MICROSOFT ACCESS TUTORIAL Microsoft Access is a relational database package that runs on the Microsoft Windows operating system, This tutorial was prepared using Access 2007. Before using this tutorial, you should be familiar with the fundamentals of Microsoft Access and know how to use Windows. This tutorial teaches you some of the advanced Access skills you'll need to do database oase studies, The tutorial concludes with a discussion of common Access problems and explains how to solve them. A preliminary word of caution: always observe proper file-saving and closing procedures. Use these steps (o exit Access: (1) Office Button—Close Database, then (2) X-Bxit Access Button, Or you may simply click the Exit Access Bution, which gets you back to Windows. Always end your work with those file-closing steps. Do ot remove your disk, CD, or other portable storage device such as a USB flash drive when database forms, tables, ete., appear on the screen; you will lose your work ‘To begin this tutorial, you will create a new database called Employee. faa] AT THE KEYBOARD Open a new database. On the Getting Started with Microsoft Office Access page, under the heading New Blank Database, click Blank Database. Call the database Employee. Click the file folder next to the filename to browse for the desired folder. Otherwise, your file will be saved automaticall Your opening sereen should resemble the awe kd ew ral in My Documents, shown in Figure Bet FIGURE B-1 Entering data in the Datasheet view When you create a table, Access opens the table in the Datasheet view by default. Because you will be using the Design View to build your tables, close the new table by clicking the x in the upper-right corner of the table window that corresponds to Close Table |, You are now on the Home tab in the Database window of Access, as shown in Figure B-2, From this screen, you can create or change objects, [ea a Bee 7 Sapo sae oe ce FIGURE B-2 The Database window Home tab in Access. CREATING TABLES Your database will contain data about employees, their wage rates, and the hours they worked. Defining Tables In the Database window, build three new tables using the instructions that followPARES EeE (1) Define a table called EMPLOYEE, ‘This table contains permanent data about employees. To create it, choose the Greate tab and in the Tables group, click Table design. The table's fields are Last Name, First Name, SSN (Social Security Number), Street ‘Address, City, State, Zip, Date Hired, and US Citizen. The field SSN is the primary key field, Change the length of text fields from the default 255 spaces to more appropriate lengths; for example, the field Last Name might be 30 spaces and the Zip field might be 10 spaces. Your completed definition should resemble the one shown in Figure B3. Ir ssn Tet 7 “sree rest Ter. ct Test lied Dsteftine usctnen yeshvo FIGURE B-3 Fields in the EMPLOYEE table When you're finished, choose Office Button—Save; then enter the name desired for the table (here, EMPLOYEE). Make sure you specify the name of the table, not the database itself. (Here, itis a coincidence that the EMPLOYEE table has the same name as its database file.) Close the table by clicking the x-Close corre- sponding to the table EMPLOYEE, (2) Define a table called WAGE DATA, ‘This table contains permanent data about employees and their wage rates. The table’s fields are SSN, Wage Rate, and Salaried. The field SSN is the primary key field. Use che data types shown in Figure B-4. Your defi- nition should resemble the one shown in Figure B-4 DaeTpe este FIGURE B-4 Folds in the WAGE DATA table Use Office Button—Save to save the table definition. Name the table WAGE DATA. (3) Define a table called HOURS WORKED. ‘The purpose of this table is to record the number of hours employees work each week during the year. The table’s fields are SSN (text), Week # (number—long integer), and Hours (number—double). The SSN and Week # are the compound keys. In the following example, the employee with SSN 089-65-9000 worked 40 hours in Week 1 of the year and 52 hours in Week 2. SSN Week #Hours 089-65-9000 1 40 989-65-9000 2 52 Note that no single field ean be the primary Key field. Why? The reason is that 089-65-9000 is an entry for each week. In other words, if this employee works each week of the year, at the end of the year, $2 records Microsoft Access TutorialWI have the SSN value, Thus, SSN values will not distinguish records. In addition, no other single field can dis- tinguish these records either, because other employees will have worked during the same Week number and some employees will have worked the same number of hours. For example, 40 hours—corresponding to a full- time workwweek—would be a common entry for many weeks, However, that presents a problem because in Access, a table must have a primary key field, What is the solution? Use a compound primary key; that is, use values from more than one field to create a combined field that will distinguish records, The best compound key to use for the current example consists of the field SSN and the Week # ficld. Why? Because as each person works each week, the week passes. That means, for example, that there is only one combination of SSN 089-65-9000 and Week # 1. Because those values can occur in only one record, the combination distinguishes that record from all others. How do you set a compound key? The first step is to highlight the fields in the key. Those fields must appear one after the other in the table definition screen. (Plan ahead for that format.) As an alternative, you can high light one field, hold down the Control key, and highlight the next field. (Nmiraacnaye Gd For the HOURS WORKED table, click the first field’s left prefix area (known as the row selector), hold down the button, and drag down to highlight names of all fields in the compound primary key. Your sereen should resemble the one shown in Figure B-5. FIGURE B-5 Selecting fields for the compound primary key for the HOURS WORKED table Now click the Key icon. Your soreen should resemble the one shown in Figure B-6, Deseo, [ssn Text FIGURE B-6 The compound primary key for the HOURS WORKED table That completes the creation of the compound primary key and the table definition. Use Office Button—Save to save the table as HOURS WORKED, Adding Records to a Table At this point, you have set up the skeletons of three tables. The tables have no data records yet. If you were to print the tables, all you would see would be column headings (the field names), The most direet way to enter data into a table is to double-click the table's name