Microsoft Access 2007 Get familiar with Access

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Choose between Access and Excel Confused about when to use Access or Excel? That's understandable. On the surface, both programs look alike. After all, they store data, and you can enter that data in a grid of cells, right? So how do you choose between the two? One way is to answer a few simple questions about how you want to organize your data, and about related issues such as the amount of data you want to store and manage. Your answers to those questions can help you get more done in less time, so keep an open mind! To learn more about this course, read the text in Goals and About this course, or look at the table of contents. Then click Next to start the first lesson.

The big question: How do you want to organize your data?

If you're having trouble choosing between Access and Excel, take a moment to answer an important question: Do you need to organize your data into a relational data structure or a flat data structure? Yes, those are geek terms, but don't let them intimidate you. Deciding on a structure isn't hard, and the next sections walk you through each type of data structure and show you how to choose between the two. For now, just keep in mind that Access is designed to work with relational data, while Excel works best with flat data structures.

If you want to get started using Access or Excel, see the links in the Quick Reference Card at the end of this course.

Relational structures divide your data into related pieces.

A relational data structure divides your information into logical pieces, and places each piece in a separate table. Now, wasn't that easy? For example, a sales database typically puts information about customers their names, addresses, and other key facts in one table, and information about what those customers buy in another table. Organizing your data that way can make it quite powerful. Keep going to find out more.

We're not kidding about powerful.

A relational data structure has several advantages: It lets you answer important business questions, such as who bought the most (or least) of your product last week. The figure above shows you how this can work. What's more, using separate tables can make your data easier to manage, because each table holds just part of your information. And finally, a relational structure helps keep your information accurate, because you can prevent users from entering data in the wrong table.

Flat data resides in a single table.

In contrast to a relational data structure, a flat data structure is a simple list that isn't related to other data. For example, a grocery list is a flat file, and so is a list of your friends and relatives. Flat data structures are easy to create, and they're also easy to maintain, as long as you don't have too much information. Simple lists work nicely in Excel. In fact, Excel is designed to create and maintain flat files. In case you're wondering, each table in a relational structure is also a flat file. For example, in a typical sales database, one table holds a list of customers, and the other holds a list of orders. The only real difference between the types of structures is that with flat files, you don't need to relate the data in one list to the data in another. Each list is useful by itself.

Actions and repeated data need a relational structure. 1. The customer Hanari Carnes... 2. ...places an order on July 8... 3. ...and another on July 10. One customer, many actions. That kind of repetition needs a relational structure. So how can you tell if you need a relational structure? By answering a few more questions: First, do you have a lot of repeated data? For example, do you constantly enter the names of cities or states? If so, you can put that repeated data into another table and create a
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relational structure. Doing so can save you time and effort because you don't have to reenter the same information each time you create a new record. Second, do you want to track actions or events? For example, do you want to track sales or customer complaints? Any time you want to track an action, a relational data structure usually works best. If you find yourself answering no to those types of questions, or if you only have a small amount of data and you don't mind looking at repeated information, then feel free to use a flat structure.

Reasons to use each program.

While data structures are important, they aren't the only reasons to choose Access or Excel. A few more questions can help you decide between the two programs: First, do you need to store and manage your data, or do you need to analyze that data? If storage is your primary goal, then use Access, but for analysis, use Excel. Second, do you have a lot of data? For example, is your Excel worksheet so large that it's hard to use? If so, even if you have flat data, Access can make your information easier to find. Is your data mostly text, or is it numeric? Access can store a large amount of text up to two gigabytes in a single database while Excel is designed to store numbers and perform sophisticated calculations on them.
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Access = greater access to data.

So here are a few more reasons to use Access: Do you need to help users enter data? For example, some users find it hard to enter data in a grid of cells. With Access, you can work around that problem by creating data entry forms that make it easier to enter data accurately. Do your users need reports? With Access, you can create reports that users can run at any time. Access is also a better choice when you need to have multiple users working on the data at the same time. Several users can work on the same data, because Access locks a record only while a user changes it. You can share an Excel workbook with several users, but the process works best when users change data in Excel at separate times. If you need to connect to several data sources and edit the data directly in those sources, then Access is your choice. You can view external data with Excel, but you can't change that data.

