Access 2007 Intermediate Class

Building upon the Access Fundamentals training course, AcademyX's hands-on Intermediate Access training class will teach you the most effective techniques for designing and optimizing complex relational databases. Using hands-on exercises with real-world examples, you will master Access's data entry secrets, as well as discover the best way to efficiently organize, compare, and present key data trends in clear and focused reports.

Microsoft Access as a Relational Database

Unlike spreadsheets, databases often contain related data: for example, orders related to customers, events related to locations, employees related to job duties, and so on. Understanding how to set up these relationships in a database allows you to create much more efficient and manageable data sets. In this MS Access training class, we teach you the most effective ways to set up relationships across your database and to speed up data input. You will learn how to:

• Set up your database right the first time, using the Rules of Normalization
• Choose and implement the best type of relationship between your tables
• Perform Cascading Updates and Deletes to maintain referential integrity
• Edit Lookup Fields to simplify data entry
• Utilize Subdatasheets to universally modify information across tables

Access: Complex Queries

Once you have established the ground rules in data organization, Access allows you to search for and analyze records based on specific parameters. While other programs require manual filtering in order to perform a similar function, Access saves you time by automating this task. In this part of the training class, you will practice the best way to:

• Save time by storing queries you use regularly
• Perform inner, outer and self-joins to link unrelated data tables
• Keep your data clean by locating duplicate and orphaned records
• Perform analytical calculations
• Use the Expression Builder to design specialized queries, such as "retrieve data from fields whose value is greater than 100"

Access: Advanced Form Design

Adding graphics, labels, and buttons to your forms can make modifying and inserting records a breeze. We teach you the difference between unbound, calculated, and group controls, and show you easy-to-remember tips that will have you creating user-friendly form elements, like drop-down menus, in no time. We show you how to:

• Insert shapes, such as rectangles and triangles, to draw borders and group controls together
• Enhance the appearance and usability of your forms with graphics
• Embed Word docs (such as policy and procedures statements) and Excel worksheets into your forms
• Prevent users' data entry errors by displaying options in a drop-down list

Access: Reports and Printing

Ultimately, the test of a good data storage system is not getting the data into the system, but how fast and effectively you can get information out of the system. With Access, you can easily generate attractive and informative reports to view or present data and trends. You can also use Access to print out different types of labels. In this section of the Access Intermediate training, you will explore how to:

• Add and customize report headers and footers to match your company's style guidelines
• Make reports more readable with conditional formatting for font, style, and background color
• Work with calculated fields, such as a sales transaction (number of items multiplied by price of each item)
• Print a range of records or specific database objects
• Design inventory or address labels

Access: Charts, Graphs, and PivotTools

When presenting database information, it is often more effective to show relationships and trends with graphics rather than text or numbers. Using the Chart Wizard, you can display complex data in a colorful, easy-to-understand visual image. If you have an extremely large dataset, you'll need to master PivotTables and PivotCharts, which are the most efficient methods of organizing large quantities of data in MS Access. In this final section, you will learn how to:

• Correctly set up PivotTables and PivotCharts
• Format text, color, and background properties to highlight and organize data
• Add and modify fields to recalculate and reanalyze data

Prerequisites:

• A solid understanding of Windows file management, the concepts of right-clicking and selecting object properties
• Successful completion of Access Intro class or equivalent experience providing a basic understanding of tables, queries, forms and reports

Access classes are offered at four locations::

• Intermediate Access class San Francisco
  
• Intermediate Access class Los Angeles
  
• Intermediate Access class San Jose
• Intermediate Access class Sacramento