Access 2003

Lesson 4: Database Tables

Page 1

Objectives

By the end of this lesson, learners should be able to:

• Understand datasheet basics

• Understand field properties
• Understand table relationships
• Understand the role of the primary key

Page 2

Datasheet basics

The core component of a database is a table. Data is defined and stored in a table.
Multiple tables -- each consisting of different types of data -- can be created in a
database.

Each row in the database is called a record. The entry for John Smith is called a record.
The entry for Martha Tompkins is also a record. Each row or record is made up of
columns or fields -- L.Name, F.Name, Phone, Address, City, State, Zip -- which contain a
particular piece of information.

L.Name F.Name Phone Address City State Zip

Smith John 919.555.6320 100 Paramount Parkway Morrisville NC 27560
Tompkins Martha 919.555.6427 97 Hummingbird Court Cary NC 27513
In a Contact Management database, a list of names -- those contacts to whom you have
sent resumes or have met through your personal network -- might be maintained in a
table, along with address, phone number, and other personal information.

Page 3

Field Properties

Every table contains a number of columns called fields or datatypes. Fields are unique
pieces of information that make up the information in a table. Tables usually contain
multiple fields.

In a previous example we mentioned that a table might consist of the fields: Last Name,
First Name, Phone, Address, City, State, and Zip. Each field has unique properties. Some
contain characters. Others contain numbers. These Field Properties are defined when the
table is created.

Page 4

Understanding Table Relationships

Databases can be simple -- consisting of a single table -- or made up of many different

tables. If you were to convert your resume into a database, for example, you might have a
table that contains your name and personal mailing address. We might call this the
Contact_Information table.
Your work experience is a different kind of information. Instead of identifying who you
are or where you live, it identifies the companies you worked for, their addresses, your
job title, and responsibilities. Because this set of information is independent from the
contact information, we might instead create a second table called the Work_Experience
table.

The same is true of your educational background. It has no direct bearing on your contact
information or the companies where you worked. A third table might be created called
the Education table to save this kind of data.

The database contains three tables, each independent of the other, and all containing
different types of information. The database needs a way to connect these three tables.

Page 5

Primary Keys

Every table in Microsoft Access must have at least one field that uniquely identifies each
record in the table. This field is known as a primary key. This primary key essentially
opens the door to the table and allows you to retrieve information from the table.

The primary key is the mechanism by which you relate different tables and combine
information for viewing (query) or printing (report).
Page 6

Challenge!

Let us pretend that you are going to start your own home business. You are going to need
to prepare a database for your business and the first step is to design a table that will
contain a list of all your contacts that may one day be your clients or suppliers.

Let us assume that a database table called Business Contacts contains all the fields listed
in the first column of the following chart. The chart also contains four other columns:

• Text, Numbers or Both -- should the field accept data entry input in the form of
text, numbers, or both?
• Field Size -- the number of spaces you think the field should have.
• Required Entry -- should the field be required entry (the record cannot be added to
the database without the information) or optional entry (a record can be added
without entry in the field)
• Allow Duplicates -- should the database allow duplicate entries for the field (e.g.,
can several people in the database share the same zip code)?

Practice designing fields by filling out the following table.

Text,
Required Allow
Numbers, or Field Size
Entry? Duplicates?
Both?
First Name
Last Name
Company
Company
Type
Address
City
State
Zip Code
Contact Id
Title
Work phone
Fax Number