table in Access by any field, such as surname or date of birth, apply primary, secondary, and tertiary sorts, and remove sorting when needed.

Delete records from a table using multiple methods in Access. Delete options include the home ribbon, record selector, or right-clicking the row, with confirmation prompts.

Edit and update records in an Access 2010 table by navigating rows and editing full or partial fields. Commit changes when you leave the row, with optional undo before commit.

Learn to find, edit, and delete records in an Access 2010 table using find dialog. Use current field searches or whole field searches with starting-with options to locate records.

Discover how to use find and replace in Access to update field values, choosing current field or entire table, with optional case matching and replace all.

Learn to filter records in a Microsoft Access 2010 table using the lightning filter by selection, date filters after a date, and compound criteria to refine large data sets.

Queries in access are questions posed to data that pull only the latest matching fields and records from a table without storing the data.

Create a new query in design mode by selecting fields from the contacts table, place them in the bottom grid, save as simple contact list, and run.

Learn how editing data through an Access query affects the underlying table, including changing values and deleting records, while using the query as a filter.

Learn to change the design of a query in Access by opening design view, adding or removing fields, reordering columns, and saving updates.

Filter records in Access 2010 by adding a text criteria to the town field in a design query. Use quotes for text matches and save the query to reuse.

Filter a query on a numeric field to find records by number of children using greater than, less than, equals, and between criteria, displaying first name, surname, and children count.

Explore date filtering in Access queries through design view: set date criteria, use less than, greater than, and between, and troubleshoot with hash marks to ensure valid dates.

Learn how to filter boolean fields in Access by using the tick box representation, applying yes/no criteria (true/false or 1/0) in a query design to select flagged records.

Master wildcards in query criteria for Microsoft Access 2010, using asterisks and question marks. Apply like on text and date fields to match beginnings, endings, or middle text.

Filter for empty values in Access queries to locate records with missing data, such as emails, by applying criteria like 'no' or 'not' to retrieve those entries.

Learn to filter a single field for multiple values using or in Microsoft Access 2010, selecting people who are single or divorced in one query.

Sort query results by one or more fields, choosing ascending or descending orders, and control primary and secondary sort with left-to-right column order for accurate results.

Learn to evaluate calculations in Access queries by creating calculated fields, such as concatenating first and last names, and extracting birth month with the Month function.

Create a calculated field in an Access 2010 query to compute contact age from date of birth using date(), divide by 365.25, take integer part, and identify those over 60.

Produce totals using an Access query by performing vertical calculations with a totals query. Group by fields like marital status or region, count records, and compute averages, minimums, and maximums.

Use the query wizard in design view to find duplicate records by matching fields like first name and surname, view results, and save the query for repeated checks.

Compare column and tabular forms in the Access 2010 wizard to improve data entry; column shows one record, tabular displays multiple records with headers.

Learn to view and edit records through a form in Microsoft Access 2010, navigate records with form view, and understand how edits are committed when you leave the record.

Enter and manage new records in Microsoft Access 2010 by using forms linked to tables, navigating to new blank records, triggering drop-down lists, and enforcing required fields during data entry.

Use the find option to locate records in forms, such as Patel in the field or across a record. Adjust match criteria and navigate results to edit records.

Delete a record from a form by selecting it with the record selector and confirming; understand that the form is a window on the table and deletions remove the record.

Sort records in Access tables and forms by selecting a field and choosing ascending or descending order, such as surname or birth date, and remove sorts to restore the default.

Filter data directly in Access forms using quick filter options (equals, contains), toggle filters, and advanced filter by form to combine criteria like marital status, location, and number of children.

Enter design view to reorganize a form by moving controls, resizing fields, and separating labels from their data. Use layout view to preview data and save changes without altering data.

Learn practical form design techniques in Access 2010: align and distribute form controls, adjust vertical spacing with size and space, and align labels using multi-select and drag and drop methods.

