Laurie Ulrich Fuller

Access 2016 makes managing data easy, enabling you to set up a database quickly, enter records into that database, and then use the data however you like. With Access 2016, you can organize data into tables, design forms for editing and reports for presenting, and create queries for finding information!Navigating the Access 2016 Ribbon with Key TipsIf you like keyboard shortcuts when you’re working with software, Access 2016 has a Key Tips feature that can help make entering data move more quickly.

With Access' Query Wizard, you enter table and field information, and the Simple Query Wizard takes care of the rest. Here's how you create a query: On a piece of paper, lay out the data you want in your query results. A query returns a datasheet (column headings followed by rows of data), so make your layout in that format.

Adding a forgotten field to your table in Access 2016 is as easy as stopping by the store to pick up forgotten milk. No need for angry words. With the field-challenged table open, calmly follow these steps to add the field you’re missing:In Datasheet view, find the field heading aptly called Click to Add.The column is typically placed at the end of your existing fields — so be prepared to scroll all the way to the end to see it.

If you want the database in which you’re placing the data to replace the source in Access 2016, then import. This is the option for you if you’re creating an Access database to replace an old spreadsheet that no longer meets your needs. Also import if the source data is supplied by an outside vendor in a format other than an Access format.

When you open Access 2016, the workspace offers you a list of recently opened databases, along with templates you can use to start a new database. To open a database from the Recent Databases list, just point to it and click once. If you remember where your database is stored, but it isn’t in the Recent list, use either of the following options to use the Open view:Click the File tab to the left of the Home tab, and choose Open Other Files from the list of commands.

Relational databases split data among two or more tables. Access 2016 uses a linking field, called a foreign key, to tie related tables together. For example, one table may contain volunteer names and addresses, whereas another table tracks the volunteer event participation history. The event participation information is tied to the volunteer information with a linking field, which (in this example) is probably a Volunteer ID.

If you want to build a table relationship in Access 2016, you must first open the Relationships window. You do that by following these steps: Click the Database Tools tab on the Ribbon. The Relationships group appears on the Ribbon. From the Relationships group, click the Relationships button. The Relationships window appears along with the Show Table dialog box.

The basic query tool in Access 2016, created to make your life easier, is the Select query — so named because it selects matching records from your database and displays the results according to your instructions. The best process for creating a Select query depends on the following: If you’re new to writing queries, the Query Wizard is a fast, easy way to get started.

Nobody’s expecting perfection at this stage of the game. Certainly not in your first foray into database creation in Access 2016, and not even on your second or third attempt. Even seasoned experts forget things now and then, realizing after they’ve built a table that they didn’t need it, or after they’ve started setting up reports and queries that they’ve forgotten a table that they needed.