MS Access

MS-Access Tutorials

Microsoft Access is a database management system (DBMS) that combines the relational Microsoft Jet Database Engine with a GUI(graphical user interface) and software-development tools. Learn how to use Microsoft Access with this free tutorial.

The Fundamentals

In this tutorial you will learn about exactly what a database is, what it is used for, and how to perform simple database tasks, such as adding and deleting records. This tutorial also takes you on a basic tour of various parts of a Microsoft Access database: Tables, Forms, Reports, and Queries.

Creating and Working with a Database

In this tutorial, you will learn to create and modify the major database objects: tables, forms, queries, and reports. You will even learn some basic database management tasks, such as how to delete and rename database objects and how to repair and compress a database.

Finding, Filtering, and Formatting Data

Microsoft Access is equipped with an arsenal of Find, Sort, and Filter commands that can track down and organize a table's information in record time. In this tutorial you will learn how to use these commands.

Working with Tables and Fields

This tutorial explains just about everything you will ever need to know about tables and fields: how to link two or more related tables, how to create indexes for faster performance, and how to create a primary key field, which uniquely identifies each record in a table. This tutorial also explains how to change all the properties and settings for your tables' fields, such as how they are formatted and what kind of information they can store.

Creating Relational Databases

In this tutorial you will learn how to link tables in an existing database together in a one-to-many relationship to create a relational database. You will also learn how to enforce referential integrity between those tables to keep records in related fields valid and accurate.

Working with Queries

In this tutorial you will learn how to harness the power of queries. First you will learn about all the different types of queries: simple select queries, parameter queries that prompt you for more information, crosstab queries that summarize records in an easy-to-understand format, and action queries that actually modify the records in your database.

Working with Forms

This tutorial explains everything you have ever wanted to know about forms and maybe a few things you didn't want to know.

Working with Reports

This tutorial explains all the ins and outs of creating and working with reports: Formatting Options; Sorting and Grouping Options; Combine Data from Linked Tables.

Formatting Forms and Reports

This tutorial explains how to format your forms and reports to make them more visually attractive and easier to read. You will learn how to change the appearance, size, and color of fonts and how to align text inside a control. This tutorial also describes how you can add pictures and graphics to your forms and reports.

Working with Macros

A macro is a set of one or more actions that perform a particular operation, such as opening a form or printing a report. Macros can help you to automate common tasks. For example, you can run a macro that prints a report when a user clicks a command button.

Advanced Topics

This tutorial explains how you can use Access with other programs,how to import and export databases in other file formats, difference between importing objects from another database versus linking to objects in another database, learn how to create a Microsoft Excel worksheet based on an Access query, transfer an Access table to Microsoft Word, or use Word with Access to create mail-merge letters.