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Intro

In lesson 302, you will learn how to expand your Microsoft Access order entry system by creating a product table and product form, allowing users to select products from a list instead of typing them manually. I will show you how to build a product combo box for the order form, use its columns to bring data into the form, and introduce the DLookUp function for retrieving additional information. We will also cover new Visual Basic commands, including working with variables and comments. This lesson builds on Microsoft Access 301, so prior knowledge from previous lessons is recommended.

Transcript

Welcome to Microsoft Access 302, Access Developer Level 2, brought to you by AccessLearningZone.com. I am your instructor, Richard Rost.

In today's class, we are going to continue building our order entry system. We are going to start by building a product table and a product form. This table will store all the different information on the products we are going to sell, so that our sales reps do not have to keep typing them in every time they make an order. They can pick from a list of products and add that product to the form.

We are going to build a product combo box on our order form that they can use to select the item. Using the columns of that combo box, we are going to be able to get data into the order form. Whatever data we cannot get out of the product combo box itself, we are going to get using a new function called DLookUp.

We are also going to learn a whole bunch of new VB commands today. We are going to work with integers or a lot of VB variables and learn about some different VB stuff as well, including comments. So, lots of new material for today's class.

This class follows Microsoft Access 301. I strongly recommend that you take all of the previous Access classes all the way from 101 up to 301. If you do not, then you might not understand some of the material we covered in some of the previous classes. But, if you are an experienced Access developer and you are starting late, at least take Access 301 before this class. It will give you some of the background and some of the material we have been working on.

In this class, I will be using Microsoft Access XP 2002, as well as Windows XP. However, this lesson is valid for every version of Access or Windows. I strongly recommend that you sit back, relax, and watch each lesson through completely before trying the lessons on your own. Do not try to apply what you learn immediately to your database. Instead, build the sample database that I am working on until you understand the concepts. Then, adapt your own database accordingly.

You will find a copy of the database files used in today's class at accesslearningzone.com/access/302. You will also find them installed in a help folder under the courses, if you installed the courses from our downloadable executable or off our CD. If you are watching this lesson online, then you will not have them in your help folder. In fact, you will not have a help folder at all.

I cannot stress enough the importance of doing the examples. Do the examples yourself and you will get much, much more out of this class. If you do not understand something, go ahead and try running through the examples. A lot of times, people tell me that they did not get it the first time through, but they watched it again a second time. They actually did the examples in the class, and then it started making sense.

Do not complain if you just watched it once and do not understand it. Watch it a second time. Run through the examples and I guarantee you will get it.

Quiz

Q1. What is the main new feature being added to the order entry system in this lesson?
A. A product table and a product form
B. A new customer billing system
C. An employee tracking database
D. A sales reporting dashboard

Q2. Why are the sales reps encouraged to pick products from a list?
A. To make the entry process longer
B. To avoid entering product information repeatedly
C. To reduce the number of products available
D. To hide product details from reps

Q3. What Access control is used on the order form to select a product?
A. Option button
B. List box
C. Combo box
D. Check box

Q4. Which function is introduced for retrieving additional product information not available directly from the combo box?
A. DSUM
B. DCOUNT
C. DLOOKUP
D. DMAX

Q5. Besides Access objects, what programming topics are emphasized in this lesson?
A. SQL Server configuration
B. VB variables and commands, including comments
C. Macro automation only
D. Advanced SQL queries

Q6. What advice does the instructor give about watching and practicing lessons?
A. Apply concepts directly to your own database without watching
B. Watch the lesson and immediately use it in production
C. Watch lessons completely before trying them, and build the sample database first
D. Skip the examples and only read the documentation

Q7. What prior knowledge does the instructor recommend for students taking this class?
A. No prior knowledge is needed
B. Only Access 101 is required
C. At least Microsoft Access 301 or earlier classes
D. Only Excel experience

Q8. According to the instructor, where can students find the database files used in class?
A. In the Windows system folder
B. In the Help folder under courses, or on accesslearningzone.com
C. Sent by email to every student
D. From the Microsoft website

Q9. If you do not understand a lesson after watching it once, what does the instructor suggest?
A. Stop learning Access
B. Watch it a second time and try doing the examples
C. Only read the transcript
D. Wait for the next class without reviewing

Q10. Which version of Microsoft Access is used for demonstration in this course?
A. Access 2010
B. Access 2007
C. Access XP 2002
D. Access 2016

Answers: 1-A; 2-B; 3-C; 4-C; 5-B; 6-C; 7-C; 8-B; 9-B; 10-C

DISCLAIMER: Quiz questions are AI generated. If you find any that are wrong, don't make sense, or aren't related to the video topic at hand, then please post a comment and let me know. Thanks.

Summary

Today's video from Access Learning Zone continues our journey through building an order entry system in Microsoft Access. Our main focus for this session is to set up a product table and a corresponding product form. The product table will serve as a central location where we store all the information about the products we plan to sell. This approach eliminates the need for sales representatives to enter product information manually for each order. Instead, they can simply select the appropriate product from a list when filling out an order.

I will show you how to create a combo box on the order form that allows users to pick products. We will make use of the combo box columns to bring product data directly into the order form. In cases where we need information that is not readily available through the combo box, I will introduce you to the DLookup function, which allows us to fetch additional product details from the table.

We will also spend some time today learning new Visual Basic (VB) commands. You will practice working with integers, various VB variables, and I will also cover the use of comments in your code. There is a lot of new material to cover, so be prepared for a comprehensive session.

This lesson builds directly on the concepts taught in Microsoft Access 301. If you have not already taken Access classes 101 through 301, I strongly recommend completing those before starting with this course. Some of the material we cover assumes you are already comfortable with earlier lessons. If you are experienced with Access but working out of sequence, at the very least be sure to complete Access 301 to ensure you have the necessary background.

Throughout this course, I will be using Microsoft Access XP 2002 and Windows XP, but the techniques we cover are applicable to all versions of Access and Windows. My suggestion is to watch each lesson in full before trying to apply the techniques to your own databases. Follow along by building the same sample database I am demonstrating. This will help you fully grasp the concepts before making changes to your own projects.

You can find a copy of the database files used in this class at my website on the Access 302 page. If you installed the course from our downloadable executable or CD, these files are also available in the help folder under courses. If you are streaming the lesson online, please note that you will need to download these files, as you will not have a help folder.

It is very important to do the examples yourself. Hands-on practice will help reinforce the concepts and give you a much better understanding of the lessons. If something is unclear at first, try working through the examples. Many students have told me that repeating the lessons and exercises made everything much clearer.

Remember, it is common not to fully grasp the material on the first try. Watch the lesson again, work through the examples, and I am confident the concepts will come together for you.

You can find a complete video tutorial with step-by-step instructions on everything discussed here on my website at the link below. Live long and prosper, my friends.

Topic List

Creating a product table for order entry

Designing a product form to manage product data

Adding a product combo box to the order form

Using combo box columns to populate form data

Retrieving additional data with the DLookUp function

Working with variables in Visual Basic for Applications

Using integer data types in VBA

Adding comments in VBA code