Microsoft Office Access 2013

Relational Databases and Subforms

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Revised 8/12/14 Page 1 of 19 1
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 University Information Technology Services
Microsoft Office Access 2013
Relational Databases and Subforms

Table of Contents

Introduction ................................................................................................................................. 4
Objectives .................................................................................................................................... 4
Relationships and Tables ............................................................................................................. 5
Using Multiple Tables in the Access Database ............................................................................ 5
Relationships Explained ............................................................................................................... 5
Relationships and Data Types...................................................................................................... 6
How to Create the Relationship .................................................................................................. 7
Relationships and Forms ............................................................................................................. 9
Creating a Form for a Two Table Relationship ............................................................................ 9
Creating a Form with Tabs for a Multi-Table Relationship ....................................................... 14
Additional Assistance................................................................................................................. 19
 Introduction

Microsoft Access allows people to effectively and efficiently organize data. This document has
been developed to show you how to use multiple tables and relational databases in Access
2013. The various sections presented in this document will help you to build a solid knowledge
foundation of the software.

The Microsoft Access Booklet Series will provide you the necessary knowledge on how to use
Microsoft Office Access 2013. Before reading this booklet, it is recommended that you read the
following Access 2013 documents on the UITS Documentation Center at
http://uits.kennesaw.edu/cdoc:

1. Microsoft Office Access – Intro to Access 2013

2. Microsoft Office Access - Forms

Objectives

The following objectives are covered in this document:

• Understanding the concept of relationships as they relate to tables.

• Knowing how to define data types for relationships.
• Having the ability to create a relationship.
• Understanding relationships and forms.
• Knowing how to create a form for a two table relationship.
• Knowing how to create a tab form for a multi-table relationship.

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Relationships and Tables
The power of A ess is the software’s a ilit to reate a d ai tai ultiple ta les. A ess
allows multiple tables to work together thereby giving you strong database management
capabilities.

Using Multiple Tables in the Access Database

Users of Access begin to utilize the full strength of the system when they use multiple tables to
manage data. For example, the following are two tables that could be used by a retail store that
sells products to customers (see Figure 1).

Figure 1 - Two Tables

It would be ineffective to attempt to include all of the fields presented in Figure 1 in one table.
It is much more efficient to create two tables and categorize the various fields within these
tables.

An effective database used by a business, educational facility, governmental agency, etc. would
ultimately have many tables.

Relationships Explained

When developing a database with multiple tables, it is important to understand relationships.

Relationships allow the different tables to communicate with each other. When creating
different tables, there must be one field that is common to the different tables. For example,
Figure 2 shows that the Customer Number field is common to both tables.

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 Figure 2 - Customer Number in two tables

Relationships and Data Types

When developing multiple tables, the Data Type for the common field will be defined
differently in the various tables.

For example, the figure below shows that the Data Type for Customer Number is defined as
AutoNumber in the Customer Information table because this table is where the number is
created. Notice that this number is also the Primary Key (see Figure 3).

Figure 3 - Primary Key

In the Purchases table, the Customer ID is defined as a Number. Also, notice that it is not
defined as the Primary Key (see Figure 4) .

Figure 4 - Customer Number in the Purchases Table

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How to Create the Relationship

The following explains how to create a relationship between two tables in Access.

1. Be sure to close both tables.

2. From the Database Tools tab, click Relationships (see Figure 5).

Figure 5 - Relationships

3. In the Show Table dialogue box, select each table and click Add (see Figure 6).

Figure 6 - Click Add

4. Both of the tables will be added to the Relationships window. Next, click the Close button in
the Show Table dialogue box (see Figure 7).

Figure 7 - Click Close

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5. Click to select Customer Number in the Customer Information table (see Figure 8).

Figure 8 - Customer Number

6. Hover your mouse over Customer Number in the Customer Information table and left-click
your mouse. Drag over the Customer Number in the Purchases table and release (see Figure
9).

Figure 9 - Creating the Relationship

7. The Edit Relationships dialogue box will appear. Click to select the box for Enforce
Referential Integrity and click the Create button (see Figure 10).

Figure 10 - Enforce Referential Integrity

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 What happens when you enforce referential integrity?
1. If the re ord does ’t e ist i the pri ar ke field of the pri ar ta le, it a ’t e
entered in another related table.
2. The re ord a ’t e deleted fro the pri ar ta le if there is a re ord that relates
in another related table.
3. The primary key number cannot be changed in the primary table if there is a
record that relates to it in another related table.

8. The relationship will be established (see Figure 11).

Figure 11 - The Relationship is established

9. Click the Close button to exit the Relationship Tools screen. When prompted, click Yes to
save the relationship that you created (see Figure 12).

