Compleate Newbee and Access Beginner

[TinTin]

Ive come here to find out how to start making a date base from scratch,

I have had to change my life dramaticly over the last two years taking up new hobbies and interests, to try and keep my mind active and out of depression. My main interest is mine making and I want to create a megga database so that I can monitor recipies and ingrediants, against the wine cellar stocks.

It will need to be quite a comprehencive database with two or 3 elements working indevidually but also inconguntion with each other.

Sections I need to create inclue

Wine Celler, stock control and drink ability. Some wines are not drinkable or 12 months but will taste well improved after 3 years storage.


Recipie collection, I want to keep a data base of collectied recipies and all to do thith them but want recipies to link to Wine cellor stock control.

Can anyone please help me, I know it is a lot to ask but really dont know where to start.

 

[Zigzag]

Hi Tintin,

Like most thing in life I find there are 2 ways to approach new thing.

1, jump straight in the deep end, learn by mistakes, trial and error etc etc

Or

2, Plan what you want to do, research, research, research.

It you want to go with approach no1, then start by making up tables that you think you want, then build forms, and then build the queries to feed the forms.

Approach no2 requires understanding of table structures, DB structure and DB normalisation. Start by doing research on these before even opening up Access.

My sugestion would be Approach No 2.

Best of luck with your project.

Garry

 

[TinTin]

I have to admite im more of a jump in sort a person, I dont like to ask questions just jet stuck in and ask questions later. Garry can you sugest a good place to get started and researching into what to do. Like I said im a very new at this and dont really know where to start.

If the impossible is possible why do miracles take so long?

 

[Zigzag]

Hi TinTin,

Just noticed that you are a Brumy Girl (Presume you’re a girl from your avatar)
Where about in Birmingham are you from? I'm from Bromsgrove (not quite Brum but close)

Anyway, where to start. Good question.

Northwind DB that comes with Access is a good place to start. Open it up and play around with it, take note of any forms that behave in a way that you like. Open them up in design view and investigate how they work.

Bed time reading…
Microsoft Access Bible 2003 Bible by Cary N Prague etc etc ISBN 0-7645-3986-8
Not that good as a tutorial but good as a reference book, maybe post on the forum for other members opinion on literature.

Not pad and pen, Split up the things that you want to do and think about your table design ie.

Recipes:- Build a table for this,
RecipesID, (Auto number) and PK (primary Key)
Winename,
Ingredients, Text
Quantity, Number
Quantitymeasure, text (eg oz, grms, letres etc)
Method, memo ( explanation of how to make)
Drinkable, number ( Weeks before ready)

Another table would be

BatchNo, (Auto number) and PK (primary Key)
RecipeID, Number ( this will link to the Recipe table)
Madedate, Date
Volumemade, Number (No of bottles)

The number of table depends on what you want to do, but break it down into bite size chunks bearing in mind how you link them together without duplicating information in tables.

Once you think you have the table design right, then slowly start to build your forms, as you build your forms you will naturally start to build your queries.

Hope this helps,

Post back with any help that you need.

Garry

 

[boblarson]

Also, read this PLEASE as if you understand this you will be 90% of the way there:

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/283878

 

[TinTin]

Your all so sweet, I have had loads to do and think that im getting on quite well now. If only I had more time to make misstakes , LOL Thank you all.


XXX TinTin XXX