2.1.10: Microsoft Access Terminology
- Page ID
- 64336
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|---|---|
| action query | query that specifies a particular action, such as creating a new table, deleting a row or rows from a table, updating records, or creating new records |
| aggregate query | instruction that carries out calculations on a group of records rather than on individual records |
| analytical database | a database used by an organization for analytics and decision-making |
| Append | to add on to the end of an object, for example, adding records to the end of an existing table in a database |
| append query | query that adds records from one or more tables to the end of another table or tables |
| arithmetic operator | used to calculate a value from two or more numbers or to change the sign of a number from positive to negative, or vice versa |
| Arrange tab | a tab in the 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 |
| columnar layout | a form layout that shows a single record |
| command control | tool that is used to start an action or a set of actions |
| comparison operator | used to compare values and return a result that is true, false, or null |
| control source | area in the property sheet that controls which data is displayed in a particular field, as well as any updates you make to the field |
| criteria | expressions that a database management system uses to limit the results of a query based on matching field values |
| crosstab query | instructions that calculate and restructure data for easier identification of trends or patterns |
| dark data | data that is typically not used for analysis and therefore may or may not be valuable to an organization |
| dashboard | allows users to view account activity at a glance and quickly find records and reports |
| Data | Facts about people, events, things, or ideas |
| data lake | a place to store data that keeps raw copies of the original documents |
| data landscape | the entirety of data storage and sharing in an organization |
| data mart | a subset of a data warehouse, optimized for specific workgroups or functions |
| Data type | classification identifying the kind of data that can be stored in a field such as numbers, text, or dates |
| data validation | process of ensuring that data is entered correctly into a form by specifying a validation rule for the control in the form |
| data warehouse | a large store of data within an organization, often holding historical information and used for decision-making |
| database | a structured set of data stored in a way that allows us to make use of it |
| datasheet layout | a form layout that lists all records as they would appear in a datasheet |
| 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, troubleshooting, as well as backup and data recovery |
| delete query | query that deletes a group of records from one or more tables |
| 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 text boxes, checkboxes, combo boxes, labels, pictures, and other data editing controls |
| Detail section | information that appears once for every row in the record source that is being referenced |
| Developer’s view | also known as Design View. The most powerful view in Access |
| development database | a database used for experimental testing so that problems can be found and resolved before being pushed to the production database |
| digital database | a computerized file that stores data in a structured or organized way and also allows users to make changes to transform data |
| digital platform | a place where users can interact with and explore the products and services offered by a company |
| Enable content | Microsoft Office’s built-in security feature |
| End users | 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 |
| external data | data stored outside the current database |
| 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 databases | a simple database file that is not related or linked to any other collections of data |
| flat files | individual digital files that have a tabular structure, such as spreadsheets, tables, and lists |
| 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 control | part of a form used to enter, edit, or display data; controls can be bound, unbound, or calculated |
| 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 property | option that is set in Design View on the property sheet; they control how the form looks, works, and interacts with the rest of the database |
| 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 | heading that organizes data items that have something in common |
| Group Footer | area where summary information appears at the end of each group of records |
| Group Header | area that displays names at the beginning of each new group of records |
| 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 that searched for fields that are empty |
| join | a clause used to create a relationship or connection between two records in a table |
| justified layout | a layout showing a record-by-record form, arranged across the screen |
| key field | a field in a table that serves as a unique identifier for an individual record in a table |
| Key Terms | |
| 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 |
| logical operator | used to combine two Boolean values and return a true, false, or null result; also known as Boolean operators |
| macro | tool that allows you to automate tasks and add functionality to your forms, reports, and controls |
| make-table query | query that creates a new table from all or part of the data in one or more existing tables |
| many-to-many relationship | relationship in which each record in one table can have many related records in another table, and vice versa; this type of relationship, which really consists of two one-to-many relationships, is made possible only by defining a table |
| message box | used to display alerts, warnings, and other useful information |
| multiple-item form | a form that displays information about more than one record or item at a time |
| navigation form | a form that allows you to add formatting, text, and commands to act as an interface, or navigation area, for your database |
| 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 |
| NoSQL database | database that stores large amounts of data, including documents and images, in their original format, not in tables |
| null criteria | query used to find records that have a null value in a particular field |
| object | an item in a relational database |
| 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 |
| one-to-many relationship | relationship in which each record in one table has one or more related records in another table, but a record in the second table has only one matching record in the first table |
| one-to-one relationship | relationship in which each record in one table has at most one related record in another table |
| page footer | the bottom section of a document page, which typically repeats across pages and contains information useful to the report reader |
| page header | the top section of a document page, which typically repeats across pages and contains information useful to the report reader |
| 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 |
| parameter query | query that allows you to prompt users whenever a query runs |
| Populate | the action of filling a database table with records |
| predefined queries | queries used to answer frequently asked questions that meet specific organizational needs |
| 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 |
| production database | a database that runs transactions related to an organization’s core business functions |
| 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 | a structured data request |
| query criterion | expression that Access compares with query field values to determine whether to include the record that contains each value |
| 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 |
| range criteria | query used to specify a range of values for a field |
| record navigation buttons | options that open whenever records are shown, enabling users to execute commands in a database |
| Redundancy | in a database, information that is duplicated in a manner that indicates poor database design |
| relational database | a database whose design and structure enable it to communicate with other systems that hold data |
| relational database management system (RDBMS) | computer software that provides the functions for a relational database |
| Relational databases | a sophisticated type of database that has multiple collections of data within the file that are related to one another |
| relationship | the association between two or more tables based on common fields or columns. It represents the way data is related and connected across different tables within the database |
| Relationships | an association that you establish between two tables based on common fields |
| report | formatted summary of specific information in a database |
| Report | also known as the Report Tool, a quick and easy way to create a new Report |
| report detail | the area where data from the Access database is displayed for each record |
| report footer | the bottom section of a report that does not typically repeat across pages and contains the name and dates of the report |
| report header | the bottom section of a report that does not typically repeat across pages and contains the number of pages in the entire report |
| Report view | a Report view is 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 |
| select query | query that retrieves data from one or more tables and displays the result in a datasheet |
| Short text | An Access data type that describes text which can be a combination of letters and numbers that are not used in calculations, such as zip code |
| Show | a checkbox in the Query Grid that enables fields to be shown or hidden |
| simple criteria | query that specifies an exact value or expression to filter results |
| simple form | a form that displays and allows editing of a single record at a time |
| single point of truth (SPOT) | the idea that there is one place storing information that all business units agree is factual |
| split form | a form that has two functions; for example, it might display a single record as well as a view of the datasheet in which the record is held |
| SQL query | query created by using a statement in SQL, a programming language designed to manage data stored in relational databases |
| SQL View | a view that shows a query in structured query language form |
| structured query language (SQL) | language used to create and run queries in many relational databases |
| subform | form that is inserted into another form (the main form) |
| syntax | set of rules by which the words and symbols in an expression are correctly combined |
| tab order | helps control which section of the form the curser moves to next |
| table | the structure that holds individual data records in a database |
| Tables | a database object that organizes and presents text and data in columns and rows and is the foundation for databases |
| tabular layout | a form layout that shows all records listed in columns, similar to a datasheet |
| Text box | 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 |
| update query | query that makes global changes to a group of records in one or more tables |
| User friendly | easy to use and understand, it is a goal to create databases that is easy to use |
| Visual Basic for Applications (VBA) | event-driven programming language and environment from Microsoft that provides a graphical user interface (GUI), which allows programmers to modify code by simply dragging and dropping objects and defining their behavior and appearance |
| wildcard | symbol used to represent an unknown character in a search string |