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As you will see, the Perry and Newmark text is not a typical textbook. The book is a highly structured series of tutorials on various aspects of MS Access. The authors assume that you have a basic working knowledge of Windows and related operating system matters. Beyond that, they assume that the reader is starting from scratch with Access. If you have used Access at all, you may find some portions of the early chapters redundant. If you have never used Access before, or if your Access skills are at all rusty, close attention to those early sections will save much pain and time later on. The entire book is a series of step-by-step exercises which employ prepared databases [supplied with the book] which enable you to execute the procedures described in each chapter. Assignment material at the end of the chapter reinforces what you have learned. The book is organized as follows: Chapter 1: a brief overview of the Access 2007 interface, database jargon, and an introduction to the four main elements that we use in Access: tables, queries, forms and reports. A table is nothing more than an array of data in rows and columns; a list of customer names, addresses, and phone numbers is a simple example. A query is the tool we use to ask the database a question. Questions can be simple [e.g., Who are the customers who have addresses in zip code 98447?] or more complicated [Who bought 50 or more units of part number 647-53 in the states of Ohio and Indiana during April?] A form is nothing more than a data-entry screen. If you have bought merchandise from an on-line vendor, you have used a database form to fill in your name, address, credit card number, and other information. Finally, a report is a formatted summary of specific information. An example might be a listing of all customers whose accounts receivable balances are 30 days past due. The report might be organized in a variety of ways, depending on the needs of management: alphabetical order by customer, in descending order of amount due, or in order by due date [oldest first]. Financial statements are also examples of reports. As you can see, there is noting particularly "special" about tables, queries, forms or reports. We would probably employ the same tools if we were using a pencil-and-paper accounting system, but it would be a lot more work. Chapter 2: an overview of databases as they are used in accounting systems; if you covered databases in CSCI 120 or BUSA 310, much of this will be a review. Chapters 3, 4, 5, and 6: these four chapters cover the mechanics of creating and using tables, queries, forms, and reports, respectively. We will not spend a lot of time on these chapters, but you do need to be acquainted with the basic operations. We will use a variety of tables, queries, forms and reports as we develop the elements of an accounting system in chapters 8 through 11. Chapter 7: Chapter 7 covers data modeling. A data model enables us to determine what the database will "look like." What tables will we need? What are their primary keys? What attributes are found in each table? What are the relationships between and among the tables that will enable us to capitalize on the power of a relational database to develop an entire accounting system? Chapters 8, 9, 10 and 11: these chapters cover the basic business processes associated with sales and cash collections, acquisition of [and payment for] resources, human resources, and financing, respectively. In each chapter, we will learn about the tables, queries, forms, and reports associated with that process. |
Copyright © 2010 Gerald M. Myers
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