THE ABSOLUTE MINIMUM

As you work with a database, you'll usually find that more and more objects accumulate in it and that you perform more and more repetitive tasks . That's when you should start thinking about automating the work. Access offers a number of ways to make things easier in a database:

• The Switchboard Manager lets you build and maintain switchboard forms to organize your objects into sensible groups.

• Startup options let you control some of the look and feel of your database, and they provide an easy starting point for yourself or other users.

• Macros can automate most common Access tasks, from opening forms to searching for records.

• You can turn macros into buttons by dragging them from the Database window and dropping them on forms.