Microsoft Access Tutorial - What is a database?

Before we begin delving into our Microsoft Access tutorials, we need to have a full understanding of what a database is. This site is geared towards people who are just starting out using Microsoft Access, so for some of you with a little more experience, this may seem a little dumbed down, and for that, I apologise in advance. That said, I feel that the first question we need to address is "what exactly is a database".

Since this site is about Microsoft Access, we will be approaching this question from an MS Access direction. There are a lot of different database programs out there, and a lot of different formats that databases can take. For example, EBay is a database, and so is the phone book sitting under your desk.

For the purposes of this site, a database is a file (or files) that stores and retrieves information. This file is created using the software program Microsoft Access. It's important that these two different functions (storing and retrieving information) are explained in detail.

Storing Information

This is the actual physical process of physically inputting data into your database. Entering names, addresses, sales details, invoice numbers, or whatever else your database is tracking. To the layman it may seem that this is a tedious “no-brainer”, but it ABSOLUTELY ESSENTIAL that you store your information in such a way that it can be meaningfully retrieved at a later date. If you don’t plan the storage of your data, then doing anything with it becomes difficult. The results will be inconsistent, and thus, useless. Before you start slugging away at entering your list of customers, you need to analyse what sort of information you want to track, and why you need to track it. More on this later.

You will also want to create an interface for entering data. Microsoft Access allows you to directly type information into the tables you create, but for ease of use, you will want a window with the different fields (information) organised in a meaningful fashion. This is especially true if you are expecting other people to use your database.

Retrieving Information

Once your data has been stored in a meaningful way, you will want to start using it for statistical reporting and easy retrieval. For this, you will be creating reports that show information in particular ways, and forms that let you determine what you are looking for. Some examples of retrieving information are…

• Show me all the customers listed from New York City
• Show me all sales between 01-Jan-08 and 30-Jun-08
• Find Mary Higgins
• Who is the contact for XYZ Company?

In the next few articles, we will be going into much more depth on the storing and retrieving of information as it relates to Microsoft Access. Stay tuned to Microsoft Access Tutorial for more soon.