Intermediate Microsoft Access 2010

About This Course

Do you have experience building Microsoft Access 2010 databases, but want to take your skills to the next level? In this course, you'll build an entire database project from scratch. By the time you've completed the course, you'll have a fully functional database that tracks customer and order information.

You'll start by learning how to create your new database by importing information from Excel spreadsheets into tables. Using action queries, you'll add and update key fields that allow you to build relationships among the tables. Then you'll master the steps for building complex yet easy-to-use forms to manage table data.

The course offers you tips and techniques for optimizing your database, including ways to build crosstab and summary queries so you can access information quickly and easily. You'll also learn about outer table joins that can make you queries more effective.

Once you've built your database, you'll examine how to build reports using conditional formatting to highlight key data points, and explore Visual Basic, a powerful programming language that allows you to automate simple and complex tasks. Finally, you'll put the finishing touches on your database as you build a navigation form to make it easy for your users to find what they need.

About The Instructor

This course includes a knowledgeable and caring instructor who will guide you through your lessons, facilitate discussions, and answer your questions. The instructor for this course will be Ken Cook.

Ken Cook has built and managed a successful computer consulting business (now called Cook Software Solutions, LLC) since 1990. He began as a trainer specializing in Microsoft Office and has helped numerous users (too many to count!) master a variety of software packages. Currently, he continues to train, but his main focus is creating expert Microsoft Office solutions and Microsoft Access database solutions for Fortune 500 and small business clients. Ken is also co-author (with Laurie Ulrich Fuller) of Access 2007 for Dummies and Access 2010 for Dummies published by Wiley.

Syllabus

A new section of each course starts monthly. If enrolling in a series of two or more courses, please be sure to space the start date for each course at least two months apart.

Week 1

Wednesday - Lesson 01

In this first lesson, we’ll review Access key concepts and terminology. You’ll also learn how to import, or share, data between Access and other applications without retyping. The objects you import in this lesson will be the basis of a project that we’ll work on for the rest of the course.

Friday - Lesson 02

Today you’ll learn how to set up key fields in tables, plus you’ll use action queries to quickly and easily manipulate multiple-table records with one command.

Week 2

Wednesday - Lesson 03

What are table relationships? And what does referential integrity mean? It’s time to find out how and why to use these features.

Friday - Lesson 04

Forms are the user-friendly gateway to Access table data. In this lesson, you'll learn how to create and modify forms and make them easy to use.

Week 3

Wednesday - Lesson 05

In this lesson, you’ll learn how to create a subform without the wizard, and you’ll use the Tab control to arrange form data.

Friday - Lesson 06

You’ve already learned to put data into your database in an efficient way. In this lesson, you’ll learn about query joins and data functions. These tools will help you get timely, high-quality data out of your database, so you see all the data you want and none of the data you don’t want.

Week 4

Wednesday - Lesson 07

Suppose your boss tells you, “I want a list of the customers who placed the most orders and a separate list of the customers who spent the most overall.” How can you find these answers quickly and accurately? Access comes to your rescue again! In this lesson, you’ll explore Access functions, crunch numbers with the best of them, and even design a mathematical formula of your own. And don’t worry if math makes you nervous . . . I’ll walk you through every step!

Friday - Lesson 08

In this lesson, you’ll build powerful, fast summary queries that total, count, or average the values in a set of records. You’ll also discover the power of the crosstab query, which can not only summarize data but also rearrange it so that it becomes easier to understand. Finally, you’ll add query parameters that allow you to change a query’s criteria without altering its design.

Week 5

Wednesday - Lesson 09

Today you'll use the Report Wizard to build a basic report. Then you'll fine-tune what you've built, and I'll share some tips and tricks I've developed after building thousands of Access reports. Finally, you'll learn about a fantastic tool—conditional formatting, which allows you to visually identify key report data. With a few clicks, your report will change from a mass of numbers to a map of trends and changes that affect your business.

Friday - Lesson 10

Just about every time you run a report, you'll want to limit the data it displays. You might want to see only a certain customer or a particular month and year. In this lesson, you'll build a dialog box that allows the user to run reports based on custom-built criteria.

Week 6

Wednesday - Lesson 11

Visual Basic is a powerful programming language that allows database developers to automate simple and complex tasks. In this lesson, you'll learn a little bit about Visual Basic, using it to make the reports dialog box you built in Lesson 10 fully functional.

Friday - Lesson 12

If you're creating a database for others, you must make it easy to use—and as you may remember, Access can look intimidating to a newbie! In this lesson, you'll build a navigation form that directs users to the forms and reports they need. You'll also set up a database for shared use and modify the start-up options.

Requirements

Microsoft Access 2010 (software must be installed and fully operational before the course begins); Microsoft Windows XP, Vista, Windows 7, or Windows 8; Internet access, e-mail, the Microsoft Internet Explorer or Mozilla Firefox Web browser, and the Adobe Flash and PDF plug-ins (two free and simple downloads you obtain at http://www.adobe.com/downloads by clicking Get Adobe Flash Player and Get Adobe Reader). This course is not suitable for Macintosh users. A basic understanding of Microsoft Access objects and their use or completion of Introduction to Microsoft Access 2010 course is required.