in the Navigation Pane along the left side of the sereen and type the data directly into the cells. (Note: Access 2007 uses Navigation Pane to display and open the data- base objects. The Navigation Pane is on the left side of the Access window.) HEEL On the Database window's Home tab, double-click the EMPLOYEE table. Your data entry screen should resemble the one shown in Figure B-7. ‘The EMPLOYEE table has many fields, some of which may be off the sereen to the right. Scroll to see obscured fields. (Serolling happens automatically as data is entered.) Figure B-7 shows all of the fields on the Tutorial BDate ifes =| UScuzen FIGURE B-7 The data entry screen for the EMPLOYEE table ‘Type in your data one field value at a time. Note that the first row is empty when you begin. Bach time ‘you finish a value, press Enter; the cursor will move to the next cell. After data has been entered in the last cell in a row, the cursor moves to the first cell of the next row and Access automatically saves the record. (Thus, there is no need to perform the Office Button—Save step alter entering data into a table.) ‘When entering data in your table, note that dates (for example, in the Date Hired field) should be entered 4 follows: 6/15/07, Access automatically expands the entry to the proper format in output. ‘Also note that YesNo variables are clicked (checked) for Yes; otherwise, the box is left blank for No. You cean change the box from Yes to No by clicking it, as if you were using a toggle switch, If you make errors in data entry, click the cell, backspace over the error, and type the correction, Enter the data shown in Figure B-8 into the EMPLOYEE table. | Swestaastes =| ly junmA zsayor——Glsgow OF uaass7esaneimst Newark OF sm gins, EL ussp.e etourest ses OE sm masnse nein specest_— Newark DE wns ansizes__— yuan? sere Batam MD ou, snshess, oa are Shen MO as a a FIGURE B-8 Data for the EMPLOYEE table Note that the sixth record is your data record. Assume that you live in Blkton, Maryland, were hired on today’s date (enter the date), and are a U.S. citizen. Make up a fictitious Social Security number. (For pur- poses of this tutorial, this sixth record, as you'll discover as you continue reading, has been created using the name of one of this text's authors and the SSN 099-11-3344.) ‘After adding records to the EMPLOYEE table, open the WAGE DATA table and enter the data shown in Figure B-9. = Fae vow Set | fuss2m9 sino |as-a.c788 eas0-1256 | Stato [open | assoser eeSSH $800 cose FIGURE B-9 _Dala for the WAGE DATA table In this table, you are again asked to create a new entry. For this record, enter your own SSN. Also assume that you earn $8 an hour and are not salaried. (Note that when an employee's Salaried box is not checked (i.e., Salaried = No), the implication is that the employee is paid by the hour. Because employees who are sala- ried do not get paid by the hour, their hourly rate is shown as 0.00.) Once you have finished creating the WAGE DATA table, open the HOURS WORKED table and enter the data shown in Figure B-10. Notice that salaried employees are always given 40 hours. Nonsalaried employees (including you) might work any number of hours. For your record, enter your fictitious SSN, 60 hours worked for Week 1, and 55 hours worked for Week 2. Microsoft Access Tutorialask [Hows ean A “| [i hissons 2 ‘asso ae 1 34 soni 2 9 “asain 2 rs fuesoam7 i ee prea 3 a FIGURE B-10 Data for the HOURS WORKED table CREATING QUERIES Because you know how to create basic queries, this section teaches you the kinds of advanced queries you will create in the Case Studies, Using Calculated Fields in Queries A calculated field is an output field made up of other field values. A calculated field Is not a field in a table; it is created in the query generator. The calculated field does not become part of the table—itis just part of query output. The best way to understand this process is to work through an example. HERES Suppose you want to see the SSNs and wage rates of hourly workers and you want to see what the wage rates, would be if all employees were given a 10 percent raise. To view that information, show the SSN, the cur- rent wage rate, and the higher rate (which should be titled New Rate in the output). Figure B-11 shows how to set up the query. Wage Data |” vaserate = ibe nna age Os | oe BOO oo a a | FIGURE B-11 Query setup for the calculated field Tutorial &‘To set up this query, you need to select hourly workers by using the Salaried field with the Criteria = No. Note in Figure B-11 that the Show box for that field is not checked, so the Salaried field values will not show in the query output. Note the expression for the calculated field, which you can see in the rightmost field cell: ‘New Rate: 1.1 * [Wage Rate] ‘The term New Rate: merely specifies the desired output heading, (Don't forget the colon.) The 1.1 * [Wage Rate} multiplies the old wage rate by 110 percent, which results in the 10 percent rai In the expression, the field name Wage Rate must be enclosed in square brackets, That is a rule. Any time an Access expression refers ¢o a field name, the expression must be enclosed in square brackets. If you run this query, your output should resemble that shown in Figure B-12. SB per Ui ee Pris st Warefste =) Newfate. > Jusiam $000 a dues (bem aad lesarne $8.00 ‘i ee FIGURE B-12 Output for a query with calculated field Notice that the calculated field output is not shown in Currency format; its shown as a Double—a num: ber with digits after the decimal point. To convert the output to Curreney format, you should select the out- put column by clicking the line above the calculated field expression, thus activating the column, which subsequently darkens. Your data entry screen should resemble the one shown in Figure B-13. FIGURE B-13 Activating a calculated field in query design ‘Then on the Design tab header, click Property Sheet in the Show/Hide group. A Field Properties window appears, as shown on the right in Figure B-14 Click Format and choose Curreney, as shown in Figure B-15. Then click the upper-right X to elose the window. Now when you run the query, the output should resemble that shown in Figure B-16. Next, you'll look at how to avoid errors when making calculated fields. Microsoft Access Tutorial[fess New Rae siaco $32.00 $13.20 | $.00 saan | FIGURE B-16 Query output with formatted calculated field Avoiding Errors When Making Calculated Fields Follow these guidelines to avoid making errors Tutorial 8 in calculated fields: Don’t put the expression in the Criteria cell as if the field definition were a