Access 2013 comes with templates for several databases typically used in business and education, and when you are connected to the Internet, many more are available from the
Microsoft Office website. By using predefined templates, you can create a database in far
less time than it used to take to design one, because someone has already done the design work for you.
SEE ALSO For information about the basic concepts of database design, see the sidebar “Database design” later in this chapter.
By using templates, you can create two types of database applications:
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Desktop databases These databases are stored on your computer or a networkserver. After using a desktop database template to create the database, you can view and modify it by using Access 2013 on your local computer.
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Web apps These database applications are hosted in a Microsoft SharePoint 2013environment. They are designed to provide an online interface through which people can view and enter data from a web browser. Web apps make it possible for people to access company information from wherever they are and from any computer, whether or not it has Access installed. Several of the templates that come with Access
and many of the templates available from the Office website are for web apps. For
more information, see the sidebar “Getting started with Access web apps” later in this chapter.
Although using an Access template might not produce exactly the database you want, it can quickly create something you can customize to meet your needs. However, you can customize a database only if you know how to manipulate its basic building blocks: tables, forms, queries, and reports. Due to the complexity of these templates, you prob- ably shouldn’t try to modify them until you’re comfortable working with database objects
in Design view and Layout view. By the time you finish this book, you will know enough to be able to confidently work with the sophisticated pre-packaged database templates that
come with Access.
In this exercise, you’ll explore the templates that come with Access, and you’ll create a desk- top database based on the Desktop Task Management template.
Creating databases from templates 55
2
SET UP
You don’t need any practice files to complete this exercise. Close any open databases, and then follow the steps.1
With either the Access starting screen or the New page of the Backstage view dis- played, scroll the page to display the range of available templates. Notice that the icons of desktop database templates are designated by a blank page, and the icons of web app templates are designated by a stylized page with a globe.The globe distinguishes web app templates from desktop database templates.
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In the list of templates, click the Task management web app template icon.Clicking a web app template icon displays a description of the template and asks you to name the database and identify the SharePoint site on which it will be stored.
TIP If no template seems to be a good starting point for the database you want to create, you can search for additional templates on the Office website by entering a category in the Search For Online Templates box and then clicking the Start Search- ing button.
3
To the left and right of the creation window, click the back and forward arrows to scroll through the list of available templates, reading their descriptions. Stop when the creation window for the Desktop task management template is displayed.Unlike other programs that allow you to create a file and then assign a name and storage location, Access requires that you assign a name and storage location before you create a new database file.
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In the File Name box, enter MyTasks.TIP Naming conventions for Access database files follow those for Windows files. File names cannot contain the following characters: \ / : * ? “ < > |. Although you can use spaces between words, because database files are sometimes referenced in program- ming code, most database developers use words with initial capital letters and no spaces between them.
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Click the adjacent Browse button, and then in the File New Database dialog box, navigate to the Chapter02 practice file folder.Creating databases from templates 57
2
TIP By default, Access creates new databases in your Documents folder. You can change the location when you create each database, or you can change the default folder. To specify a different default folder, open the Access Options dialog box, and then on the General page, in the Creating Databases area, click the Browse button to the right of Default Database Folder. In the Default Database Path dialog box, browse to the folder you want to be the default, and then click OK in each of the open dialog boxes.
6
With Microsoft Access 2007-2013 Databases selected in the Save as type box, click OK.7
With the path to the specified folder displayed below the File Name box in the window, click the Create button.This Getting Started window is a form that provides two videos to help you understand
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If you want, watch the videos to understand how this template works. Then clear the Show Getting Started when this database is opened check box, and close the window.9
Enable the content of the database, and ensure that the Navigation pane is open. Then if any of the groups are collapsed, click their chevrons to open them.By default, the Task List form is displayed in Form view so that you can start adding tasks.
TIP Below the form name is a toolbar that has commands created by embedded macros. A database that has commands like these is called a database application. The topic of macros is beyond the scope of this book. For information, search for
macros in Access Help.
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Click the field below Task Title, enter Monthly Report, and click the field below itto create a record.
11
In the Navigation pane, in the Tables group, double-click Tasks to display the table on which the Task List form is based. Notice that the task you just entered in theCreating databases from templates 59