CONTENTS Title Page Copyright Page Preface 1 Basics 1.1 Starting Access 1.2 Using Your Access Window 1.3 Getting Online Help 1.4 Using a Dialog Box 1.5 Quitting Access 2 Concepts 2.1 Working with Access Tables 2.2 Using Your Private Database 2.2.1 Having Access Build Your Database 2.2.2 Defining a Database Logical Name 2.2.3 Using a VAX TEAMDATA Database with Access 2.3 Using Qualifiers to Start Access from DCL Level 2.4 Customizing Your Access Environment 2.5 Sharing Data 2.5.1 Sharing Data within DECdecision 2.5.2 Sharing Data with DECwrite 2.5.3 Sharing Data with Other Products 3 Using Folders and Database Maintenance 3.1 Naming Folders and Tables 3.2 Overview of Folders and Database Maintenance 3.3 Using Folders 3.3.1 Creating Folders 3.3.2 Editing Comments in Folders 3.3.3 Opening Folders 3.3.4 Closing Folders 3.4 Using the Database Maintenance Window 3.4.1 Moving Folders and Tables 3.4.2 Renaming Folders and Tables 3.4.3 Deleting Folders and Tables 3.4.4 Using the WASTEBASKET Folder 4 Using Tables 4.1 Opening Tables 4.2 Closing Tables 4.3 Asking Questions Before Creating a Table 4.4 Guidelines for Table Design 4.5 Creating Tables 4.5.1 Naming a New Table 4.5.2 Creating Columns 4.5.2.1 Creating Numeric Columns 4.5.2.2 Creating Text Columns 4.5.2.3 Creating Date Columns 4.5.2.4 Creating Computed Columns 4.5.2.5 Creating Columns with Data Type of Other 4.6 Creating Rows 4.7 Creating Tables: Summary 4.7.1 Creating Columns: Summary 4.7.2 Creating Rows: Summary 5 Editing Data in Tables 5.1 Selecting a Table Component 5.2 Navigating Through a Table 5.3 Removing Data 5.4 Entering and Modifying Data 5.4.1 Entering Data from Your Keyboard 5.4.2 Clearing Data 5.4.3 Cutting Data 5.4.4 Pasting In Data 5.4.5 Copying Data 5.5 Moving and Duplicating Data 5.5.1 Moving Rows and Columns 5.5.2 Duplicating a Row or Column 5.6 Using Copy Selection 5.7 Including Tables 5.8 Returning a Table to Its Original Form 5.9 Editing: Summary 6 Using Queries 6.1 Using Queries to Reduce the Number of Rows 6.1.1 Using the Show Fewer Query 6.1.1.1 Using Operators and Conditions 6.1.1.2 Using Simple Queries 6.1.1.3 Using Complex Queries 6.1.2 Entering a Show Fewer Query 6.1.3 Entering a Show Unique Query 6.1.4 Entering a Show None Query 6.2 Using Queries to Increase the Number of Rows 6.2.1 Entering a Show More Query 6.2.2 Entering a Show All Query 6.3 Refining Collections Through Successive Queries 6.3.1 Refining Collections by Using Dialog Boxes 6.3.2 Refining Queries by Using the Command Region 6.4 Saving the Results of a Query 6.5 Reusing Queries 6.6 Entering Queries: Summary 7 Producing Reports 7.1 Determining Report Content 7.1.1 Choosing Columns to Report 7.1.2 Entering Titles and Subtitles 7.1.3 Including the Current Date 7.1.4 Choosing Line and Page Breaks 7.2 Choosing a Destination for the Report 7.2.1 Sending a Report to a File 7.2.2 Sending a Report to the Clipboard 7.2.3 Sending a Report to a Printer 7.2.4 Sending a Report to a Datablock 7.3 Determining Report Width and Printer 7.3.1 Setting Width and Printer when Starting Access 7.3.2 Setting Report Width and Printer for the Current Report 7.4 Producing Reports: Summary 8 Using Access Macros 8.1 Working with Access Macro Files 8.2 Recording Actions as You Enter Them 8.3 Playing Back Access Macros 8.4 Editing an Access Macro 8.5 Guidelines for Access Macros 8.6 Using Access Macros in Batch Procedures 8.7 Using Access Macros: Summary 9 Referring to Data Outside Access 9.1 Referring to Rdb/VMS Relations 9.2 Referring to DATATRIEVE Domains 9.3 Referring to VIDA Tables 9.3.1 Referring to Data in IDMS/R Databases 9.3.1.1 Using a VIDA Access File 9.3.1.2 Entering a VIDA Database Path Specification 9.3.1.3 Using VIDA Keywords 9.3.2 Referring to Data in DB2 Relations 9.3.3 Creating Error Message Log Files 9.3.4 Prompting for User Information 9.4 Referring to Public Folders 9.5 Making Your Own Copy