filter. You are mak- Ing a field, so put the expression in the Field cell Spel, capitalize, and space a feld’s name exactly as you did in the table definition. If the table defini- tion differs rom what you type, Access thinks you're defining a new field by that name. Aceess then prompts you to enter values for the new field, which it calls a Parameter Query field. That is easy 0 debug because of the tag Parameter Query. If Access asks you to enter values for a Parameter, you almost certainly misspelled a field name in an expression in a calculated field or criterion, Example: Here are some errors you might make for Wage Misspelling: (Wag Rate) Case change: (wage Rate / WAGE RATE) Spacing change: (WageRate / Wage Rate) Don’t use parentheses or curly braces instead of the square brackets. Also, don't put parenth: ses inside square brackets, You are, however, allowed to use parentheses outside the square brack- ets, in the normal algebraic manner.Example: Suppose you want to multiply Hours times Wage Rate (o get a field called Wages Owed This is the correct expression Wages Owed: [Wage Rate] * [Hours] ‘The following also would be correct: Wages Owed: ([Wage Rate] * [Hours}) But it would noc be correct to omit the inside brackets, which is a common error: Wages Owed: [Wage Rate * Hours] “Relating” Two (or More) Tables by the Join Operation Oiten the data you need for a query is in more than one table. To complete the query, you must join the tables by linking the common fields, which is known as a join. One rule of thumb is that joins are made on fields that have common values, and those fields often can be Key fields. The names of the join fields are irrelevant; also, the names of the tables (or fields) to be joined may be the same, but that is not a requirement for an effective join Make a join by bringing in (Adding) the tables needed. Next, decide which fields you will join. Then click one field name and hold down the left mouse button while you drag the cursor over to the other field's name in Its window. Release the button, Access puts in a line, signifying the join. (Note: Ifa relationship between two tables has been formed elsewhere, Access will put in the line automatically, in which ease you do not have to perform the click-and-drag operation. Often Access puts in join lines without the user forming relationships.) ‘You can join more than two tables. The common fields need not be the same in all tables; that daisy-chain them together, ‘A common join error is to add a table to the query and then fail to link it to another table. In that case, ‘you will have a table floating in the top part of the QBE (query by example) sereen. When you run the query, your output will show the same records over and over. That error is unmistakable because there is 50 much redundant output. The rules are (1) add only the tables you need and (2) link all tables. Next, you'll work through an example of a query needing a join, you can JAT THE KEYBOARD Suppose you want to see the last names, SSNs, wage rates, salary status, and citizenship only for US. citi- zens and hourly workers. Because the data is spread across two tables, EMPLOYEE and WAGE DATA, you should add both tables and pull down the five fields you need. Then you should add the Criteria. Set up your work to resemble that shown in Pigure B-17, Make sure the tables are joined on the common field, SSN. aon | (Smee) abe ee (77 eae cw | a i FIGURE B-17 A quory based on two joined tables Microsoft Access TutorialHere is a quick review of the Criteria you will need to set up this join: If you want data for employees who are U.S. citizens and who are hourly workers, the Criteria expressions go in the same Criteria row. Ifyou want data for employees who are U.S, citizens or who are hourly workers, one of the expressions goes in the sec- ond Criteria row (the one that has the or: notation) Now run the query. ‘The output should resemble that shown in Figure B-18, with the exception of the name Brady er aston = Wowsre smith Brady oo9 113308 a FIGURE B-418 Output of a query based on two joined tables [As there is no need to print the query output or save it, you should go back to the Design View and close the query. Another praetice query follows HERES EETS) Suppose you want to see the wages owed to hourly employees for Week 2. To do that, you should show the last name, the SSN, the salaried status, the week #, and the wages owed. Wages will have to be a calculated field ({Wage Rate] * [Hours}). The criteria are No for Salaried and 2 for the Week #. (Note: This means another “And” query is required.) Your query should be set up like the query displayed in Figure B-19. Erno | | toate visu | ven Somer | FIGURE B-19 Quory sotup for wagos owed to hourly employoos for Weok 2 Tutorial BRun the query, The output should be similar to that shown in Figure B-20 (if you formatted your calcu: lated field to Curreney), jan -— oe fe) a FIGURE B-20 Query outpul for wages owed to hourly employees for Week 2 Notice that it was not necessary to pull down the Wage Rate and Hours fields to make the query work, As there is no need to print the query output or save it, you should go back to the Design View and close the query. Summarizing Data from Multiple Records (Totals Queries) You may want data that summarizes values from a field for several records (or possibly all records) in a table. For example, you might want to know the average hours that all employees worked in a week or perhaps the total (sum) of all of the hours worked. Furthermore, you might want data grouped (stratified) in some way. For example, you might want to know the average hours worked, grouped by all U.S. citizens versus all non- US. citizens. Access calls that kind of query a Totals query. Those operations include the following sum The total of a given field’s values Count count of the number of instances in a field—that is, the number of records, (In the eur rent example, to get the number of employees, you'd count the number of SSNs.) Average The average of a given field’s values Min The minimum of a given field’s values Var ‘The variance of a given field's values StDev The standard deviation of « given field's values Where The field has criteria for the query output (aaa) Suppose you want to know how many employees are represented in the example database, The first step is to bring the EMPLOYEE table into the QBE screen. Do that now. Because you will need to count the number of SSNs, which is @ Totals query operation, you must bring down the SSN field ‘To tell Access you want a Totals query, click the little Totals