Analyses and numbers? Choose Excel.

So where does Excel shine? With numbers! You can run sophisticated what-if models and costbenefit analyses that you can't in Access. Do you need PivotTable reports? These are interactive tables that allow you to rotate rows and columns and see different summaries of your data. Excel makes it easier to work with PivotTable reports and PivotChart reports charts based on those tables. Do you want to convey information visually, by using charts or data bars? Excel is your tool. Finally, not everyone has Access, and not everyone knows how to use it. Your coworkers may prefer Excel. Those are just a few of the reasons for using Access or Excel. The links in the Quick Reference Card at the end of this course take you to more information about using each program.

Test yourself Complete the following test so you can be sure you understand the material. Your answers are private, and test results are not scored. 1. Relational data structures don't contain flat data.
TRUE FAL SE

FALSE Good! Each table in a relational data structure is a flat file. You put them into a relational

structure because the data in each table is related in some way, such as customers to sales. 2. Excel is an ideal tool for editing data contained in a separate database.
TRUE FALSE

Right on! You can use Excel to display charts contained in a separate database, but only Access allows you to edit the data. 3. You should use Access when: a. b. c. d. You need a relational data structure. Multiple users need to work on the data simultaneously. You have a large amount of text data. All of the above.

You've got it! 4. Excel makes it hard to convey information visually.

TRUE FALSE

Precisely. Excel provides a large set of tools for creating charts and graphs.

Get to know Access 2007 If you think databases are hard to understand, you're not up to date. That may have been true once, but not anymore. Access 2007 makes it easy to manage your data by giving you a set of ready-made database templates. All you have to do is download and start. This course explains the advantages of Access compared to other ways of working with data. It shows you how to find and use the new database templates, and it takes you on a quick tour of a database. See how easy and powerful Access 2007 can be. To learn more about this course, read the text in Goals and About this course, or look at the table of contents. Then click Next to start the first lesson.

Got data? Get Access.

Access does data. All kinds of data. Customer contacts, billing hours, and inventory for your business. Diet and exercise records, household expenses, lists and prices of your collectibles. And it's easy to get started just download a ready-made database template. Start typing and you've got your data under control.

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Come to the table.

If you've got data, you've got lists. Access turns those lists into tables. Tables are organized by items in rows, and by categories in columns. Access calls rows records, and it calls columns fields. The record for each employee includes such fields as last and first name, e-mail address, job title, and so on. The record for each expense includes the date, amount, purpose, and so on. You can use the tables already created for you in an Access template, or choose yourself what you need to include. Organization by tables is what makes Access so effective. So what makes Access tables different from lists, or from Excel worksheets? That's next.

Related tables use data efficiently.

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Access is different because it uses related tables. It's designed so that one table can find and use data in another table. That way, when you keep track of work items, for example, there's no need to type employee names or project names that you've already stored. The picture shows this. You enter a new task in the Tasks table. As part of that, you select a project number from the Project field, which uses data from the Projects table. Also, the Owner field in the Projects table uses data from the Employees table, and that means the Tasks table and the Projects table both know which employee the work is assigned to. In turn, that helps you know who the work is assigned to. Related tables make Access more efficient than lists or worksheets.

Dress up your data. Another Access advantage: It makes data easy to see. Lists and worksheets can be hard to read. They go up and down, back and forth, over and over. In contrast, Access forms and reports let you show only the data you need, with the look you like. Help other people to use your data and help your data make your point. And it's easy, because it's all built into Access. Access 2007 templates provide forms and reports designed for you, to suit your data.

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Ask yourself these questions.

The power of Access is the power of data. If your data isn't suited for organizing in tables, or if nobody will look at it again, Access won't make it more useful. But even daily shopping lists, if you store them, will help you plan your budget. And a simple Access form can help a business give a discount to regular customers without making them stamp loyalty cards. That's why Access is worth getting to know.

Test yourself Complete the following test so you can be sure you understand the material. Your answers are private, and test results are not scored.

