Field

The smallest unit of data organization, consists of a specific category of data such as a customer's name, city, state or phone number.

Record

A group of related fields that describe a person, place or thing. Each row is a record.

Key field

A field that contains unique information for each record, such as a customer number for a customer.

Table

A collection of records for a single subject.

Database

A collection of tables associated with a general topic.

Relational database

An Access database with multiple tables that are linked together by a common field.

Objects

The parts of an Access database that help you view, edit, manage, and analyze the data, such as tables, queries, forms, reports macros, and modules.

Table

Purpose: Contains all of the raw data within the database in a spreadsheet-like view; tables are linked with a common field to create a relational database, which minimizes redundant data.

Query

Purpose: Allows the user to select a subset of fields or records from one or more tables; queries are created when a user has a question about the data.

Form

Purpose: Provides an easy-to-use data entry screen.

Report

Purpose: Provides a professional printout of data that can contain enhancements such as headers, footers, graphics, and calculations on groups of records..

Properties

The characteristics that define a field. Two properties are required for every field: Field Name and Data Type

Referential Integrity

This is a property of a relationship in Access which tells Access to take the relationship seriously by enforcing the foreign-key constraint. Entering a value in the foreign-key column of one table will require that that value already exist in the primary

Orphan Record

A record in the "many" table that doesn't have a matching entry in the linking field of the "one" table.

Navigation pane

In Access, the area on the left of the program window that lists all the objects in the database.

Edit record symbol

Record selector

A record selector is the small box to the left of a record or row in a table. Click a record selector to select the adjacent record.

Navigation bar

In Access, the bar at the bottom of the table spreadsheet that indicates how to move around in the records.

Current Record Text Box

In Access, box in the navigation bar that tells you what record in the current focus.

Field Names

In a table, the header row contains a field name for each field.