Tables

Tables are the basic unit of any database system. These look very similar to the tables you build in your favorite spread sheet. With Access and other dedicated database managers great capabilities are built in to manipulate the data in ways that are difficult if not impossible with a spreadsheet.

The screen shot below illustrates some of the vocabulary used in database descriptions.

The Title Bar gives the name of the table, in this case, DataDictionary. The next row, mostly shaded in gray, lists the Field Names. Notice that field names are preceded with "obj-". This is to identify these field names with each other and the table of which they are a part. (Data Dictionary is all about the objects that make up this application.) The field data appear in columns below each field name. Each row is referred to as a Record.
After a table is created in the Access Design Window, one only needs to begin entering the table data. This is what is done with the numerous Lookup tables in the M.G. Members application. But with tables including more than just a few fields, it is more convenient for the user to enter these data through a form.

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