icon in the Design tab in the Show/Hide group. hhat opens @ new row in the lower part of the QBE screen, called the Total row. At this point, che sereen resembles that shown in Figure B-21. Note that the Total cell contains the words Group By. Until you specify a statistical operation, Access assumes a field will be used for grouping (stratifying) data ‘To count the number of SSNS, click next to Group By, which reveals alittle arrow. Click the arrow to reveal a drop-down menu, as shown in Figure B-22 Select the Count operator. (With this menu, you may need to scroll to see the operator you want.) Your sereen should now resemble the one shown in Figure B-23 Run the query. Your output should resemble that shown in Figure B-24 Microsoft Access Tutorial ateraployee last ome vw ty FIGURE B-21 Totals query setup Hi eon eployee Freie 9 su Stuer = nee i FIGURE B-22 Choices for statistical operation in a Totals query Tutorial 8emit Sa FIGURE B-24 Output of Count ina Totals query Notice that Access made a pseudo-heading “CountO#SSN.” To do that, Access spliced together the statistical ‘operation (Count), the word Of, and the name of the field (SSN). What if you wanted a phrase such as Count of Employees as a heading? In the Design View, you'd change the query to resemble the one shown in Figure B-25. ae FIGURE B-25 _Hoading change in a Totals query Now when you run the query, the output should resemble that shown in Figure B-26. FIGURE B-26 Cutput of heading change in a Totals query As there Is no need to print the query output or save it, you should go back to the Design View and close the query. Microsoft Access TutorialHATES EEG Here is another example of a Totals query. Suppose you want to know the average wage rate of employees, grouped by whether the employees are salaried. Figure B-27 shows how your query should be set up. ro Waau oa vam a FIGURE B-27 Query setup for average wage rate of employees When you run the query, your output should resemble that shown in Figure B-28. ‘woe FIGURE B-28 Output of query for average wage rate of employees Recall the convention that salaried workers are signed zero dollars an hour. Suppose you want to elimi nate the output line for zero dollars an hour because only hourly rate workers matter for that query. The query setup is shown in Figure B-29. Wage Oats oem FIGURE 8-29 Query setup for nonsalaried workers only Now when you run the query, you'll get output for nonsalaried employees only, as shown in Figure B-30, Tutorial BCENRORE i000 FIGURE B-30 Query output for nonsalaried workers only ‘Thus, its possible to use Criteria in a Totals query, just as you would with a “regular” query. As there is no need to print the query output or save it, you should go back to the Design View and close the query. BREESE Assume you want to see two pieces of information for hourly workers: (1) the average wage rate—eall it Aver- ‘age Rate in the output and (2) 110 percent of the average rate—call it the Increased Rate. To do that, you can make a calculated field in a ‘Totals query. You already know how to do certain things for this query. The revised heading for the average rate will be Average Rate (type Average Rate: Wage Rate in the Field cell). Note that you want the average of this field 0, the grouping would be by the Salaried field. (To get hourly workers only, enter Criteria: No.) The most difficult part of this query is to construct the expression for the calculated field. Conceptually, it is as follows: Increased Rate: 1.1 * [The current average, however that is denoted] ‘The question is how to represent [The current average]. You cannot use Wage Rate, because that head- ing denotes the wages before they are averaged. Surprisingly, you can use the new heading (Average Rate) to denote the averaged amount as follows Increased Rate: 1.1 * [Average Rate} Although it may seem counterintuitive, you cam treat Average Rate as if it were an actual field name. Note, however, that if you use a calculated field such as Average Rate in another calculated field, as shown in Rig- ure B-31, you must show that original calculated field in the query output. If you don’t, the query will ask you to enter parameter value, which is incorrect. Use the setup shown in Figure B-31 an a FIGURE B-31 Using a calculated field in another calculated fieid Figure B-32 shows how the sereen looks before the query is run Figure B-33 shows the output of the query. Microsoft Access Tutorialfa avanti as (cone Ise {gee —— leas & a a FIGURE B-32 An Expression in a Totals query FE AVAFAREIE =) Sataied.= |, tor sia | FIGURE B-33 Output of an Expression in a Totals query As there is no need to print the query output or save it, you should go back to the Design View and close the query. Using the Date() Function in Queries Access has two date function features that are important for you to know. A description of each follows. 1. The following built-in function gives you today’s date: Date() ‘You can use that function in query criteria or in a calculated field, The function “returns” the day on which the query is run; that is, it puts the value into the place where the date() function appears in an expression. 2. Date arithmetic lets you subtract one date from another to obtain the difference—in terms of num- ber of days—between two calendar dates. For example, suppose you create the following expression! 10/9/2007 — 10/4/2007 Access would evaluate that as the integer 5 (9 less 4 is 5) Here is another example of how date arithmetic works. Suppose you want to give each employee a bonus equaling a dollar for each day the employee has worked for you. You'd need to calculate the number of days between the employee's date of hire and the day the query is run, then multiply that number by 81. You would find the number of elapsed days by using the following equation: Date() ~ (Date Hired] Also suppose that for each employee, you want to see the last name, SSN, and bonus amount. You'd set up the query as shown in Figure B-34 Assume you had set the format of the Bonus field to Currency. The output will be similar to that shown in igure B-35. (Your Bonus data will be different because you are working on a date that is different from the date this tutorial was written.) Using Time Arithmetic in Queries Access also allows you to subtract the values of time fields to get an elapsed time. Assume your database has a JOB ASSIGNMENTS table that shows the times that nonsalaried employees were at work during a day. The definition is shown in Figure B-36. Ttoriat BEmployee “baie [liane sore ate | = osp-13-3288 naz) $178.00 m34s.e79_ S3.s5200 