Downloading Templates from the Microsoft Office Update Site

Microsoft's Office Tools on the Web site (http://office.microsoft.com) offers a collection of Access 2000 databases (.mdb files) disguised as templates. Most of the templates duplicate the functions of the .mdz template files provided with Access 2003 but have a different main switchboard design. Unlike the built-in Access 2003 templates, the Office Update databases include sample data.

To view the current list of Access 2003 templates and give one of the templates a test run, close any open database and follow these steps:

1. In the New File task pane page, type Access in the Search Office Online text box and click Go to display a list of available templates in the Search Result page.

2. Click one of the template names, such as Customer Orders Database to open a Template Preview dialog (see Figure 2.37).

   Figure 2.37. Each online template for Access 2003 has a Preview dialog that lets you view all available templates and download the one you want.

   

3. Click the Download button to retrieve the template file and open its Main Switchboard (see Figure 2.38).

   Figure 2.38. The Customer Orders Database template installs a database that resembles the sample Northwind Traders (Northwind.mdb) database and a switchboard with several more options than the Contact Management template.

   

4. Click the Add or Delete a Customer button to open the form of the same name (see Figure 2.39). The Customers table has four sample records.

   Figure 2.39. The Add or Delete a Customer form has a Web Site field of the Hyperlink data type. All four links point to http://www.microsoft.com, not sample Web pages.

   

5. Close the Add or Delete a Customer form and open the Add Order and Order Details form, which consists of a main form and Order Details subform (see Figure 2.40).

Figure 2.40. The Add Order and Order Details form lets you edit existing orders or add a new order and the order's line items.