ConfusedUFBlogger: An Access Database Assignment and What I Learned that will Help you

Microsoft Access 2007 is a great tool to use in the workplace. The most recent assignment for the ISM 3004 class was to use Microsoft Access, import data, create a query, create a form, and then finally a report from the data of the created query. During this project I learned how valuable the Design View is in Microsoft Access along with how to set certain parameters in queries that make them stronger sorters of data.

Design View allows a person to adapt data to their needs. There are too many useful tools in the view to break it down in this brief blog, but I would like to mention that without this area in Access it would not be as useful of a tool. During the assignment of creating a database Design View was the go to screen to make it work. Here is a screen shot from my database in design view.

I also found it useful to know how to adapt queries to get the data in the order you need it. One major lesson I learned in the query portion of the assignment was that if you need to filter or sort more than one item, always put the key item in front by order of precedence. It was as simple as highlighting and dragging the columns in front of one another which allowed the end product to show the needed specifications. It sounds easy, because it is easy.

I think that this database could be made more useful by creating additional queries. I think that the owners of the gym may want to know the average of how long most people stay as members. They could create another query with all the members from the “Members” table and sort the join date in ascending order and then insert other functions in the Design View to see what the average length of time a member has been at the gym.

With Microsoft Access there are so many different ways to take your data and manage it in the way you need it. If you are looking to do a new database I would suggest just two simple things to you. First buy Microsoft Access. The link below takes you directly to Microsoft’s website to buy this great tool for under $140.00. I would also recommend buying the book Access for Dummies. The second link is directly to Amazon.com where you can purchase the book from $12.00. It helps answer those burning questions that arise during your database build.