Introduction to Tables

Imagine you create a list of students. The list can be started with names as follows: Amanda,Ali and Tim. This type of list is considered one-dimensional because all of its items fit in one category. In order to create a more detailed list, you may want to include these people’s Last Name , Gender and probably other related information. If you include these additional pieces of information in the same category, the list may become confusing. To arrange the list, you would divide it in categories. Here is an example:

Fig 1.1 ( Click on the image to enlarge )

Fig 1.1 shows the initial stage of table creation where we create the categories/field name  and the datatype. For datatype we select values from the drop down box and save the table ( CTRL+S).

So by this time we have created the frame of the table and defined the fields and the datatype .

After this we need to enter the values into the table and for that we double click on the table ( at the left side ) and start entering the values as shown below:

Fig 1.2 ( Click on the image to enlarge )

This type of display allows you to refer to a piece of information by its category. This is the basis of a table. A table is a two-dimensional list of items so that the items are arranged by categories. A complete or incomplete series of items that represent each category is called a record. Therefore, a table can be represented as follows:

In database development, a category is represented as a column. Sometimes it is also called a field. A record is represented as a row.In database development, a category is represented as a column. Sometimes it is also called a field. A record is represented as a row.

Here are some quick information on handling tables:

Opening a Table

The most regular operations you will perform on a table require that you open it first. To open a table, first locate it in the Navigation Pane then:

* — You can double-click the table
* — You can right-click the table and click Open

Any of these actions causes the table to display in Datasheet View in the central area of the screen. In the same way, you can open as many tables as necessary.

Closing a Table

After using a table, you can close it. Before closing a table, first select its tab. Then, to close a table:

* — You can click the close button Close on the right side of the tabs
* — You can press Ctrl + Shift + F4

Selecting a Table

In order to use a table, some operations require that you (or rather the user) first select(s) it:

* — To select a table in the Navigation Pane, simply click it
* — If you had opened many tables and they are displaying in the main area of the screen, to select one, click its tab or its title bar
* — If you have many tables displaying in the main area of the screen, you can press Ctrl + F6 continuously to switch from one table to the next until the desired one displays

Renaming a Table

We saw that, when or after creating a table, you must save it to make it part of your database. When saving it for the first time, you must give it a name. If the name of a table is not appropriate, you can change it. To rename a table, in the Navigation Pane, you can right-click the name of the table and click Rename.