masse $7360 za-weaiz $925.00 “coin | 2m FIGURE B-36 Date/Time data definition in the JOB ASSIGNMENTS table “Assume the Date field is formatted for Long Date and the Clockin and ClockOut fields ate formatted for Medium Time, Also assume that for a particular day, nonsalaried workers were scheduled as shown in Figure B37. [adc ew Feld ‘Tasday, September 20, 2008 5:009M _Tuostay, September 30,2008, ‘5009M__ Tuesday. Sept FIGURE B-37 Display of date and time in a table You want a query that will show the elapsed time that your employees were on the premises for the day. When you add the tables, your screen may show the links differently. Click and drag the JOB ASSIGN- MENTS, EMPLOYEE, and WAGE DATA table icons to look like those in Figure B38, Figure B-39 shows the output, which looks correct. For example, employee 09-11-3344 was at work from 8:30 am. to 4:30 pan., which is eight hours, But how does the odd expression that follows yield the correct answers? ({ClockOut} ~ [Clockin}) * 24 Microsoft Access Tutorialivieiee Mane Oe eb asignaens ess ise Jessa apse ine ccc ea Tate: mpi Iago stone a rer she - FIGURE B-38 Query setup for time arithmetic Saloted 7) flapsed Time = o - 4 s4s.90.736 o in| Tose-1r p00 a E o FIGURE B39 Query output for time arithmetic, Why wouldn't the following expression work? [ClockOut} ~ {Clockin} Here is the answer: In Access, subtracting one time from the other yields the decimal portion of a 24-hour day. Returning to the example, you can see that employee 09-11-3344 worked eight hours, which is one- third of a day, so the time arithmetic function yields .3333. That is why you must multiply by 24—to con- vert from decimals to an hourly basis. Hence, for employee 09-11-3344, the expression performs the following calculation: 1/3 x 24 = 8, Note that parentheses are needed to force Access to do the subtraction first, before the multiplication, Without parentheses, multiplication takes precedence over subtraction. For example, consider the following expression: [ClockOut] - [Clockin} * 24 In that case, Clockin would be multiplied by 24, the resulting value would be subtracted trom ClockOut, and the output would be a nonsensical decimal number. Deleting and Updating Queries ‘The queries presented in this tutorial thus far have been Select queries. They select certain data from specific tables based on a given criterion, You also can create queries to update the original data in a database. Bust- nesses do that often, and they do it in real time. For example, when you order an item from a Web site, the company’s database is updated to reflect the purchase of the item through the deletion of that item from the ‘company’s inventory. Consider an example, Suppose you want (o give all of the nonsalaried workers a 80.50 per hour pay raise. With the three nonsalaried workers you have now, it would be easy to go into the table and simply change the Wage Rate data. But assume you have 3,000 nonsalaried employees. Now it would be much faster—not to ‘mention more accurate—to change the Wage Rate data for each of the 3,000 nonsalaried employees by using an Update query that adds $0.50 to each employee's wage rate. Tutorial BNow you will change each of the nonsalaried employees’ pay via an Up set up the query. e query. Figure B-40 shows how (0 van stom | FIGURE B-40 Quory setup for an Update query So far, this query is just a Select query. Click the Update button in the Query ‘Type group, as shown in Figure B-41 Bunce t diet ote rao ae Pe Taaional ‘wage bata sa od FIGURE B-41 Selecting a query type: Notice that you now have another line on the QBE grid called Update to:. That is where you specify the change or update to the data. Notice that you will update only the nonsalaried workers by using a filter under the Salaried field. Update the Wage Rate data to Wage Rate plus $0.50, as shown in Figure B-42. (Note that the update involves the use of brackets | ], as in a calculated field.) Now run the query by clicking the Run button in the Results group. If you are unable to run the query because it’s blocked by Disabled Mode, you need to choose Database Tools tab, Message Bar in the Show/ Hide group. Click the Options button and choose “enable this content”, then OK. When you successfully run the query, you will get a warning message as shown in Figure B-43. Microsoft Access TutorialUnastes eet FIGURE 8-42 Updating the wage rate for nonsalaried workers [CS ASE ETE ar tint [Wages Wage alt vee [gers = You are about update rive GN catlate mic minbemeinecntcare | : re elemeccreenee Cede FIGURE B-43 Update Query warning Once you click Yes, the records will be updated. Check these updated records now by viewing the WAGE DATA table. Bach salaried wage rate should be increased by 80.50. Note that in this example, you are sim- ply adding $0.50 to each salaried wage rate, You could add or subtract data from another table as well. If you do, remember to put the field name in square brackets. Another kind of query is the Delete query. Delete queries work like Update queries. For example, assume your company has been taken over by the state of Delaware. The state has a policy of employing only Dela- ware residents. Thus, you must delete (or fire) all employees who are not exclusively Delaware residents, To do that, you need to create a Select query. Using the EMPLOYEE table, you would choose the Delete icon from the Query Type group, then bring down the State field and filter only those records not in Delaware (DE). Do not perform the operation, but note that if you did, the setup would look like the one in Figure B-44, Using Parameter Queries Another kind of query, which is actually a type of Select query, is a Parameter query. Here is an example: Suppose your company has 5,000 employees and you want to query the database to find the same kind of infor- mation again and again, but about different employees each time. For example, you might want to query the database to find out how many hours a particular employee has worked. To do that, you could run a query that you created and stored previously, but run it only for a particular employee. Tutorial 8[Fe Frepioyee, 1 =f FIGURE B-44 Deleting all employees who are not Delaware residents fs) AT THE KEYBOARD Create a Select query with the format shown in Figure B-45, FIGURE B-45 Design of a Parameter query begins as a Select query In the Criteria line of the QBE grid for the field SSN, type what is shown in Figure B-46, a eA | a | ats | foie |ohiee [tee I ods waned te oa FIGURE B-46 Design of a Parameter query, continued Microsoft Access TutorialNote that the Criteria