Microsoft Access 2016 Tutorial

No matter whether you work from home or at an office, only occasionally need to type a document or type all the time, it is safe to assume you will encounter MS Word 2016 in some form or fashion. This is because Microsoft Word has many features that has impressed its users since its beginning. However, as with anything in the computer realm, there has been some updates. Some functions showed little change, and others where significant change is visible, but overall the updates took this user-friendly product to a higher level of usability.

If you are interested in Microsoft Access 2013, check out our Access 2013 Tutorial.

While many of the Access 2013 features are still there, you will also find that there are a number of new features. It should also be noted that in releasing Access 2016 that none of the existing features or functionality from earlier versions were disapproved in this release.

Tell Me

access 2016 tutorial tell me

At the top of the Ribbon, you will find the phrase, “Tell me what you want to do.” Here you can type in a question or even a phrase and the Access 2016 program will bring up a list of potential solutions from which you can choose a solution.

Themes
You are no longer limited to the original appearance of Access; now you can choose from either colorful or white. To give it a more personal look change the theme by going to File > Options > General and then click the drop down menu next to the Office theme.

Data Linking

access 2016 tutorial data linking

If you have created a list within your Access 2016 database and want to move it to Excel, this is now easier than ever before. It is now possible to export a list of linked data directly to Excel by using the new functionality built into the Linked Table Manager. This is done by opening the Linked Table Manager dialog > External Data > Linked Table Manager. Then choosing the linked material you want and clicking export to excel.

Once this is in in place, you will be asked to choose a location to save the Excel workbook, and then you will find the linked data sources information in the new workbook. You will also see linked data source’s name, the source information and the type of the data source.

Updated Templates

access 2016 tutorial updated templates

If designing a database causes you stress, then you will love the new look and feel of the Access 2016 templates. There are now five different templates – Asset Tracking, Contacts, Events Management, Students, and Task Management – which are found through File > New > then choosing the needed template. When you choose a template, you will find a list of articles, videos and other resources to help you better utilize these templates.

Larger Show Table Dialog

access 2016 tutorial larger show table dialog

In earlier versions of Access, there were complaints that the Show Table was too small. In the 2016 version, the size of the table has been increased so it is easier to see more of the table and the query names within the database. To view the dialog queries, go to Create > Query Design; by default, the Show Table will open. It can then be accessed by selecting Design > Show Table. From the Relationships window, you can reach the Show Table by going to Database Tools > Relationships; the dialog box is opened by clicking Design > Show Table.

Types of Data Available in Access
●  Store up to 255 alphanumeric data characters as Short Text (aka, Text).
●  Long text (aka Memo) can be used; the database will allow for long sentences and paragraphs (up to 64,000 characters) and about 1 GB of space.
●  Numeric data such as dates, times, monetary data, up to 4 decimal points, unique values, Boolean, Yes/No queries and more can be generated for each new record. The size allowed on these types of data ranges from as few as 1 byte to as many as 16 bytes.
●  Need to store some images? No problem OLE objects – pictures, graphs, or other ActiveX objects – up to 2 GB can be used in Access 2016.
●  Add in hyperlinks of up to 8,192 characters for link addresses to documents, files, the Web, a local area network (LAN) or on your local computer.
●  Need to post an attachment? Access update allows for pictures, documents, spreadsheets, or charts of up to 2 GB.
●  The Lookup Wizard – This is dependent on the data type of the lookout field. Ironically, it is not actually a data type. Rather when this is chosen the wizard helps you define whether the field will be a simple or complex field. A simple field uses the contents of another table or value list to validate the contents of single value; a complex lookup lets you store multiple values of the same data type in each row.
●  In Calculated data, you can create an expression that uses data from one more fields or designate an assortment of data based on the expression. It should be noted that Calculated data is not available in MDB file formats. Short Text data can have up to 243 characters; Long Text, Number, Yes/No and Date/Time will match their respective data types.

(all images http://support.office.com/)

 

Access 2016 Tutorial – Related Links:

For those who require additional training on MS Access 2016, then the following links may be good ones to check out:

What’s new in Access 2016 – Access – Office Support
Free Access 2016 Tutorial at GCFLearnFree
Microsoft Access 2016 Tutorial – Quackit