1. Tables are better than lists. a. True b. False c. It depends Correct. Your data, and how you use it, determines whether a table or list is best. 2. Access works best when all your data is in every table.
TRUE FALSE

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Correct. Avoiding duplicated data makes Access efficient. 3. What's in an Access database? a. Tables and nothing but tables. b. Tables, forms, and reports c. One really big table. Exactly. Databases contain tables, forms, reports, and other objects.

Start on the Getting Started page. Where else? Even if you've never used Access before, you can be working with your own Access 2007 database in five minutes or less. And if you have used Access before, you're in for a surprise, right from the start. New for Access 2007, the Getting Started page has lots to offer you. You'll find featured templates, links to all the Access 2007 templates, and links to useful Office Online stuff like video demos. You'll see the Getting Started page when you open Access 2007. After you've opened a database, you can return to the Getting Started page at any time by closing the database. Next, let's focus on the templates.

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Templates, templates, templates.

Also new for Access 2007, database templates mean that you can start a database in moments, without having to design and create it. Popular useful databases are provided for you. They're free, they're built for the purpose, and new ones keep getting added to the Getting Started page. The picture shows the page. After you open a database template, you can easily start entering data. You can also adapt it to suit yourself, or expand its capabilities by adding a new table or another form. Learn more about templates in the "Easy Access with templates" courses. You'll find links to them in the Quick Reference Card at the end of this course.

Data, data, right away.

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When you first open them, most templates display a form. Usually, it's the form you'll use the most. You get started with your new database by entering data in that form. That's really all it takes to get started download the database and start typing. The picture shows a typical form with some new data. Each form is custom tailored for its template, and it's easy to see how they save you a lot of time. But don't stop there. Access has some other tools that let you take charge of your new database.

The Navigation Pane makes your database plain.

After you open a database template, the Navigation Pane shows you what's inside it. The pane lists the tables, forms, reports and other objects in a database. The Navigation Pane is also where you go in order to use an object to open a form and enter data or run a report. The Navigation Pane puts every database object right in front of you. Let's take a quick tour. If the Navigation Pane is closed, open it by clicking the Shutter Bar Open/Close Button. When you first open a database template, it may display shortcuts to your database objects. You can tell by the little arrows next to each icon. If you want to work with the objects themselves, click the bar at the top of the Navigation Pane and

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Select another category from the menu. Object Type is a good all-around category because it shows you everything in your database. After you select a category Your choice appears in the bar at the top of the Navigation Pane, so you always know how your objects are organized. And don't worry. If you don't like a category, just open the menu and select a new one at any time. If you want more information about the Navigation Pane, see the links in the Quick Reference Card at the end of this course.

The Ribbon does it all.

The Ribbon at the top of every screen shows you all the commands for working with a database. On the Create tab, for example, you'll find the commands to create new tables and other database objects. You'll use the External Data tab when you want to import or export data. Each Ribbon tab contains its own groups, and each group contains the commands for a particular activity, such as sort and filter, hide and unhide, copy and paste. You've probably guessed that the Ribbon is new for Access 2007. Good guess.

Here's to your new database.

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It really is possible, in Access 2007, to create a database and start working with it in five minutes or less. To see that process, just click Play. And then try it for yourself in the practice. Test yourself Complete the following test so you can be sure you understand the material. Your answers are private, and test results are not scored.

1. Where are the templates? a. Office online. b. In the Navigation Pane. c. On the Getting Started page. Great! You can view the Getting Started page at any time, just by closing your database 2. Where can you see the database objects? a. On the Ribbon. b. On the Getting Started page. c. In the Navigation Pane. Spot on! The Quick Reference Card has a link to a video demo about the Navigation Pane, and courses about using the Navigation Pane are coming soon.

3. Where are the commands and buttons for working with data? a. On the Ribbon. b. In the Navigation Pane. c. On the Getting Started page. Exactly. Each tab contains groups of related commands.

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Access forms and reports make data easy on the eyes.

The previous lesson introduced you to forms and showed you how to get started using your new database. Now, you'll go a bit deeper into forms, and learn about reports. The picture shows a form on the left and a report on the right. Forms and reports make data visually effective. Forms make it easier to enter and work with data, while reports make it easy to print and view data.

