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Intro

In lesson 324, you will learn how to build a loan calculator with a full amortization schedule in Microsoft Access, including techniques for working with record sets and adding records to your tables. I will also show you how to let users add new items to a combo box directly from your form using the NOT-IN-LIST event, without closing and refreshing the form. These skills are useful for managing loans and can be applied to a variety of database projects.

Transcript

Welcome to Microsoft's Access 324 brought to you by accesslearningzone.com. I am your instructor, Richard Rost. In today's class, we are going to build a loan calculator with a full amortization schedule. That is where you have a number of payments over a certain number of years, and you want to put all those payments into your table so that you can track them.

Whether or not you are a banker and have a need for this, you can use it to track any loans you might have. More importantly, the techniques that I am going to teach you for working with record sets and adding records are very useful. This is another great example of a use for record sets, and the techniques are applicable to many different types of databases.

We are also going to cover one of the topics that I get asked the most about: how to add an option to a combo box without having to close the form, put it in a different form, then come back and refresh the combo box. I am going to teach you how to do it in code using the NOT-IN-LIST event. This is very powerful stuff.

This class follows Access 320 through 323. I strongly recommend you take those classes before this one. In this class, I will be working with Microsoft Access 2003. However, most of the materials should be backward compatible with all previous versions of Access back to about Access 2000.

I strongly recommend you sit back and relax, watch the lesson one time through, then watch it a second time following along with the examples and build the database that I build in class. Do not try to apply what you learn immediately to whatever other databases you might be working on.

The database files for this class can be found online at accesslearningzone.com/students. You will find a list of all the sample database files there. Again, it is strongly recommended that you build the databases in class that I am building.

If you have any questions about the material covered in today's class, please feel free to post a note in the Student Interaction forums. You will see the Student Interaction forums next to the video window. If you are watching this class on our website or you are using our video player software and you are connected to the internet, you should see the little Student Interaction forums pop up right next to the video player.

If you have any other Access questions, please visit the forums on the website at accesslearningzone.com/forums. We have brand new interactive forums. As of October 2008, I created all brand new forums, and you can log on, check them out, and chat with me, other students, and other Access experts.

Of course, I cannot stress enough: do the examples yourself. You will benefit the most by building the databases that I build in class.

Quiz

Q1. What is the primary project being built in this Access class?
A. A contact management system
B. A loan calculator with a full amortization schedule
C. A payroll processing tool
D. An inventory database

Q2. What useful technique, besides loan calculation, will this class primarily teach?
A. Backing up databases
B. Working with record sets and adding records
C. Data encryption in Access
D. Creating user accounts

Q3. Which event will be used to add an option to a combo box dynamically?
A. ON-CLICK event
B. ON-LOAD event
C. NOT-IN-LIST event
D. AFTER-UPDATE event

Q4. What is recommended before applying what is learned to other databases?
A. Memorize all the code
B. Watch the lesson twice, following along with the examples
C. Only read the textbook
D. Only watch summary videos

Q5. According to the instructor, which previous classes should you complete before this one?
A. Access 101 and 102
B. Access 324 and 325
C. Access 320 through 323
D. Access Advanced Series

Q6. Where can students find the sample database files for this class?
A. In the printed textbook
B. On accesslearningzone.com students area
C. Sent via email after the course
D. Only in the video description

Q7. If a student has questions about the material, where is the best place to get help?
A. Telephone hotline
B. Student Interaction forums next to the video player
C. Local community college
D. Direct messaging the instructor's private email

Q8. Which version of Access is used in this course?
A. Microsoft Access 2016
B. Microsoft Access 2010
C. Microsoft Access 2003
D. Microsoft Access 365

Q9. Are the techniques shown in this course limited to bankers, as per the transcript?
A. Yes, only bankers can benefit
B. No, the techniques are widely applicable
C. Only accountants can use them
D. Only students in college can use them

Q10. What benefit does the instructor emphasize the most for students?
A. Watching the videos repeatedly
B. Doing the examples and building the databases themselves
C. Reading all the documentation
D. Memorizing the course content

Answers: 1-B; 2-B; 3-C; 4-B; 5-C; 6-B; 7-B; 8-C; 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 covers building a comprehensive loan calculator in Microsoft Access, including creating a full amortization schedule. If you have a loan stretched out over several years and need to track each payment, this lesson will guide you through setting up your database to store all those payments.

Even if you're not in the banking field, you can use what you learn here to manage your own loans, and, more importantly, the skills you'll pick up for working with record sets and adding records can be used in all sorts of database projects. The approach to record sets shown here is versatile and can be applied to many different kinds of applications.

A common question I receive is how to let users add a new item to a combo box without needing to close the form, open another, add the value, and return just to refresh the list. In this class, I'll show you how to handle this directly in code using the NotInList event, so your users can add options on the fly. This is a powerful solution that enhances user experience.

This course is intended for students who have completed Access 320 through 323, as these videos build on concepts covered previously. I use Microsoft Access 2003 throughout this class, but you will find that almost everything is compatible with earlier versions going back to Access 2000.

I recommend watching the lesson all the way through before trying to follow along. The first time through, just absorb the material. On your second viewing, follow along and build the database step by step as I do in class. It is much more effective to build the sample databases during class rather than trying to apply these techniques immediately to databases you are already working on.

You can download all of the sample databases for this class from my website at accesslearningzone.com. On the students page, you'll find all the files you need to practice what we cover.

If you have questions about today's material, you are welcome to post in the Student Interaction forums, located right next to the video window on the website or available in the video player software while you are connected to the internet. We also have community forums at accesslearningzone.com where you can connect with me, fellow students, and other experts. The forums are newly redesigned so it's a great place for discussions and help.

Above all, make sure you practice the examples yourself. You will get the most benefit by actually building the databases as I demonstrate in class.

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

Building a loan calculator in Access
Creating a full amortization schedule
Tracking loan payments in a table
Working with record sets to add records
Adding options to a combo box using the NOT-IN-LIST event
Refreshing combo boxes without closing the form