Welcome

This course continues where Access Beginner Level 1 left off. We will continue working with form design, adding more to our customer form that we started in the last class. We will then get an introduction to relationships, one of the most important concepts in Access database design. We will add an appointments table & form, and learn how to make a combo box to select a customer from a list.

Resources

Topics Covered

In Lesson 1, we will download the sample database from Level 1. We'll learn about the security warning and what it means that "active content has been disabled." We will set up a Trusted Location on our computer to put our database files in, and then make a shortcut to our database on the Desktop. We'll go over a quick review of the topics covered in Level 1.

In Lesson 2, we will begin rebuilding the customer form we started in Level 1. We will learn how to add, remove, and resize controls. We'll see how to align and size objects relative to each other. We'll see how to modify the foreground (font) and background colors.

In Lesson 3, we will continue working with form design. We'll focus on additional kinds of form formatting. We'll learn the difference between the grid lines and grid dots, and how to change between them. We'll learn how to size objects to the grid. We'll work with some additional object properties like colors, outlines, and fonts. We'll learn about Themes.

In Lesson 4, we will get an introduction to relationships, one of the most important features of an Access database. We will learn what relationships are, why we want to use them, and about the different types of relationships. We'll learn about primary and foreign keys. We'll build a table to track appointments for each customer. We'll learn how to set default values using the Now and Date functions.

In Lesson 5, we will continue working with relationships. We'll build an appointment form. We'll learn how to build a relational combo box so we can pick a customer from a list of customers. We'll make a command button so that we can open the appointment form and see just the appointments for the selected customer.

Finally, we'll take some time to go over popular questions that I've been asked over the past 20 years of teaching this course. We'll discuss customizing the Ribbon and the Quick Access Toolbar. What's the problem if you can't see text as you are typing into a form? How to print a form in design view. How to get your AutoNumbers to start higher than 1. What's a combo box that's always open? What is the maximum size of an Access database, and the max number of fields per table. Can you run Access on a Mac? How to restore a deleted textbox. What's the green triangle that shows up on your fields in design mode. What is a #Name? error? How to deal with "unrecognized database format" errors. Can you change the background color of a checkbox? How to put data from multiple tables on a form. What are the thumbtacks on the file list for? What's an LACCDB file?

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Comments for Access Beginner 2

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Intro

In lesson 2 of the Microsoft Access Beginner series, you will learn how to download and open your sample database, handle security warnings, and set up trusted locations for working safely. We will cover a quick review of Level 1, then move on to form design, including adding, moving, and resizing controls, aligning and coloring objects, and working with grids and themes. You will also get an introduction to database relationships, primary and foreign keys, and see how to add tables and work with default values and date functions. Finally, you will build an appointment form using combo boxes and command buttons.

Transcript

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

This is Level 2 of my Beginner's Guide to Microsoft Access Database Design. This class follows Access Beginner Level 1, which I strongly recommend you watch first before continuing with this class. Access Beginner Level 1 is absolutely free. You can find it on my website right there. It is also on my YouTube channel. It is about four hours long and covers all the basics and fundamentals that you should know before watching today's class.

As I always say, my lessons are meant to be followed one after the other, so please do not skip levels. This class is recorded with Access 365, roughly equivalent to Microsoft Access 2019. If you are using Access 2016, you should be okay as well. If you are using an older version of Access, come to my website and get the version that is for you.

The classes are broken up into Beginner, Expert, Advanced, and Developer. This is Level 2 of the Beginner Series. I recommend you sit back, relax, watch each video once through, and pay attention to details. Then watch the video again and build the database with me. Do not just grab the copies off my website. You can download them, but it is better if you build them yourself.

Keep an open mind, and watch the video again if you have to. The material is not that hard to learn. That light bulb will go off. You will get it. Trust me.

Avoid building serious projects until you get to at least Expert Level 2 because you are going to learn a lot of things between now and then. Build the class database, or build a hobby database if you collect baseball cards or whatever. Do it for fun. Use Access for fun. You will get there.

OK, let's take a look at exactly what we are going to cover in today's class.

In lesson one, we are going to get started for the day by downloading the sample database from my website that we built in Access Beginner 1. We will talk about a security warning that you get if you run an unfamiliar database. We will show you how to set up a trusted location on your computer or on your network, so you can put databases in there and not have to deal with that security warning. I will show you how to set up a desktop shortcut to your database, and we will go over a quick review of what we covered in Level 1.

In lesson two, we will be working with Form Design. We are going to rebuild the customer form that we started in Access Level 1. We will learn how to add, move, and resize controls, align and size objects, and we will change the foreground and background colors.

In lesson three, we are going to be continuing with Form Design. We will be focusing on more form-adding. I will show you how to size objects to the grid. We will talk about grid lines versus grid dots. I get emails all the time from people. Some people see the grid lines, some people see the grid dots, and I will show you how to switch between them. Then we will do a lot more with colors and themes.

In lesson four, we are going to get a brief introduction to relationships in our database. We will learn why we want to use relationships, the different types of relationships, the difference between primary and foreign keys, and set up an appointment table. We will learn about default values, and the date and now functions.

In lesson five, we are going to build an appointment form very similar to the customer form that we built in the last class. We will make a customer combo box using the combo box wizard so we can pick a customer from a drop-down list of customers for the appointment. Then we will learn about the command button wizard so we can make a button to open up the form and show just appointments for the customer that we are on.

There is lots of cool stuff in lesson five.

