Databases
01. Introduction
02. How a database works
03. Launching a database
04. Creating a new database
05. Entering information
06. Naming fields
07. Highlighting
08. Changing column width
09. Changing row height
10. Sorting
11. Filtering
12. Font styles
13. Making graphs

01. Introduction

Databases provide a very useful way of organising, storing and retrieving sets of information – for example, a standard set of information about a group of people. Databases make it easy to collate information (e.g. questionnaire results) for use in reports, or to export to a spreadsheet program to present as graphs or charts. It is easy to search for the information you need in a database, and information can be presented in numerical, date or alphabetical order.

Most of you will be using a database that works within Windows, but is a separate program.

Superbase and Access are two of the most popular databases. Every database program works on the basis of fields. You can set up as many fields as you need to store your information in a useful way. These fields can be sorted so that you can find information easily.

02. How a database works

In a database, information is stored in sections called fields. For example, in a database of questionnaire results, each field would represent the answers to a single question. A single set of information for all the fields in a database is called a record. For example, one person’s replies to the questions in a questionnaire would be contained in a record.

All the records for all the fields in a database are contained in a table. Database tables are usually laid out with the fields as columns and the records as rows.

For example, in a questionnaire database, the question numbers would typically be listed along the top of the table and the respondents’ names would be listed down the left-hand side.

03. Launching a database

There are many database programs available. You may have Microsoft Access on your computer or you may have another database program.

You will need to check on your system how to launch your particular database program. You will probably be able to launch your database program by either clicking on a shortcut on the desktop or clicking on ‘Start’ on the Windwos task bar and selecting ‘Programs’, then clicking on the name of your database program.

04. Creating a new database

The following instructions are for Microsoft Access, but the process is similar in other database programs. Check the help files for your database program to find out how to carry out the various functions described here.

1. Select ‘File’ from the menu bar.
2. Select ‘New’ from the drop-down menu.
3. Select ‘Blank Database’ (this may just say ‘Database’ in some versions of Access) and click ‘OK’.
4. In the ‘File New Database’ dialogue box, type a file name and then click ‘Create’.
5. In the next window, select ‘Tables’ and then ‘New’.
6. Select ‘Datasheet View’ and click ‘OK’.
7. Your new database will now appear on screen.

05. Entering information

These instructions are for Microsoft Access. Check your help files if you are using another database program.

To enter information into a record

1. Click in the top left white rectangle (Record 1, Field 1).
   
2. Type your text.
3. Repeat steps 1–2 for each of the records in each of the columns until you have entered all the information that you require.

Experiment with the various functions that you can find on the database menu bar and toolbar.

06. Naming fields

These instructions are for Microsoft Access. Check your help files if you are using another database program.

To name or rename a field

1. Click on the column name (e.g. Field1) to highlight (select) it.
   
2. Select ‘Format’ from the menu bar.
3. Select ‘Rename Column’ from the drop-down menu.
4. Type in your new name.
5. Repeat stages 1–4 until you have named all the fields required.

Experiment with the various functions that you can find on the database menu bar and toolbar.

07. Highlighting

To perform many functions in a database you will need to highlight (select) a group of cells.

These instructions are for Microsoft Access. Check your help files if you are using another database program.

To highlight (select) a block of cells

1. Click on the top left cell of the block that you wish to highlight (select).
2. Hold down the ‘Shift’ key on your keyboard.
3. Click on the bottom right cell of the block that you wish to highlight (select).

To highlight (select) a column

1. Click on the column heading.

08. Changing column width

These instructions are for Microsoft Access. Check your help files if you are using another database program.

To change the width of a column

1. Click on the column name (e.g. Field1) to highlight (select) it.
2. Select ‘Format’ from the menu bar.
3. Select ‘Column Width’ from the drop-down menu.
4. Either:
   Type in a new column size and then click ‘OK’.
   
   Or:
   Click ‘Best Fit’ (which will increase or decrease the column width to fit the longest piece of data).

Experiment with the various functions that you can find on the database menu bar and toolbar.

09. Changing row height

These instructions are for Microsoft Access. Check your help files if you are using another database program.

To change the height of a row

1. Click in the row that you want to change.
2. Select ‘Format’ from the menu bar.
3. Select ‘Row Height’ from the drop-down menu.
4. Type in a new row height.
5. Click ‘OK’.

10. Sorting

These instructions are for Microsoft Access. Check your help files if you are using another database program.

You can sort a column of text alphabetically, a column of numbers by size and a column of dates by chronological order. ‘Sort Ascending’ puts the letter nearest the start of the alphabet, the smallest number, or the earliest date at the top of the column. ‘Sort Descending’ starts with the latest date, the largest number or the letter nearest the end of the alphabet.

To sort a column

1. Click the heading of the column you want to sort. The column will be highlighted to show that it is selected.
2. Click either the ‘Sort Ascending’ or the ‘Sort Descending’ button on the toolbar.

To put the table back as it was, select ‘Records’ from the menu bar then ‘Remove Filter/Sort’ from the drop-down menu.

Sort ascending

Sort descending

11. Filtering

These instructions are for Microsoft Access. Check your help files if you are using another database program.

A filter collects all the entries in a table that have the same category. For example, in a library database, you might want to see only autobiographies.

1. Highlight (select) one cell that you want to match by double-clicking on it. For example, in the library database, you would double-click on a cell containing the word ‘autobiography’.
   
   
2. Click the ‘Filter by Selection’ icon on the toolbar. 
   Only information that matches your selection will be displayed.
   
   
3. To remove the filter click the ‘Remove Filter’ icon on the toolbar.
   

12. Font styles

These instructions are for Microsoft Access. Check your help files if you are using another database program. To change font styles Select ‘Format’ from the menu bar. Select ‘Font’ from the drop-down menu. The ‘Font’ dialogue box will appear on screen. Select the font, style and size from the options. Click ‘OK’. The font will now have changed.

‘Font’ dialogue box The font will now have changed

13. Making graphs

Scattergrams and other graphs are easier to create on a spreadsheet program such as Microsoft Excel.

If you are using Microsoft Access, then you can easily transfer data into Microsoft Excel (provided Excel is installed on your computer).

1. Select all the columns that you want to transfer (by clicking on the first column heading and, holding down the mouse button, dragging to the right until all the columns you want to transfer are selected).
2. Select ‘Tools’ from the menu bar.
3. Select ‘Office Links’ and then ‘Analyse It with MS Excel’.
4. Microsoft Excel will be opened up and your data will appear on screen in a new Excel worksheet. You can now perform any spreadsheet functions you want to, such as creating a graph/chart.