Hour 1. Relational Databases and Office Access 2003 Introduced

In talking to users and developers, I find that Access is a very misunderstood product. Many people think that it is just a toy for managers or secretaries wanting to play with data. Others feel that it is a serious developers' product intended for no one but experienced application developers. This hour dispels the myths of Access. It helps you to decipher what Access is and what it isn't. After reading the text in this hour, you will know when Access is the tool for you and when it makes sense to explore other products.

In this hour you'll learn the following:

• What types of things you can do with Access

• How to start Microsoft Access

• How to open an existing database

• How to work with the Database window

• How to work with the various components of an Access database