Working with a Table

A database is made up of groups of fields organized into tables. A field is a specific category of information, such as a name or a product. Related fields are grouped in tables. You usually enter data into fields one entity at a time (one customer at a time, one product at a time, and so on). Access stores all the data for a single entity in a record. You can view a table in Datasheet or Design view. Design view allows you to work with your table's fields. Datasheet view shows a grid of fields and records. The fields appear as columns and the records as rows. The first field in a table is often an AutoNumber field, which Access uses to assign a unique number to each record. You can't select or change this value.

Enter a New Record and Move Around in a Table

In the Database window, click Tables on the Objects bar, and then double-click the table.

Click the New Record button.

Press Tab to accept the AutoNumber entry.

Enter the data. If you make a typing mistake, press Backspace.

Press Tab to move to the next field or Shift+Tab to move to the previous field.

When you reach the end of the record, click one of the Record buttons :

• First Record button.

• Previous Record button.

• Specific Record box. Enter a record number in the box, and then press Enter.

• Next Record button.

• Last Record button.

Find Records

In the Database window, click Tables on the Objects bar, and then double-click the table.

If you want, click in the table field in which you want to search.

Click the Edit menu, and then click Find.

Type the text you want to find.

Click the Look In list arrow, and then select a search location.

Click the Match list arrow, and then select an option.

Click the Search list arrow, and then select a search direction.

To match upper and lower case, select the Match Case check box.

Click Find Next.

When you're done, click Cancel.

Delete a Record from a Table

In the Database window, click Tables on the Objects bar, and then double-click the table.

Right-click the row selector.

Click Delete Record.

Click Yes.

Did You Know?

You might want to delete related data . When you delete a record, such as a supplier, you might want to also delete the products the supplier supplies .