Tutorial 2: Building a Databaseand Defining Table Relationships

New Perspectives Access 2010

Tutorial 2: Building a Databaseand Defining Table Relationships

Key Terms

best fit Sizing a column so the column is just wide enough to display the longest visible value in the column, including the field name. (AC 78)

Byte The Field Size property that stores whole numbers from 0 to 255 in one byte. (AC 56)

Caption property A field property that specifies how the field name is displayed in database objects, including table and query datasheets, forms, and reports. (AC 56)

Cascade Delete Related Records option An option you can set to enforce the referential integrity rule that permits a record in the primary table to be deleted and also deletes all records in related tables that have matching foreign key values. (AC 93)

Cascade Update Related Fields option An option you can set to enforce the referential integrity rule that permits a change in value to the primary key and changes the appropriate foreign key values in related tables. (AC 93)

composite key A primary key that consists of two or more fields. (AC 53)

Ctrl+‘ A keyboard shortcut that lets you insert in the current field the value from the same field in the previous record. (AC 75)

data redundancy A condition that occurs when you store the same data in more than one place; it wastes storage space and can cause inconsistencies. (AC 53)

Data Type gallery An Access tool that allows you to add a group of related fields to a table at the same time, rather than adding each field individually. (AC 82)

Decimal The Field Size property that stores positive and negative numbers to precisely 28 decimal places and uses 12 bytes. (AC 56)

Decimal Places property The property that specifies the number of decimal places that will be displayed to the right of the decimal point. (AC 63)

delimited A type of text file in which fields of data are separated by a character such as a comma or tab. (AC 89)

Description property The optional property you can use to enter a description for a field to explain its purpose or usage. (AC 51)

Design view (for a table) The Access view you use to define or modify a table structure or the properties of the fields in a table. (AC 51)

Double The Field Size property that stores positive and negative numbers to precisely 15 decimal places and uses eight bytes. (AC 56)

entity integrity The condition that exists when a primary key has been specified for a table, whereby Access forces you to enter a value for the primary key field in every record in the table. (AC 66)

F1 key The function key you press to display Help information, such as for the current property in Table Design view. (AC 51)

F6 key The function key you press to move from the Table Design grid to the Field Properties pane of the Table window in Design view. (AC 50)

field list A window listing the fields contained in a table in the order in which they appear. (AC 73)

Field Properties pane The part of the Table window in Design view that contains the properties for the selected field. (AC 51)

Field Size property The property that defines a field’s maximum storage size for Text, Number, and AutoNumber fields. (AC 55)

import A process that allows you to copy the data from a source, without having to open the source file, and to add the imported data in an Access table. (AC 76)

Integer The Field Size property that stores whole numbers from -32,768 to 32,767 in two bytes. (AC 56)

join The process of relating tables using a common field. (AC 91)

join line In the Relationships window, the line that connects the common field that joins two tables. (AC 73)

Long Integer The Field Size property that stores whole numbers from -2,147,483,648 to 2,147,483,647 in four bytes. (AC 56)

null value The value that results from not entering a value for a field; a null value is not permitted for a primary key. (AC 66)

one-to-many relationship The type of database relationship that exists between two tables when one record in the first table matches zero, one, or many records in the second table, and when one record in the second table matches at most one record in the first table. (AC 72)

orphaned record A record whose matching record in either the primary or related table has been deleted. (AC 93)

primary table The “one” table in a one-to-many relationship. (AC 73)

propagate To update field property changes made in Table Design view to the corresponding property on forms and reports that include the modified field. (AC 86)

properties The characteristics of each field in a table. (AC 54)

Quick Start selection The name given to the group of fields you add to a table at the same time using the Data Type gallery. (AC 82)

referential integrity A set of rules that Access enforces to maintain consistency between related tables when you update data in a database. (AC 93)

related table The “many” table in a one-to-many relationship. (AC 73)

Relationships window The Access window in which you define and view the relationships among a database’s tables. (AC 72)

Replication ID The Field Size property that establishes a unique identifier for replication of tables, records, and other objects in databases created using Access 2003 and earlier versions and uses 16 bytes. (AC 56)

set (a property) To select or enter a property for a field. (AC 54)

Show Table button A button on the Relationship Tools Design tab that you click to open the Show Table dialog box, from where you can add tables to the Relationships window. (AC 72)

Single The Field Size property that stores positive and negative numbers to precisely seven decimal places and uses four bytes. (AC 56)

Table Design grid The part of the Table window in Design view that contains the values for the Field Name, Data Type, and Description field properties. (AC 50)