line involves the use calculated field. Now run the query. You will be prompted for the specific employee's SSN, square brackets, as you would expect to see in a s shown in Figure B-47. FIGURE B-47 Enter Parameter Value dialog box ‘Type in your own (fictitious) SSN. Your query output should resemble that shown in Figure BAS ss 6-11.39 erady wee a 059-112348 Grady Tee FIGURE B-48 Output of a Parameter query MAKING SEVEN PRACTICE QUERIES This portion of the eutorial is designed to give you additional practice in making queries. Before making these queries, you must create the specified tables and enter the records shown in the Creating Tables section of this tutorial. The output shown for the practice queries is based on those inputs fs] AT THE KEYBOARD For each query that follows, you are given a problem statement and a “scratch area.” You also are shown what the query output should look like. Follow this procedure: Set up a query in Access, Run the query. When you are satisfied with the results, save the query and continue with the next query, Note: You will be working with the EMPLOYEE, HOURS WORKED, and WAGE DATA tables, 1, Create a query that shows the SSN, last name, state, and date hired for those employees who are currently living in Delaware and were hired after 12/31/99. Sort (ascending) by SSN. (A recap of sorting procedures: Click the Sort cell of the field. Choose Ascending or Descending.) Before ere- ating your query, use the table shown in Figure B-49 to work out your QBE grid on paper. Field Table Sort Show Criteria | Or: FIGURE B-49 BE gid template Your output should resemble that shown in Figure B-50, Tutorial B| JGURE B-50 Number 1 query output 2. Greate a query that shows the last name, first name, date hired, and state for those employees who are currently living in Delaware or were hired after 12/31/99. The primary sort (ascending) is on last name, and the secondary sort (ascending) is on first name, (Sorting recap: The Primary Sort field must be to the leit of the Secondary Sort field in the query setup.) Before ereating your query, use the table shown in Figure B-51 to work out your QBE grid on paper. Field Table Sort ‘Show Criteria Or: FIGURE 8-51 QBE gid tomplate If your name was Joe Brady, your output would look like that shown in Figure B-S2 Tristtone +/Onevired «| Sate. + oe sys42007 wo | icward sone sisfams oF lowes ve sina 8 ismith aber 7fsfa96r OE nahn 6/1996 OE FIGURE B-52 Number 2 query output 3. Create a query that shows the sum of hours that U.S. citizens worked and the same sum for non- US. citizens (that is, group on citizenship). The heading for total hours worked should be Total Hours Worked. Before creating your query, use the table shown in Figure B-53 to work out your QBE grid on paper. Microsoft Access TutorialField Table Total Sort ‘Show Criteria Or: FIGURE B-53° QBE grid template Your output should resemble that shown in Figure B-S4 FIGURE B-54 Number 3 query output 4. Create a query that shows the wages owed to hourly workers for Week 1. The heading for the wages owed should be Total Owed. The output headings should be Last Name, SSN, Week #, and Total Owed. Before creating your query, use the table shown in Figure B-SS to work out your QBE grid on paper. Field Table Sort Show Criteria Or: FIGURE B-55 OBE grid template If your name was Joe Brady, your output would look like that shown in Figure B-S6. Tuet12399 Ms-s0-1234 —ommtaaee FIGURE B-56- Number 4 query output 5. Create query that shows the last name, SSN, hours worked, and overtime amount owed for hourly ‘employees who earned overtime during Week 2. Overtime is paid at 1.5 times the normal hourly rate for all of the hours worked over 40. Note that the amount shown in the query should be just the overtime portion of the wages paid. Also, this is not a Totals query—amounts should be Tutorial Bshown for individual workers. Before creating your query, use the table shown in Figure B-57 to work out your QBE grid on paper. a Field Table Sort “Show Criteria or FIGURE B-57 OBE grid template If your name was Joe Brady, your output would look like that shown in Figure B-S6. a2 095-12. 2388. 8 FIGURE B-58 Number 5 query output 6. Greate a Parameter query that shows the hours employees have worked. Have the Parameter query prompt for the week number. The output headings should be Last Name, First Name, Week #, and Hours, Do this only for the nonsalaried workers. Before creating your query, use the table shown in Figure B-59 to work out your QBE grid on paper. Criteria Or: i FIGURE B59 QBE grid template Run the query using 2 when prompted for the Week #. Your output should look like that shown. in Figure B-60. pias Neenessed est Nome: Howard ane smith Alber 2 re feraoy. FIGURE B-60 Number 6 query output Microsoft Access Tutorial7. Create an update query that gives certain workers a merit raise. First, you must ereate an addi- tional table as shown in Figure B-61 arrester $0.25 s4s-s0-12 $0.5 FIGURE B-61 MERIT RAISES table Now make a query that adds the Merit Raise to the current Wage Rate for those employees who will receive a raise. When you run the query, you should be prompted with You are about to update 0 rows. Check the original WAGE DATA table to confirm the update. Before creating your query, use the table shown in Figure B-62 to work out your QBE grid on paper. Field Table Update to Criteria Or: FIGURE B-62 OBE grid template CREATING REPORTS Database packages let you make attractive management reports from a table’s records or from a query’s output. If you are making a report from a table, the Access report generator looks up the data in the table and puts it into report format. If you are making a report from a query’s output, Aceess runs the query in the back- ground (you do not control it or see it happen) and then puts the ouput in report format. There are three ways to make a report, One is to hand-craft the report from scratch in the Design View. Because that is a tedious process, it is not shown in this cutorial. The second way is to use the Report Wiz- ard, during which Access leads you through a menu-driven construetion. That method is shown in this tutorial ‘The third way isto startin the Wizard and then use the Design View to tailor what the Wizard produces. That method also is shown in this tutorial Creating a Grouped Report This tutorial assumes that you already know how to use the Wizard to make a basic ungrouped report, This section of the tutorial teaches you how to make a grouped report, (If you don't know how to make an ungrouped report, you can learn by following the first example in the