of Outside Data 9.6 Referring to Data Outside Your Private Database: Summary 10 Importing and Exporting Data 10.1 Import Operations 10.1.1 Supported Formats for Import Operations 10.1.2 Performing Import Operations 10.1.3 Using Options Files in Import Operations 10.2 Export Operations 10.3 Supported Formats for Export Operations 10.3.1 Performing Export Operations 10.3.2 Using Options Files in Export Operations 10.4 Import Operations: Summary 10.5 Export Operations: Summary 11 Protecting Your Data 11.1 Distinguishing Protection from Access Mode 11.2 Setting Protection 11.3 Setting Access Mode 11.3.1 Setting Protection and Access Mode in Private Folders 11.3.2 Setting Protection and Access Mode in Public Folders 11.4 Access Mode Guidelines 11.5 Protection Guidelines 12 Using Public Folders and Publishing Tables 12.1 Publishing Tables 12.2 Unpublishing Tables 12.3 Referring to Tables in Public Folders 12.4 Examples 12.4.1 Publishing Example 12.4.2 Unpublishing Example 12.5 Publishing: Summary 12.6 Unpublishing: Summary 13 Manipulating Data in Tables 13.1 Joining Tables 13.1.1 Joining Two Tables 13.1.2 Join Example 13.2 Sorting Data 13.3 Performing Calculations Within Tables 13.4 Performing Counts Within Columns 13.5 Changing Values in Columns 13.6 Changing Formats of Data 13.6.1 Changing Formats 13.6.2 Changing Column Data Types 13.6.3 Changing Column Alignment 13.6.4 Changing Column Display Width 13.6.5 Changing Column Name 13.6.6 Changing All Column Attributes 13.7 Drawing Charts Based on Tables 13.8 Viewing Documents 14 Customizing Output with Edit Strings 14.1 Customizing Output 14.2 Customizing Numeric Display 14.3 Customizing Text Display 14.4 Customizing Date and Time Display 14.5 Customizing Currency Display 15 Customizing Your Access Environment 15.1 Customizing from the Control Panel 15.1.1 Customizing Window Settings 15.1.2 Customizing Scroll Bar Settings 15.1.3 Customizing Folder Path Delimiter 15.1.4 Customizing Currency Symbol 15.2 Customizing from Within Access 16 Using Convenience Features 16.1 Using Keyboard Equivalents 16.2 Using Pop-Up Menus 16.3 Using the Command Region 16.3.1 Command Syntax 16.3.2 Command Prompting 17 Using DECwrite Live Links 17.1 Creating a Live Link 17.2 Updating Live Links 17.2.1 Updating Live Links Automatically 17.2.2 Updating Live Links Manually A VAX TEAMDATA and Access B Managing an Access System B.1 Access Objects and Logical Names B.2 The Sample Database B.3 Multiple Users on a Single Account B.4 Exporting, Importing, and Converting Access Databases B.4.1 Exporting and Importing an Access Database B.4.2 Converting an Access Database B.5 Migrating an Access Database to Another System B.6 Accessing Large Rdb/VMS Relations from Within Access B.7 Giving Access to Information B.8 Giving Access to Data Stored in IBM Systems B.8.1 VIDA with IDMS/R B.8.2 DB2 Tables B.9 Protecting Data Glossary FIGURES 1-1 The Initial Access Display 1-2 Getting Help on Screen Objects 2-1 A Typical Access Table 2-2 Sharing Data within DECdecision 2-3 Access Works with Many Other Products 3-1 Names in Access 3-2 The DECdecision Access Drawer 5-1 Selecting an Entire Table 7-1 Report Showing Line Breaks 12-1 The Access Publishing Process 13-1 TYPICAL_TABLE After a Calculation 13-2 TYPICAL_TABLE After a Count 17-1 Live Links from DECwrite to Access TABLES 3-1 Summary of Table Owner Actions 4-1 Input and Output Using Percent Format 4-2 Date Data Types 5-1 Selecting Table Components 6-1 Operators 10-1 Common Formats Supported for Import Operations 10-2 Common Formats Supported for Export 11-1 Protection and Access Mode in Private Folders 11-2 Protection and Access Mode in Public Folders 14-1 Numeric Edit String Characters 14-2 Text Edit String Characters 14-3 Edit String Characters for Date and Time 16-1 Choices in Pop-Up Menus A-1 Folder Command Summary A-2 Table Command Summary B-1 Protection Logical Names