See just what's important.

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A form can show you the data from one table or from more than one table, so that you can see all the data you want in one place. A form connected to more than one table lets you enter data without having to open those tables. A form can also emphasize important data and make it more visible, so that it's easier to work with. Or a form can show selected data, hiding what you want to keep private. For example, a form can encourage your customers to enter and update their own contact data, while it keeps shipping and payment details out of sight.

Fit to print.

If you take your data to a meeting, you want people to see at a glance what it means. If you send mail to your customers offering discounts on selected items, you want those items to look good enough to sell themselves. You can do that with a report. You can group the data to make it clearer, and use colors, fonts, and other design features to call attention where you want it.

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Finger-tip creations.

The template databases in Access 2007 contain many forms and reports, designed to fill your needs for each particular kind of data. If you want a new form or report, it's easy to create one any time. The Create tab on the Ribbon has commands for all sorts of new database objects. Try it yourself in the practice, and for more information, see the Quick Reference Card. Also in the Quick Reference Card: How to share Access 2007 files with people who use a previous version of Access, and How to back up Access 2007 files.

Test yourself Complete the following test so you can be sure you understand the material. Your answers are private, and test results are not scored.

1. To print your data, you would use _____. a. A form. b. A report. c. Either one.
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Great! A report can provide attractive, readable printouts. 2. A form always shows everything that a table shows.
TRUE FALSE

Excellent! One big advantage of using a form is they can show part of the data from a table, and it can combine data from more than one table, so you get just what you need. 3. Which of the following can provide data for a report? a. A form. b. Another report c. A query. Right you are. A query selects data from a table or tables, and a report can be based on that data in the query.

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Up to speed with Access 2007

As soon as you see Access 2007, you see change. And you may wonder, how long will it take to get comfortable with the new version? That's what this course is for. Meet the improvements, learn how they help you do your work, practice in Access itself you'll be up to speed in next to no time. To learn more about this course, read the text in Goals and About this course, or look at the table of contents. Then click Next to start the first lesson.

Access 2007 has a whole new look.

Right from the start, Access 2007 is designed for ease and convenience. Clearly visible, functionally arranged, features and commands follow the logic of your work to make you more productive.

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The Getting Started page offers database templates for you to download.

When you start Access 2007, you see the new Getting Started page. Here you'll find that this version of Access has already done a lot of your work for you. Categorized templates let you start your job in the middle. Templates are pre-built, task-focused databases that you can download and use right away. Pick, click it's really quick. More about templates in the next lesson, but first some other big improvements.

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What you need, right before your eyes. When you create or open an Access 2007 database, here's what you see. These are your new friends, the keys to success with Access 2007. Take a minute and learn their names: The Ribbon The Quick Access Toolbar The Microsoft Office Button The Navigation Pane The Navigation Pane shows you just what's in the database you're using. Tables, forms, reports, queries they're all visible here, handy while you work. And you do your work by using the Ribbon. That's next.

The Ribbon has everything that you need most. Much more than a new look, the Ribbon represents years of research on user experience. Designed with your work in mind, it puts the power of Access where you can see it at once, without hunting through the program. And it makes your work more efficient. The Ribbon is organized around common activities. Each Ribbon tab contains the commands you need for that activity, gathered into logical groups. Here you see the Tables group and the Forms group on the Create tab.
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Commands are easy to find, and they're easy to use. The Ribbon is your command center for working in Access 2007.

The toolbar that you fill to suit yourself. The basic Quick Access Toolbar A customized Quick Access Toolbar Everybody has favorite commands. Put yours on the Quick Access Toolbar, and they'll always be close at hand. Just right-click any command, and then click Add to Quick Access Toolbar. Whatever tab you're on, these commands stay right in reach.

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Click the Microsoft Office Button

and you'll see:

A menu of basic commands for working with files. A list of your recent documents. A button that you click to view and select various program settings. If this menu reminds you of the File menu in previous versions of Access, then you know what to look for here. You'll see the full menu in the practice, and that's next.

