Setting a Field s Data Type

Setting a Field's Data Type

After you've opened the table you want to modify in Design view, click in the Data Type column for the field you want to change.

To change the data type from the default, Text, click the down arrow in the Data Type field.

Choose a new data type from the list that appears.

The field type is changed. Click the Save button on the Standard toolbar in the main Access window to save the changes to the table.

INTRODUCTION

Chances are, you plan to store many different types of information in your database tables ”names, dates, product IDs, financial information, and so on. That's where data types come in; they enable you to specify what type of data a particular field contains. For example, you use the Text data type for fields that contain text (such as names ) ; likewise, you use the Number data type for fields that contain numbers (such as product IDs, telephone numbers , and so on) . For dates, you use the Date/Time data type, and for monetary values, you use the Currency data type. Other data types include Memo, AutoNumber, Yes/No, OLE Object, and Hyperlink; you'll learn about some of these in Part 4.

CAUTION

If you have already entered data in the table, changing the field type may result in the loss of your entries. If so, Access will duly notify you, enabling you to choose to make or cancel the change.