Introduction

Maybe you picked up this book because you already know you want to learn about Access, Microsoft's user -friendly database for the Windows operating system. Or, perhaps you know that you're drowning in a sea of information and vaguely think that Access might be the answer. Then again, maybe you just liked the cover. Whatever the reason, welcome! We think you've come to the right place.

As we said, Access is a database . What does that mean? You'll learn more in this book, but for now, think of Access as a handy place to store and organize things. You can store almost anything you want in an Access database, including

• Your recipe collection

• Pictures of your pets

• The inventory records for your home-based business

• Birthdays and addresses of friends and relatives

• The author and title of every book you own

• Just about anything else you can think of

Databases are used by everyone from grandmothers to major corporations. If you've never used a database before, don't worry. Access is the friendliest and easiest -to-use database on the market today. If you can click a mouse and type, you can use Access.