Test yourself
Complete the following test so you can be sure you understand the material. Your answers are private, and test results are not scored. 1. The _____ is intended for you to customize it by adding your favorite commands. The Getting Started with Microsoft Office Access page.
No, that's not cor

The Quick Access Toolbar.

That's correct! Th

The Ribbon.
No, it's something

Tabs and groups.

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That's correct! The Quick Access Toolbar enables you to see commands you use often, whatever you're doing. Right-click any command to add it to this toolbar, or right-click a command on the toolbar to remove it. 2. Which one of the following appears on the Getting Started with Microsoft Office Access page? The Navigation Pane.
That's not correc

The Create tab.

That's not it. Ther

The Microsoft Office Button.

Good for you! Yo

The Table Templates command. Good for you! You had your eyes open. The Microsoft Office Button appears on the Getting Started page, and you can use it there to create or open a database if you want to. 3. What is the basis of the Ribbon's organization? Commands are grouped alphabetically.
No, that w ouldn't

Commands you don't use are not shown.

No, that w ouldn't

Commands are grouped around common activities.

Yes indeed. That

Commands are listed on menus. Yes indeed. That way you can see what you need to do what you're doing. 4. Where do you set Access options? At Microsoft Office Online.
Not really. Dow nl

On the Getting Started page.

No, there's now h

In the Navigation Pane of each new database.

It w ouldn't be effi

In the menu of the Microsoft Office Button.

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You got it! That button is always in view, so you can always make changes to suit you and your use of Access 2007.

First, select a database template category. Access 2007 makes it really easy to create a new database. Templates provide pre-built databases designed to suit your needs. Select a category on the Getting Started page, and you'll see a range of possibilities.

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Select a template, name your database. When you select a template, Access 2007 shows you more about it in the pane on the right side of the Getting Started page. Here you can give the database a name you choose, which is what you'll see after you download it to your computer. Here too is the Download button. After the download is complete, you use the Navigation Pane to see what's in your new database. You'll try that in the practice session.

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There are templates for tables, too. Suppose you want to add a table to your database. Access 2007 makes that easy. Clicking the Create tab shows you groups of commands including the Tables group. Access 2007 has templates for tables, too. Click Table Templates, and there they are. Click a table template, and in a moment your database contains another table, with fields and data types appropriate to its purpose. You'll try this in the practice.

Create a form in a heartbeat, format it to your heart's content. To create a new form in Access 2007, click the Create tab and then click Form. Simple. Access bases the new form on the existing database object that you already have open, or that you have selected in the Navigation Pane. The new form opens in Layout view, and the Ribbon offers you Form Layout Tools with two tabs, Format and Arrange. (The Form Layout Tools appear on the Ribbon only when they can be used.) The commands on those tabs make changing the appearance of controls and labels so easy, the trick is knowing when to stop. Best of all, you preview the changes as you make them. If you don't like a change, undo it: CTRL+Z or the Quick Access Toolbar button .

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New reports are really rapid. This won't surprise you: To create a new report in Access 2007, click the Create tab and then click Report. Access bases the new report on the existing object that you already have open, or that you have selected in the Navigation Pane. The new report opens in Layout view, and the Ribbon offers you Report Layout Tools with three tabs, Format, Arrange, and Page Setup. (These tabs appear on the Ribbon only when they can be used.) Use the commands on those tabs to change the appearance of controls and labels, or to select margins, paper size, and other printing options. Naturally, you preview the changes as you make them. See that in the practice, which is next.

Test yourself
Complete the following test so you can be sure you understand the material. Your answers are private, and test results are not scored. 1. Whats the fastest way to create a database for your contacts? Download a Contacts database template.
Exactly. You'll fin

Click Blank Database.

Not so fast. You'l

Search for one on the Internet.

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That could take a

Buy an address book. Exactly. You'll find a Contacts template on the Getting Started page, in the Business category or the Personal category. 3. How do you base a new report on an existing table? Copy the table data and paste it into the report.
Access is simple

Select the table in the Navigation Pane and click Report on the Create tab.
That's it. Access

Save the table as a report.

