Databases: Glossary

Definition of terms used in this chapter:

 

Append to add on to the end of an object, for example, adding records to the end of an existing table in a database
Arrange tab a tab in the Access Form or Report Layout toolbar that allows you to make changes to the arrangement of tables, rows, and columns in a form or report
Autonumber a data type that describes a unique sequential or random number assigned by Access as each record is entered and that is useful for data that has no distinct field that can be considered unique; this data type cannot be manually changed or typed in
Blank form allows you to create a new, blank form, which you can then customize and format the way you want
Bound a control that retrieves data from an underlying table or query
Data facts about people, events, things, or ideas
Data type classification identifying the kind of data that can be stored in a field such as numbers, text, or dates
Database an organized collection of facts about people, events, things, or ideas related to a specific topic or purpose
Datasheet view the Access view that displays data organized in columns and rows similar to an Excel spreadsheet
DBA stands for Database Administrator, an IT professional whose primary responsibilities include database installation, configuration, design, migration, performance monitoring, security, and troubleshooting, as well as backup and data recovery
Design tab a tab in the Form or Report Layout toolbar that allows you to make modifications to the design of the form or report
Design view an Access view that displays the detailed structure of a table, query, form, or report; also known as developer’s view; for forms and reports, this may be the only view in which some tasks are performed; only the controls, not the data, are displayed in this view
Detail the area in a form or report that data is displayed and interacted with; may include textboxes, checkboxes, combo boxes, labels, pictures, and other data editing controls
Developer’s view also known as Design view; the most powerful view in Access
Enable content Microsoft Office’s built-in security feature
End user the person or people that use the database
Export also known as a “dump,” extracting and saving a database file that can be used for storage, distribution, or importing into another system
Field a single piece of information that is stored in every record and is represented by a column in a database table
Field name the description that identifies a field
Flat database a simple database file that is not related or linked to any other collections of data
Form a database object that you can use to enter new records into a table or to edit, delete, and display existing records in a table
Form design allows you to work with the underlying structure of your form
Form footer the bottom margin of each page of an Access form
Form header the top margin of each page of an Access form
Form view the Access view in which you can view, modify, delete, or add records in a table but you cannot change the layout or design of the form
Form wizard a step-by-step way to create a form
Format tab a tab in the Report Layout toolbar that allows you to make changes to the formatting of a report, such as Fonts and Backgrounds
Group, Sort, and Total a pane that displays at the bottom of the report window in Design view in which you can control how information is sorted, grouped, and totaled in a report
Importing the process of copying data from another file, such as an Excel Spreadsheet, into a separate file, such as an Access table
Information data that is accurate, timely, and organized in a useful manner
Is Null criteria used in queries in which searched-for fields are empty
Knowledge processed information that is useful when making important decisions
Label a control on a form or report that contains descriptive information, usually a field name or title
Layout view the Access view in which you can make changes to a form or report while the data from the underlying data and source displays
Navigation pane an area of the Access window that displays and organizes the names of the objects in a database and allows objects to be opened for use
Object type a way to sort objects in the navigation pane so they are grouped by type
Objects the basic parts of a database that you create to store your data and to work with your data; includes tables, queries, forms, and reports
One-To-Many the most common type of database relationship between two tables, where one record in the first table corresponds to many records in the second table
Page setup a tab in the Report Layout toolbar that allows you to make changes to the setup of a report to prepare it for printing, such as Page Size and Page Layout
Populate the action of filling a database table with records
Primary key a required field that uniquely identifies a record in a table
Print preview a Report view that displays what the printed report will look like
Property sheet a list of characteristics, or properties, for fields or controls on a form or report in which you can make precise changes to each property associated with the field or control
Queries a database object that retrieves specific data from one or more database objects, either tables or queries, and displays the requested data in a datasheet
Query grid the bottom pane of the Query Design view window in which you specify the fields, sort order, and limiting criteria for the query
Query wizard a step-by-step way to create four types of queries to use in accessing and modifying the data in your database
Redundancy in a database, information that is duplicated in a manner that indicates poor database design
Relational database a sophisticated type of database that has multiple collections of data within the file that are related to one another
Relationship an association that you establish between two tables based on common fields
Report also known as the Report Tool, a quick and easy way to create a new report
Report view the default view used when you double-click a report in the Navigation Pane
Report wizard a step-by-step way to create a report
Short text an Access data type that describes text that can be a combination of letters and numbers that are not used in calculations, such as a zip code
Show a checkbox in the Query Grid that enables fields to be shown or hidden
Tables a database object that organizes and presents text and data in columns and rows and is the foundation for databases
Textbox a bound control on a form or report that displays the data from an underlying table or query
Unbound label a control that does not have a source of data, such as the title in a form or report
User friendly easy to use and understand, it is a goal to create databases of this kind

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