Overview

In this tutorial, we will learn about the different components of MS Access Database. MS Access is a Relational Database Management System that is used to store, manipulate, and retrieve information or data.

Components of MS Access Database

The different components of the MS Access database are as follows:

• Tables
• Queries
• Forms
• Reports
• Macros
• Modules

Tables

MS Access database is a collection of information stored in the form of tables. A database table consists of rows and columns. Each table stores information about database entities such as students, customers, products, etc. Each row in a table represents a single record of a database entity. Each column stores information about the attributes of the entity. For example, a salary column of the employee table stores the salary of the employee. Each column consists of discrete elements of information about the entities.

Queries

A database query is a question asked by the database user to extract information according to the requirement. The result of a database query is displayed in the form of a data sheet. A query changes with the contents of the supporting data. For example, a database query can be issued that asks for a list of employees who earn a salary of more than $12,000.

Forms

Forms display the data from a table/query in the format requested by the database user. The records (or) fields in the database table are placed in the forms and can be edited according to the requirement. Once a form is designed and saved, it can be used to add, modify or delete the information within the respective table. For example, a user can create a form having some columns in the database table and ignoring the other fields in the database table.

Reports

MS Access database produces the reports using graphs, charts, and different styles. A report displays the information in a prescribed format. It can be used to group data and show subtotals and grand totals.

Macros

Macros are used to automate frequently used database tasks. MS Access Macros execute a number of actions such as opening files, displaying message boxes, validating database data, etc.

Modules

Modules are database programs that advanced users create with MS Access Basic programming language.
These programs can perform complex operations that are not possible with standalone MS Access. These are two types of modules in the MS Access database.

• Global modules
• Report modules