Not an option. Wh

On the Create tab, in the Reports group, click New Table. That's it. Access gives the new report controls that match the table fields, and the same name as the table. 4. Formatting you apply using Form Layout Tools is saved as soon as you see it, so be careful. True.
It's the other w ay

False. You got it. In Access 2007, you're free to apply new looks and see what you like. Until you choose to save the form, it's all just an idea. 5. Which of the following is a type of table template? Events
Yes and

Issues
Yes and

Tasks
Yes and

All three Yes! And Contacts and Assets, too.

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New format, new file extension Access 2007 uses a new file format. What does that mean to you? Several advantages, and a couple of simple steps. And yes old files do work in the new version of Access.

Advantages of the new file format. Why change the file format? To make Access 2007 databases more secure. To make them more compact. To make recovery of data more reliable if a file does become corrupted. And to add
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some features that aren't so easy to put into a picture, like table fields that store attachments, and fields with multiple values.

How to get the advantages of the new file format. If you'd like to make a copy of an older database that will be more secure, more compact, and easier to recover if necessary, here's all you have to do. In Access 2007, click the Microsoft Office Button supposed to be. and use the Open command to open that older database. Click the button

again and point to Save As. Click Access 2007 Database. It's sort of obvious, because it's

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How to work with people who don't have Access 2007 yet. You may need to share an Access 2007 database with someone who is working with a previous version of Access. As you might expect, the way to do that is to create a copy in an older file format. And the method of making that copy is very like the method of upgrading an older database. Open the Access 2007 database and click the Microsoft Office Button Save As and then click the option that applies. . Point to

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New features are available only in Access 2007. Some new features in Access 2007 require the new file format. If your database uses those new features, and you try to make a copy of the database in an older format, Access tells you why that doesn't happen. If you know that you'll be sharing a database with people who don't have Access 2007, plan your work accordingly. Right now, it's time to practice what you've learned.

Test yourself
Complete the following test so you can be sure you understand the material. Your answers are private, and test results are not scored. 1. Which of the following is true of the Access 2007 file format? It is based on XML.
Reasonable gues

It works with all previous versions of Access.

Too many new fe

It provides increased security and decreased file sizes.

Right you are!

It requires that you reconfigure your printer. Right you are! 2. How do you use an older database in Access 2007? Open the database and use the Save As command.
Just that.

Send it as an e-mail attachment, using Microsoft Office Outlook 2007.

That w on't w ork.

Open the database in Access 2007, and upgrade happens automatically.

No, this is a choic

Open the database and export its data to a new blank database in Access 2007. Just that. 3. Access 2007 databases cannot be shared with people who use earlier versions of Access. False.
Right, that is false

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True. Right, that is false. Use the Save As command to create a copy compatible with previous versions. 4. And where do you find the Save As command? On the Quick Access Toolbar.
No. You'll find Sa

On the Home tab.

No. You'll find Sa

On the menu of the Microsoft Office Button

Yes indeed. Point

In Access Options. Yes indeed. Point at the command to see the formats available.

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Take charge of your database with the Navigation pane Are you new to Access 2007, or maybe switching from a previous version? If so, you need to know how to use the Navigation Pane. It's where you run and manage the components in your databases. For example, when you need to enter data, run a report, or delete an unused table, you start by using the Navigation Pane. This course provides an overview of the Navigation Pane and the tasks you'll do the most. Just watch the demo, and then go straight to a hands-on practice. The Navigation Pane is easy, it saves time, and it's powerful. So don't be intimidated. Dive in. To learn more about this course, read the text in Goals and About this course, or look at the table of contents. Then click Next to start the first lesson.

Play demo

Whenever you download an Access 2007 template or open a database, you see the Navigation Pane on the left side of your screen. The Navigation Pane shows you all the objects in your database the tables, forms, reports, and other components. The Navigation Pane is where you go to use and manage your database. For example, do you need to create a new table or remove an unused macro? You start from the Navigation Pane. Knowing how to use the Navigation Pane is essential to knowing Access 2007, but don't worry, it isn't hard. To see what you can do with the Navigation Pane, click Play Demo, above the picture, then put what you've seen to work in the practice session that follows.

