Create a pre-defined database using a Microsoft Access wizard

Along with its Access DBMS, Microsoft provides a set of wizards that can be used to set up sample databases. (These can be downloaded from the Microsoft Web site.) For this exercise, use the database wizard to set up a database of Students and Classes, somewhat similar to the database outlined in the ERD example on pages 111-114.

1. Open the Microsoft Access program, select database wizard from the first screen and click OK.

2. Select the "Students and Classes" from the options provided on the next screen and click OK. (Later you can try out other databases if you want.)

3. Click create on the next screen and click "next" on a succession of screens that provide options we don't care about for purposes of this exercise. On the second of these screens be sure to check "Yes, include sample data" so that you will be able to see what the database tables, queries, and reports look like. When "next" is no longer an active option, click "finish" and the database will be produced.

4. Close the "main switchboard" because you don't need it at this point and maximize the small window at the lower left whose title is Students and Classes: Database. A set of tabs appear, including tables, queries, forms, and reports. Select the tables tab and double click on one of the tables in the list. The table will open and you will see the sample data. Close this table and double click on another table. Then go to the queries, forms, and reports tabs and look at several of the things listed there. You now have an idea of what the database contains.

5. Select "relationships" from the tools menu and you will see the entity relationship table for the database. Compare this with the entity relationship diagram on p. 111 of the text. What explains the difference between the two diagrams.

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