Introduction
Congratulations on choosing Microsoft Access 97! Access is one of the most powerful and flexible database management programs sold today. Whether you need a simple record of your home inventory or a complete business management system, Access can handle the job.
Although Access comes with many features to help the beginner, it's still not a simple program. You probably won't be able to dive right in without instructions. But you certainly don't want to wade through a 500-page manual to find your way around!
You want a clear-cut, plain-English introduction to Access.
You need to create a professional-looking, usable database—fast.
You don't have time to study database theory.
You need The 10 Minute Guide to Access 97.
What Is Microsoft Access?
Microsoft Access is a Database Management System but I usually refer to it as a "database program" for short. This book covers Microsoft Access 97, the version designed for Windows 95 and Windows NT. It won't run on the 16-bit version of Windows (3.x).
Access enables you to collect, store, and arrange information as well as run reports that lead to conclusions. Here are just a few of the things you can do with Access:
Type data directly into a database, or import it from another program.
Sort, index, and organize the data the way you want.
Quickly create reports and mailing labels using all or part of your data.
Make customized data-entry forms that simplify the way beginning computer users enter new information in the database.
Run queries that extract subsets of your data based on certain conditions.
You'll learn to do all of this and more with the help of this book.
Installing Access
If you purchased Access as part of the Microsoft Office 97 suite, you probably already installed it when you installed the suite. If you haven't installed Microsoft Access on your computer, see the inside front cover of this book for instructions.
What Is The 10 Minute Guide?
The 10 Minute Guide series is a new approach to learning computer programs. Instead of trying to cover the entire program, the 10 Minute Guide teaches you only about the features of Access that a beginner is most likely to need.
No matter what your professional demands, the 10 Minute Guide to Access 97 will help you to find and learn the main features of the program and to become productive with it quicker. You can learn this wonderfully logical and powerful program in a fraction of the time you would normally spend learning a new program.
Conventions Used in This Book
Each of the lessons in this book include step-by-step instructions for performing a specific task. The following icons will help you to identify particular types of information:
Timesaver Tips
These offer shortcuts and hints for using the program most effectively.
Access on the Web
These provide information about using Access on the Internet.
Plain English
These identify new terms and definitions.
Warning
These appear in places where new users often run into trouble.
Specific conventions in this book help you to easily find your way around Microsoft Access:
What you type appears in bold, colored type.
What you select appears in colored type.
Menu, Field, and Key names appear with the first letter capitalized.
Trademarks
All terms mentioned in this book that are known to be trademarks have been appropriately capitalized. Que Corporation cannot attest to the accuracy of this information. Use of a term in this book should not be regarded as affecting the validity of any trademark or service mark.
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