Figure 12 - Close Button

Relationships and Forms

There are many different ways to develop forms when you have relationships among different
tables established. The following are some popular design techniques.

Creating a Form for a Two Table Relationship

The following is an example of how to develop a form for a two table relationship. For
example, you may need multiple table forms in the event you have a database that contains

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more than one table. The tables within the database are Customer Information and Purchases
(see Figure 13).

Figure 13 - Tables to create the form

1. Create a form for the Customer Information table (see Figure 14).

Figure 14 - Form for Customer Information Table

Note: For more information on creating Forms, refer to the documentation Microsoft Office
Access 2013: Forms at https://uits.kennesaw.edu/cdoc.

2. On the Design tab, click the More button for additional controls (see Figure 15).

Figure 15 - The More Button

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3. Click the Subform/Subreport button (see Figure 16).

Figure 16 - Subform/Subreport

4. Draw a box on the form for the Purchases table (see Figure 17).

Figure 17 - Purchases Table Form

5. In the Subform Wizard, click Next (see Figure 18).

Figure 18 - Click Next

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6. Click to select the table that you want to place on the form (see Figure 19).

Figure 19 - Subform Wizard

7. Click the double-arrow button to add all of the fields onto the subform that you are
creating (see Figure 20).

Figure 20 - Sub form Arrow

8. Click the Finish button (see Figure 21).

Figure 21 - Click Finish

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9. The Purchases subform will appear on the Customer Information form (see Figure 22).

Figure 22 – Subform

10. You may now enter data in both the form and subform (see Figure 23).

Figure 23 - Entering Data

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Creating a Form with Tabs for a Multi-Table Relationship

The following explains how to create a form with tabs for a multi-table relationship. Forms
with tabs are necessary in the event that you need to enter data into a database with multiple
tables.

1. Create the necessary tables for the database. In this example we will need tables for an
insurance company database. Figure 24 illustrates a database that has tables for:
 Customer Information
 Auto insurance
 Life insurance
 Property insurance.

Figure 24 - Tables for an Insurance Database

2. Create a relationship for all of the tables in the database shows an example of relationships
created for a database for an insurance company (see Figure 25).

Figure 25 - Relationships for the Database

3. Create forms for all of the tables EXCEPT for the main table. For example you would create
forms for Auto, Property, and Life.

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4. The following steps explain how to create the main form.
4.1. Apply any color/labels to your form.
4.2. On the Design tab, click the Tab Control button (see Figure 26).

Figure 26 - Tab Control Button

4.3. Draw the Tab onto the Form (see Figure 27).

Figure 27 - Draw Tab on the form

4.4. To add more tabs, right-click over one of the tabs and click Insert Page. To delete a tab,
click Delete Page (see Figure 28).

Figure 28 - Insert and Delete Page

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4.5. To rename the tab, click to select the tab. Then, open the Property Sheet. On the
Format tab in the Caption category, enter the name of the tab (see Figure 29).

Figure 29 - Renaming Tabs

4.6. To add the fields onto the tab for this main form, click Add Existing Fields (see Figure
30).

Figure 30 - Add Existing Fields

4.7. In the Field List window that appears, click Show all tables (see Figure 31).

Figure 31 - Show all Tables

4.8. Click the + for the name of the main table containing the fields that you want to
add. For this example, you would click the + for Customer Info (see Figure 32).

Figure 32 - Expanding the Table

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 4.9. Drag the fields onto the form for the tab that you have selected (see Figure 33).

Figure 33 - Main Tab

5. You are now ready to add the forms that you created earlier to the other tabs. Click to
select the tab where you want to add your form (see Figure 34).

Figure 34 - Select the Tab

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6. From the Design tab, click the More button (see Figure 35).

Figure 35 - The More Button

7. Select the Subform/Subreport Button (see Figure 37).

Figure 36 - Subform/Subreport

8. Draw a box on the form for the selected tab.

9. The Subform Wizard dialogue box will appear. Select the option, Use an existing form and
then select the form of your choice (see Figure 37).

Figure 37 - Subform Wizard

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10. Click the Finish button.
11. Use the anchor points around the form to adjust the size.
12. The Auto Form tab appears (see Figure 38).

Figure 38 - Subforms

13. Repeat steps 5 – 11 to add the remaining subforms on the Form.

Additional Assistance

If you need additional assistance with Microsoft Office Access 2013, contact University
Information Technology Services (UITS) at:

Faculty and Staff Service Desk

Phone: 470-578-6999
Email: service@kennesaw.edu

Students Help Desk

Phone: 470-578-3555
Email: studenthelpdesk@kennesaw.edu

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