upcoming section.) jm] AT THE KEYBOARD. Suppose you want to make a report out of the HOURS WORKED table. Choose the Create tab, Report Wiz~ ard in the Reports group. Select the HOURS WORKED table from the drop-down menu as the report basis. Select all of the fields (using the >> button), as shown in Figure B-63. Click Next. Then teil Access you want to group on Week # by double-clicking that field name. This group- ing step is shown in Figure B-64. Glick Next. You'll see a screen, similar to the one in Figure B-65, for Sorting and Summary Options. Because you chose a grouping field, Access will let you decide whether you want to see group subtotals and/or report grand totals. If you choose that option, all numeric fields could be added. In this example, group subtotals are for total hours in each week. Assume you do want the total of hours by week. Click Summary Options. You'll get a screen similar to the one in Figure B-66, Tutorial Bic ee yu nanton reget ©) Yan cee fon mace an ne be a. FIGURE 8-65 Sorting and Summary Options step in the Report Wizard Microsoft Access Tutorial(Bama oa ee | rotamer awl si cll Ce] meer | + | fous ooo | a oe | | [Omtmtseny || | iaemror | Dian encmtot | i ee | | FIGURE B-66 Summary Options in the Report Wizard Next, follow these steps: 1. Glick the Sum box for Hours (to sum the hours in the group). 2. Glick Detail and Summary. (Detail equates with “group”; Summary, with “grand total for the report.”) 3. Click OK. This takes you back to the Sorting screen, where you ean choose an ordering within the group if desired. (In this case, you don’t choose one.) 4, Glick Next to continue. 5. In the Layout sereen (not shown here), choose Stepped and Portrait. 6. Make sure the “Adjust the field width so all fields fit on a page” check box is unchecked, 7. Glick Next 8. In the Style sereen (not shown), acoept Oitice 9. Click Next. 10. Provide a title—Hours Worked by Week would be appropriate. 11. Select the Preview the report button to view the report. 12, Glick Finish, Your report will look like that shown in Figure B-67. Hours Worked by Week ee a sesso 2 Summa for weste'= 1 aise FIGURE B67 Hours Worked by Week report Notice that data is grouped by weeks, with Week 1 on top, then a subtotal for that week. Week 2 data is next, then a grand total (which you can seroll down to see). The subtotal is labeled “Sum,” which is nat very descriptive. That can be changed later in the Design View. Also, there is the apparently useless “Summary for Week..." line, which ean be deleted later in the Design View as well. Click the in the upper-right corner of Tutorial Byour report window corresponding to “Close Hours Worked by Week.” Note that the Navigation Pane on the Jpft side of your sereen contains the report shown in Figure B-68. FIGURE B-68 Navigation Pane with report ‘To edit the report in the Design View, right-click the report title and choose Design view. You will see a com plex (and intimidating) sereen, similar to the one shown in Figure B-69, FIGURE B-69 Report design screen ‘The organization of the sereen is hierarchical. At the top is the Report level. The next level down (within a report) is the Page level. The next levels down (within a page) are for any data groupings you have specified, Tiyou told Access to make group (summary) totals, your report would have a Report Header area and end wh a Grand Total in the Report Footer. The report header is usually just the ttle you specified 1 page also has a header, which is usually just the names of the fields you told Acoess fo Putin the report (here, Week #, SSN, and Hours fields). Sometimes the page umber is put in by delault, Ghoupings of data are more complex. There is a header for the group. In tis ease, the value of the Week Fane ide. so the values shown will be 1 and 2. Those headers indicate that chere is a group of dat Microsoft Access Tutorialfor the first week, then a group of data for the second week. Within each data grouping is the other “detail” that you've requested, In this case, there will be data for each SSN and the related hours. Each Week # gets a footer, which is a labeled sum. Recall that you asked for the footer to be shown (ie., Detail and Summary were requested), The Week # Footer is composed of three elements: 1. The line that starts =Summary for 2. The Sum label 3. The adjacent expression =Sum(Hours) ‘The line beneath the Week # Footer will be printed unless you eliminate it. Similarly, the word Stam will be printed as the subtotal label unless you eliminate it. The =Sum(Hours) is an expression that tells Access to add the quantity for the header in question and to put that number into the report as the subtotal. (In this example, that number would be the sum of hours by Week #.) Each report also gets a footer—the grand total (in this case, of hours) for the report. If you look closely, each of the detail items appears to be doubly inserted in the design. For example, in Figure B-69, you will see the notation for SSN twice, once in the Page Header band and then again in the Detail band. Hours are treated similarly. Those items will not, however, be printed twice, because each detail item in the report is an object. In Access, an object is denoted by both a label and its value. In other words, there is a representation of the name of the object, which is the boldfaced name itself (in this example, SSN in the Page Header band), and there is a representation in less bold type of the value of the object (corresponding to SSN in the Detail band). Sometimes the Report Wizard is arbitrary about where it puts labels and data. If you do not like where the Wizard puts data, you can move the objects containing the data around in the Design View. Also, you can lick and drag within the band or across bands, Often a box will be too small to allow the full numerical val- ues for that object to show. When that happens, select the box and click one of the sides to stretch it. Doing so will allow full values to show. At other times, an object’s box will be very long. When that happens, you can click the box, resize it, then drag right or left in its panel to reposition the output. Suppose you do not want the Summary for... Tine to appear in the report. Also suppose you would like dif- ferent subtotal and grand total labels. The Summary for... line is an object you can activate by clicking, Do that now. “Handles” (little squares) should appear around its edges, as shown in Figure B-70. eae =e FIGURE B-70 Selecting an object in the Report Design View Press the Delete key to get rid of the selected object. To change the subtotal