Lesson 8

This module discussed how to create a table and enter data using examples and having the participant complete exercises. That should give you confidence in your ability to use what you have learned in this module. In addition, this multiple-choice quiz will help you evaluate what you have learned in this module.

This module introduced you to the following terms and concepts:

1. Datasheet view:The view of a table or query that shows the data in rows and columns.
2. Design view: The view of an object that allows you to refine the object definition.
3. Table Wizard:This wizard creates common tables. When you select the table name, you see field names that you can select from. When the table is created, each field is given the properties that you are most likely to need.
4. Primary Key:The field in a table that uniquely describes each record.

In the next module you will learn how to create a table from scratch using the Design view, how to fine-tune your tables, define field properties, control data, and choose a primary key.

The quickest way to add an existing datasheet into a form is to open the form in "Design view" and then click, hold, and drag an existing datasheet form from the Navigation Pane^[1] onto the form design area.
If you set up the relationships correctly before you started this procedure, Access automatically sets

1. the Link Child Fields and
2. the Link Master Fields

properties with the correct values that will link the main form to the datasheet. My Link Child Fields and Link Master Fields properties are blank
If Access cannot determine how to link the subform control^[2] to the main form, it leaves the Link Child Fields and Link Master Fields properties of the subform control blank. You must set these properties manually.

The Datasheet View is the Layout Designer, and only designer, for Web tables in Access 2016. The Table Tools Ribbon group provides two Ribbons:

1. The Fields Ribbon and
2. the Table Ribbon.

These two Ribbons contain all the options available for creating and modifying Web tables in Access 2016. As their names suggest, the Fields Ribbon is for working with the fi eld options for a table and the Table Ribbon is for working with the table-level options. One new item to note here is that Web tables have several new events that can have macros applied to them. Also, the Property Sheet is not available for Web tables; instead, there is a properties dialog box with four options for setting the table's properties. The simple design of the Datasheet View Table Designer makes quickly building Web tables very easy, because all the options are right in front of you.

After a new Web table has been created, you must add fi elds to it to store the actual data in the table. By default, all Web tables have an AutoNumber fi eld named ID, which is the primary key for the table, and modifying that particular field is not recommended, and impossible through the Access UI. Complete the following steps to add a new fi eld to a Web table:

1. Open the Web table in Datasheet View. This enables the Table Tools Ribbon tabs.
2. Click on the Fields tab of the Table Tools Ribbon group to select it.
3. The Fields Ribbon provides the Add and Delete group for adding fi elds to the table. Click on any of the buttons for the fi eld types to add it to the form.

After you click an option, the new field is added directly after the fi eld that is currently selected, or the end of the table. Also, the column header will automatically be selected for editing, so that the user can quickly modify the column name. The data type and other properties for the fi eld can be set by selecting any of the options on the Table Tools Fields Ribbon. After the desired field options have been set, the field is ready for use.

Before we move on, take a multiple-choice quiz to help you determine if you have learned the lessons in this module.
Access Functions - Quiz

[1] navigation pane: The Navigation Pane in MS Access 2021 is your central hub for browsing and accessing all the objects within your database. It's located by default on the left side of the Access window and provides a hierarchical view.

[2] subform control:In MS Access 2021, a subform control is a powerful tool that embeds another form within a main form, establishing a one-to-many relationship between the two forms. It allows you to display and manage related data in a visually organized and efficient way.