Hour 19. Retrieving Your Data

Although your database contains a lot of data, you rarely want to see all that data simultaneously . Generally, you want to see only data subsets. Access filters and queries produce small, meaningful subsets of data from your tables.

When you view data subsets, you prevent unwanted data from getting in the way of the information with which you need to work. The power of queries is that you can select records and fields from multiple tables and view that selected data subset from within a single Datasheet or Form view.

The highlights of this hour include the following:

What a filter is
Why you sometimes use Filter by Selection and sometimes use Filter by Form
When a filter limits you
Why queries are more robust than filters
How to use the query wizards
How to use the Query Design view to create and edit queries
Where to specify advanced selection criteria