Learn to adjust the tab order in Access forms by using the design tools, reordering fields, and applying auto order to ensure the first field is prioritized.

Add logos and images to Access forms by inserting an image in the form header, then browse, position, and size it for a consistent corporate appearance on all records.

Add the current date to an Access form by inserting a date and time control in the header or the footer, using the equals date function for today's date.

Learn to create calculated fields in Microsoft Access forms using date and concatenation functions, configure a text box as a calculated field, and lock or format it for non-editable display.

Create a basic report in Access 2010 using the wizard by selecting fields from the base table, arranging a tabular landscape layout, and previewing or printing the report.

Learn to create grouped reports in Microsoft Access 2010 using the report wizard, grouping by region, sorting by town, and calculating aggregate values like average age across regions.

Base a report on a query to filter data, then design and format a query-based report in Access 2010 with sorting, grouping, and totals.

Edit layout of a wizard generated report in design view, adjust the report header, page header, and detail fields, format text, and preview in print preview to fit pages.

Open the report, switch to page layout view, then use print preview to print by selecting pages, copies, and printer settings.

Learn to convert an Access report into a portable PDA by using print preview or export as a PDA, preserving page breaks, colors, and headings, then email the static snapshot.

Design a multi-table address book in access by defining fields, data types, and keys, then create and link tables like gender, marital status, and children to establish relationships.

Link tables in Access via the relationship manager by dragging fields to create one-to-many joins between matching data types, using primary keys and lookups for data integrity.

Learn to edit or remove a table relationship in Access using the relationships window, selecting the link, adjusting fields, deleting a relationship, or recreating it as needed.

Explore enforcing referential integrity in Access relationships to prevent orphan records, manage cascade updates and deletes, and protect data integrity across one-to-many joins.

Learn to view and edit data in a sub datasheet within Access, linking parent and child tables via primary and foreign keys, and manage related records.

Create multi-table queries in Microsoft Access 2010 by joining related tables in design view, displaying linked text values and calculated fields with inner join behavior.

Create a form based on a multi-table query in Access using the wizard or quick form, select fields from the query, view by gender, and save with sensible prefixes.

Generate a report from more than one table by creating a multi-table query with joins, then design and print preview a grouped, readable report.

Learn normalization as sensible design that ensures data integrity and fast queries by splitting fields into smallest meaningful parts, using primary keys and lookup tables linked by foreign keys.

Import data from Excel into Access with the external data ribbon, choosing import options, data types, and whether to import as a new table or link.

Import tables from another Access database using the external data ribbon and browse to the source. Importing specific objects like the employee or countries table streamlines database setup.

Learn how to import data into Access 2010 from a plain text file, using delimited formats like tab, and create a new table or append to an existing one.

Convert an Access 2010 database to an older format for compatibility, saving as 2002–2003 or 2000, and choose the appropriate version for each recipient.

Explore how drop-down lookups in Access pull text values from related tables, storing IDs while displaying readable labels for marital status and gender.

Learn how indexing sorts data to speed up retrieval in Access, using primary keys and indexed fields like gender and date of birth, while balancing input speed and query performance.

Learn how to use single-field and multi-field primary keys in Access 2010, forming a composite key with zip code and house number to prevent duplicate records.

Print the relationship diagram by using Access 2010's relationship reports, save snapshots of the current joins and fields, and print or export the diagram as a pdf.

Create and use multi-table queries in Microsoft Access 2010 to join related tables, view linked fields, and see inner join results with downstream data.

Learn to change the join type in Access queries—from inner to left outer join—using the join line and properties to include all contacts or only those with children.

Watch out for the Cartesian join when building Access queries; understand why unlinked tables multiply records, and how proper inner or left outer joins and table linking prevent this.

Learn how parameter queries turn one query into many by prompting for a town at runtime, using the Contacts table, wildcards, like, and between date ranges.

Learn to cross-tabulate data with a crosstab query in Access, using the wizard to set row headings like marital status and column headings like gender, and count results.