Quiz

Q1. What does Richard Rost recommend you do before taking Access Beginner Level 2?
A. Skip directly to Level 2 if you have database experience
B. Watch Access Beginner Level 1 first
C. Only watch the lessons that seem relevant to you
D. Download databases and start building serious projects

Q2. What version of Access is Level 2 recorded with?
A. Access 2013
B. Access 365
C. Access XP
D. Access 2007

Q3. Why does Richard advise against building serious projects before Expert Level 2?
A. Because Level 1 and 2 provide all the basic skills needed
B. Because Access cannot handle serious projects
C. Because you will learn a lot more concepts in later levels
D. Because database design is only for fun

Q4. What is the recommended way to handle security warnings when opening an unfamiliar database?
A. Ignore the warning and proceed
B. Set up a trusted location on your computer or network
C. Uninstall Access and reinstall it
D. Only open files from Microsoft

Q5. What form design skills will be taught in Lessons 2 and 3?
A. Writing SQL queries
B. Adding, moving, and resizing controls, aligning and sizing objects, and changing colors and themes
C. Creating reports and charts
D. Importing data from Excel

Q6. What is the difference between grid lines and grid dots discussed in Lesson 3?
A. Grid lines appear in tables, grid dots in queries
B. Lines and dots are formatting features that can be switched between in form design view
C. Dots are for primary keys, lines for foreign keys
D. They cannot be changed

Q7. In Lesson 4, what new topic related to database structure will be introduced?
A. Advanced SQL
B. Database relationships and keys
C. Macro programming
D. Data exports

Q8. What is the purpose of the appointment form covered in Lesson 5?
A. To generate reports on sales
B. To create a drop-down (combo box) to pick a customer for an appointment
C. To manage user permissions
D. To export data to Excel

Q9. What does Richard recommend instead of simply downloading database files?
A. Pay for all materials upfront
B. Build the database yourself as you watch the lesson
C. Only use prebuilt databases
D. Copy someone else's homework

Q10. According to Richard, what is the attitude you should have while learning Access?
A. It is too hard and best left to professionals
B. Be open-minded, patient, and prepared to repeat lessons if needed
C. Memorize every detail the first time
D. Only try if you are already an expert in SQL

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

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 is Microsoft Access Beginner Level 2. I am your instructor, Richard Rost.

This class is the second part of my Beginner's Guide to Microsoft Access Database Design, continuing directly from Access Beginner Level 1. If you have not already watched Level 1, I highly recommend you begin there, since it is available for free on both my website and my YouTube channel. That first class is about four hours long and provides the foundational knowledge necessary for understanding what we will cover today.

My courses are meant to be taken in order, so please avoid skipping levels to make sure everything makes sense as you move forward. This series is recorded using Access 365, which is similar to Access 2019. If you are working with Access 2016, you should not have any trouble. For those using an older version of Access, you can find appropriate materials on my website.

The curriculum is divided into Beginner, Expert, Advanced, and Developer levels. Right now, we are in the Beginner Series, Level 2. I suggest you watch the videos once just to get a sense of the material, and then a second time while building the database with me. While you can download copies of the databases we work on, you will learn much more by constructing them yourself rather than simply using my copies.

Be patient with yourself while learning. It is normal to need to rewatch challenging sections, and eventually everything will click. Sometimes, it may take a bit longer, but with persistence, the concepts will make sense.

I also recommend holding off on any serious database projects until you have reached at least Expert Level 2. You will pick up many key skills along the way. For now, try building along with the class database, or consider making a simple hobby database just for practice. Using Access as a fun tool makes the process enjoyable and educational.

Now, let me give you an overview of the lessons in this class.

In the first lesson, we will begin by downloading the sample database created in Access Beginner 1. We will address the security warning that appears when opening an unfamiliar database. I will walk you through setting up a trusted location on your computer or network so you can avoid seeing these warnings. In addition, I will show you how to create a desktop shortcut for easy database access, and we will do a quick review of what we learned in Level 1.

In the second lesson, we move on to working with Form Design. We will rebuild the customer form from Access Level 1. This includes adding, moving, and resizing different controls and objects, as well as aligning and formatting them by changing colors.

Lesson three continues our exploration of Form Design, with special focus on arranging form objects using the grid. We will compare grid lines to grid dots, since many people ask about their differences and how to switch between them. We will also delve further into customizing colors and themes for your forms.

Lesson four introduces the concept of relationships in a database. I will explain why relationships are important, outline the different types, and discuss the purpose of primary keys and foreign keys. We will then set up an appointment table together and cover useful techniques such as default values and using the Date and Now functions.

In lesson five, we will construct an appointment form similar to what we built for customers. I will demonstrate how to use the combo box wizard to select a customer from a drop-down list. You will also learn how to use the command button wizard to create a button that displays appointments only for the customer you are currently viewing.

Lesson five contains a lot of interesting techniques that will help you get more comfortable with Access.

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

Downloading the sample database from Access Beginner 1
Understanding and resolving security warnings
Setting up a trusted location for databases
Creating a desktop shortcut to your database
Review of Access Beginner Level 1 concepts
Rebuilding a customer form from scratch
Adding, moving, and resizing controls on forms
Aligning and sizing form objects
Changing control foreground and background colors
Sizing form objects to the grid
Switching between grid lines and grid dots
Applying colors and themes to forms
Introduction to relational database relationships
Differences between primary and foreign keys
Creating an appointment table
Setting default values in tables
Using Date and Now functions in fields
Building an appointment form
Creating a customer combo box with the wizard
Using the command button wizard
Filtering appointments by selected customer