Datasheet

Figure 1-1 The Database window has seven main sections you can
work with: Tables, Queries, Forms, Reports, Pages, Macros, and Modules.
What is a table?
One way to think of a table is as a collection of data concerning a specific entity
(for example, customers, branches, transactions, products, and so on). You
want each of these entities to have its own unique table. Among the many
advantages to storing your data using this approach is eliminating or signifi-
cantly decreasing duplicate information. Later in the chapter, you learn about
the dangers inherent in storing data with excessive duplications.
Opening a table in Datasheet view
Open your sample database, click the Tables section (highlighted in Figure
1-1), and then double-click the CustomerMaster table. When the table opens, it
is in the Datasheet view. In this view, you are able to directly view and edit the
contents of the table. As you can see in Figure 1-2, the names of the columns
are at the top.
Identifying important table elements
Access tables consist of rows, with each row representing a single instance of
the table name or entity. In CustomerMaster, each row represents a single dis-
tinct customer with which the firm does business. In proper database termi-
nology, a row is called a record.
The table also comprises columns, with each column representing a particu-
lar piece of information common to all instances of the table’s entity. In Cus-
tomerMaster, each column represents some attribute of the customer that you
want to record. In proper database terminology, a column is known as a field.
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