Access database design and programming

Access Database Design & Programming takes you behind the details of the Access interface, focusing on the general knowledge necessary for Access power users or developers to create effective database applications. When using software products with graphical interfaces, we frequently focus so much on the interface that we forget about the general concepts that allow us to understand and use the software effectively. In particular, this book focuses on three areas: Database design . The book provides an enjoyable, informative overview of database design that carefully shows you how to normalize tables to eliminate redundancy without losing data. Queries . The book examines multi-table queries (i.e.,various types of joins) and shows how to implement them indirectly by using the Access interface or directly by using Access SQL. Programming . The book examines the VBA integrated development environment (IDE). It then goes on to provide an excellent introduction to Data Access Objects (DAO), ActiveX Data Objects (ADO), and ADO Extensions for Data Definition and Security (ADOX). These sections serve as a handy introduction and primer for basic database operations,such as modifying a table under program control, dynamically adding and deleting a record, and repositioning a record pointer. The concluding chapter focuses on common programming problems, such as computing running sums and comparing two sets. Unlike other Access books that take the long, detailed approach to every topic of concern to Access programmers, Access Database Design &Programming instead focuses on the core concepts, enabling programmers to develop solid, effective database applications. This book also serves as a 'second course' in Access that provides a relatively experienced Access user who is new to programming with the frequently overlooked techniques necessary to develop successfully in the Microsoft Access environment. Anyone interested in learning Access in depth, rather than just scraping the surface, will enjoy and benefit immensely from reading this book. Table of Contents; Preface; Preface to the Third Edition; Preface to the Second Edition; The Book's Audience; The Sample Code; Organization of This Book; Part I, Database Design; Part II, Database Queries; Part III, Database Architecture; Part IV, Visual Basic for Applications; Part V, Data Access Objects; Part VI, ActiveX Data Objects; Part VII, Programming Problems; Part VIII, Appendixes; Conventions in This Book; Obtaining Updated Information; Request for Comments; Acknowledgments; Part I; Introduction; Database Design; Why Use a Relational-Database Design?; Redundancy. Multiple-value problemsUpdate anomalies; Insertion anomalies; Deletion anomalies; Complications of Relational-Database Design; Avoiding data loss; Maintaining relational integrity; Creating views; Summary; Database Programming; The Entity-Relationship Model?of?a?Database; What Is a Database?; Entities and Their Attributes; Keys and Superkeys; Relationships Between Entities; Types of Relationships; Implementing Entity-Relationship Models:?Relational?Databases; Implementing Entities; Implementing Entity Classes-Table Schemes; Implementing Entity Sets-Tables; A Short Glossary. Implementing the Relationships in?a?Relational?DatabaseImplementing a One-to-Many Relationship-Foreign Keys; Implementing a One-to-One Relationship; Implementing a Many-to-Many Relationship- New Entity Classes; Referential Integrity; Cascading Updates and Cascading Deletions; The LIBRARY Relational Database; Setting Up the Relationships in Access; Index Files; Example; NULL Values; Database Design Principles; Redundancy; Normal Forms; First Normal Form; Functional Dependencies; Second Normal Form; Third Normal Form; Boyce-Codd Normal Form; Normalization; Decomposition; Part II. Query Languages and the Relational?AlgebraQuery Languages; Relational Algebra and Relational Calculus; Details of the Relational Algebra; Renaming; Union; Intersection; Difference; Cartesian Product; Projection; Selection; Joins; Equi-join; Natural join; q-Join; Outer Joins; Implementing Joins in Microsoft Access; Semi-Joins; Other Relational Algebra Operations; Optimization; Access Structured Query Language?(SQL); Introduction to Access SQL; Access Query Design; Access Query Types; Why Use SQL?; Access SQL; Syntax Conventions; Notes; The DDL Component of Access SQL. The CREATE TABLE StatementColumn definition; Constraints; Notes; The ALTER TABLE Statement; Notes; The CREATE INDEX Statement; Note; The DROP Statement; Note; The DML Component of Access SQL; Updatable Queries; Joins; Inner joins; Outer joins; Nested joins; Self-joins; Notes; The SELECT Statement; Predicate; ReturnColumnDescription; FROM TableExpression; WHERE RowCondition; GROUP BY GroupByCriteria; HAVING GroupCriteria; ORDER BY OrderByCriteria; The UNION Statement; Example; Notes; The UPDATE Statement; Example; The DELETE Statement; The INSERT INTO Statement; Note; The SELECT ... INTO Statement. The third edition of Steven Roman's introduction to Access Database covers design and programming and is suitable for both beginners and programmers who wish to acquire a more in-depth understanding of the subject