Database step by step: By Will Nichols 1. Design: The First step in building a successful database is planning.

In this step you need to take a look at the data to be entered and what the intended uses of this data are. From here you can start to build a relational database (a database contain related data). -Determine what tables (a collection of fields that describe a person, place, object, event, or idea) you will be sorting your table into ex. customer and product tables. -Determine which data will make up your fields( a single characteristic about a person place, object, event, or idea) ex. Date, cost, name, etc. Also you need to determine what data type (determines what field values you can enter for the field) to use ex. If you want to use totals you would want to use the number data type, or for dates you might use the date/time data type.

2. Build: -Begin to layout your first table using the fields youve determined in the previous step. You will want to start with the field you want to use as your Primary key (the field that uniquely identifies each record in a table) ex. Generic ID incremented by one for each field added, customer number, phone number, etc. if you do not enter a value in this field you have given the field a null value which will prevent access from accepting and processing that record. You may also create a composite primary key (joins to unique fields together to identify each record). -Once all the fields are created for this table, you can begin to enter the records (rows that contain the field values for each field). You may also have data you would like to Import (bringing data from an outside source into you access database) ex. you may have data in a excel spreadsheet or another database that you want to use in your new database. When importing from a text file a delimited file is one in which fields of data are separated by a character such as a comma or tab. -Now that you have finished entering the data for your first table you can create a Form which provides a convenient way to view existing records, make changes, and add new records. Its best to use these for those purposes to avoid making accidental alterations to tables and losing data.

-Repeat the previous steps to create the next tables(s) in your database. Again you will choose a Primary key for the table in the additional table(s) you want to include a Foreign Key (field that contains primary key of another table used to cross-reference tables) these tables will be the Related tables in your Relational database.

3. Relationships, Queries, and Reports: -At this point you should have your tables ready to go, and now is the time to connect them using their relationships so you can sort/link data. Relationships are formed by selecting a table and linking its primary key to the same field (foreign key) in another table and then to the next as applicable. Referential Integrity (a set of rules Access enforces to maintain consistency) ensures that no records get left behind or have conflicting data. It may prevent attempts to make changes, add, or delete records. Selecting the Cascade Update Related Fields and Cascade Delete Related Records options will ensure that changes are reflected in all tables. -Now that your tables are built and linked through their relational fields you can generate a Query (used to search for data from multiple tables based on particular criteria) ex. to generate an email list of customers, or an email list of customers that spent above x dollars, to view the total of all contracts, etc. -Now that youve built your tables, created relationships, run your queries, and otherwise manipulated your data its time to show the world what youve done! This is the perfect time for Reports these will allow you to present the data from your various tables and queries in a more easily viewed manner, and set yourself up to wow important clients, bosses, and the odd onlooker! 4. Backup, compacting and repairing, and saving: -Backups are important to have and maintain for your database(s), theres no telling when they will come under attack from malicious mis-keying, inexplicable data vanishment, and other words I might be prone to make up! So back up your data, do it! This could well save you a lot of time spent reworking your entire database. -Compacting and Repairing a Database compacting rearranges the data and objects in a database to decrease its file size keeping disk space clear for other things and letting you open and close the database more quickly; repairing helps prevent your database from experiencing unpredictable behavior that may be cause by damaged areas. -Save your work, back it up, be careful not to make accidental and irreversible changes to your tables/database.