heading, click the Sum object, as shown in Figure B-71. FIGURE B71 Sclecting the Sum object in the Report Design View Click again, That gives you an insertion point from which you ean type, as shown in Figure B-72 FIGURE B-72 Typing an object in the Report Design View Change the label to Sum of Hours for Week and press Enter or click somewhere else in the report to deac- tivate the object. Your screen should resemble the one shown in Figure B-73. You can change the Grand Total in the same way. In the Design tab, click the View button on the Views group. You should see a report similar to that in Fig- ture B-74 (the top partis shown) Tutorial B- FIGURE B-73 Changing a labol in the Report Design View | Hours Worked by Week i a ee sm oti » FIGURE B-74 Hours Worked by Wook report Notice that the data is grouped by week number (data for Week 1 is shown) and subtotaled for that week. ‘The report also has a grand total at the bottom. Moving Fields in the Design View If you want to group on more than one field in the Report Wizard, the report will have an odd “staircase” look, display repeated data, or it will have both features. Next, you will learn how to overcome that effest in the Design View. Suppose you make a query showing an employee's last name, first name, street address, zip code, week #, and hours worked. Then you make a report from that query, grouping on last name and first name only. See Figure B-7S. Saal wink mee eer FIGURE B-75 Grouping in the Report Wizard ‘Then follow these steps: 1. Glick Next. 2. Do not sum anything in Summary Options. Click Next. Microsoft Access TutorialSelect Stepped. Select Landscape. Glick the check mark by Adjust the field width so all fields fic on a page. Click Next. Select Office. Click Next. ‘Type a tile (Hours Worked by Employees). Click Finish As you preview the report, you will notice repeating data. In the report displayed in Figure B-76, notice that the Zip data and Street Address data are repeating and that both are shown below the First Name data, which is below the Last Name data—hence, the staircase effect. (The fields Week # and Hours are shown sub- ordinate to Last Name and First Name, as desired.) Nonny Hours Worked by Employees ES AT SS A A HR ney FIGURE B-76 Hours Worked by Employees grouped report Suppose you want the last name, first name, street address, and zip code to appear on the same line. If so, take the report into the Design View for editing, From the Navigation Pane on the left side of your screen, right-click the Hours Worked by Employees report and choose Design View, At this point, the headers look like those shown in Figure B-77. ror x Hows Worked] | FIGURE B-77 Hours Worked by Employees report displayed in Design View ‘Your goal is to get the First Name, Street Address, and Zip fields into the Last Name header band (not into the Page Header band) so they will print on the same line. The first step is to olick the First Name object in the First Name Header band, as shown in Figure B-78. FIGURE B-78 Solecting First Name objoct in the First Name header Right-click, cut, place your cursor in the Last Name header, and paste into the Last Name header, as shown in Figure B-79. (Note: When you paste the First Name object, it will overlay the Last Name object. To cor- rect that, simply move the First Name object to the right side of the Last Name object.) Alternatively, you can right-click the First Name object, choose Layout, and then choose Move Up a Section. Now out the Street Address object and paste it into the Last Name header, as shown in Figure B-80. Tutorial BFIGURE B-80 Moving the Street Address object to the Last Name header Do the same for the Zip object. Now correct the spacing and the Page Header by choosing the Layout View jrom the View group on the Design tab. Click Hours and note that the entire column is selected (your head- ing and data), Drag the column to the right side of the report. At this point, your sereen should look like that shown in Figure B-81, i So Jours Worked by Employees ) eae Shs Ti FIGURE B-81 Adjusting report layout Drag the left side of the Hours column to the right; the Week # heading and data will follow your cursor to the right. Your report should now resemble the one shown in Figure B-82. “Hours Worked by Employees "mm | trety Dunst FIGURE B-82 Adjusting report layout, continued Finally, adjust the headings by dragging the left edge of the Week # to the right and adding more deserip- tions such as First Name, Address, and Zip to the Last Name header. This final adjustment will result in a report similar to that shown in Figure B-83. (Note: This is the Report View.) Microsoft Access TutorialIves Sue Sora se 38S FIGURE B-83 Hours Worked by Employees report IMPORTING DATA ‘Text or spreadsheet data is easily imported into Access. In business, it is often necessary to import data because companies use disparate systems. Assume your healtheare coverage data is on the human resources manager's computer in an Excel spreadsheet. Open the sofeware application Microsoft Excel. Greate a spreadsheet in Excel using the data shown in Figure B-84 aa fiatamseneoseny Siutem suc ut [Efi cnter es Sea tee oe Vario Cony age Hews succes a FIGURE B-84 Excel data Save the file; then close it. Now you can easily import that spreadsheet data into a new table in Access With your Bmployee database open, go to the External Data tab, Import group and click Exel. Browse to find the Exeel file you just created and make sure the first radio button (Import the source data into a new table in the current database) is selected, as shown in Figure B-85. Click OK. Choose the correct worksheet. Assuming you have just one worksheet in your Excel file, your next screen. should look like that shown in Figure B-86, Ghoose Next and make sure you select the box that says First Row Contains Column Headings, as shown, in Figure B-87. Choose Next, Accept the default for each field you are importing on this screen, Each field is assigned a text data type, which, in this ease, is correct for this table. Your screen should look like that shown in Figure B-88. Choose Next. In the next screen of the Wizard, you'll be prompted to ereate an index—that is, define a mary key. Because you will be storing your data in a new table, choose your own primary key (SSN), as shown in Figure B-89. Continue through the Wizard, giving your table an appropriate name. After importing the table, take a look at it and its design. (Highlight the Table option and use the Design button.) Note the width of each field (very large). Adjust the field properties as needed. Tutorial B