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Test yourself
Complete the following test so you can be sure you understand the material. Your answers are private, and test results are not scored.

1. To create a custom category, you _____. Click the Create tab, and in the Other group click the Custom command.
Try again. Do you

Use the Navigation Options dialog box.

Excellent! To star

Right-click anywhere in the Navigation Pane and click Add to Group. Excellent! To start the dialog box, right-click the bar at the top of the Navigation Pane and click Navigation Options. 2. To open an object in Design view, you _____. Click the Database Tools tab, and in the Tools group, click Design.
Incorrect. Keep tr

Click the Home tab, click View, and then click Design View.
Also good! There

Right-click the object and click Design View. Also good! There's another way to do the task. Can you spot it? 3. You use the Navigation Pane menu to _____. Move among the objects in your database.
No, you do that b

Change options for the Navigation Pane.

Wide of the mark.

Switch between categories and groups.

Excellent! The cat

All of the above. Excellent! The categories organize the objects in your database, the groups let you filter the objects 4. Custom categories and groups contain database objects True.

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Incorrect. Custom

False Correct! Custom categories and groups contain shortcuts to your database objects, indicated by small arrows in the lower-left corner of each icon.

5. To hide a group, you _____. Use the Navigation Options dialog box.
Correct, but durin

Right-click the group header and click Collapse.

Incorrect.

Right-click the group header and click Hide. Correct, but during the practice sessions you may have seen another way to do the job. See if you can find it here.

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Take charge of your database with the navigation pane Are you new to Access 2007, or maybe switching from a previous version? If so, you need to know how to use the Navigation Pane. It's where you run and manage the components in your databases. For example, when you need to enter data, run a report, or delete an unused table, you start by using the Navigation Pane. This course provides an overview of the Navigation Pane and the tasks you'll do the most. Just watch the demo, and then go straight to a hands-on practice. The Navigation Pane is easy, it saves time, and it's powerful. So don't be intimidated. Dive in. To learn more about this course, read the text in Goals and About this course, or look at the table of contents. Then click Next to start the first lesson.

Play demo

Whenever you download an Access 2007 template or open a database, you see the Navigation Pane on the left side of your screen. The Navigation Pane shows you all the objects in your database the tables, forms, reports, and other components. The Navigation Pane is where you go to use and manage your database. For example, do you need to create a new table or remove an unused macro? You start from the Navigation Pane. Knowing how to use the Navigation Pane is essential to knowing Access 2007, but don't worry, it isn't hard. To see what you can do with the Navigation Pane, click Play Demo, above the picture, then put what you've seen to work in the practice session that follows.

Test yourself
Complete the following test so you can be sure you understand the material. Your answers are private, and test results are not scored.

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1. To create a custom category, you _____. Click the Create tab, and in the Other group click the Custom command.
Try again. Do you

Use the Navigation Options dialog box.

Excellent! To star

Right-click anywhere in the Navigation Pane and click Add to Group. Excellent! To start the dialog box, right-click the bar at the top of the Navigation Pane and click Navigation Options. 2. To open an object in Design view, you _____. Click the Database Tools tab, and in the Tools group, click Design.
Incorrect. Keep tr

Click the Home tab, click View, and then click Design View.
Also good! There

Right-click the object and click Design View. Also good! There's another way to do the task. Can you spot it? 3. You use the Navigation Pane menu to _____. Move among the objects in your database.
No, you do that b

Change options for the Navigation Pane.

Wide of the mark.

Switch between categories and groups.

Excellent! The cat

All of the above. Excellent! The categories organize the objects in your database, the groups let you filter the objects 4. Custom categories and groups contain database objects True.
Incorrect. Custom

False. Correct! Custom categories and groups contain shortcuts to your database objects, indicated by small arrows in the lower-left corner of each icon.

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5. To hide a group, you _____. Use the Navigation Options dialog box.
Correct, but durin

Right-click the group header and click Collapse.

Incorrect.

Right-click the group header and click Hide. Correct, but during the practice sessions you may have seen another way to do the job. See if you can find it here.

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