Microsoft Access is a relational database management system (RDBMS) that is part of Microsoft Office. It is somewhat unique in that it provides an extensive graphical user interface (GUI), which allows users to develop sophisticated applications, even connecting to other DBMSs (such as Microsoft SQL Server) for data storage and retrieval but using Microsoft Access as the user interface for those databases.

Microsoft Access makes it easy to get started using databases, particularly due to its “drag-and-drop” approach to creating tables, writing queries, and designing applications. We will capitalize on these features as a way to introduce many of the topics that will be covered in much greater depth later in the course. In particular, the Query-by-Example (QBE) interface provides an excellent introduction to queries without the learning curve of the Structured Query Language (SQL). Similarly, creating forms and reports mimics some of the application programming that we will do using other programming languages and environments in later assignments.

Expected duration
5 hours
Deadline
1645 on Lesson 8
Points
65 points

Learning Objectives

  • Create a relational database using Microsoft Access
  • Design queries using Query-by-Example (QBE)
  • Experiment with forms and reports as ways to interact with a database

Help Policy

Authorized Resources
Any, except posted or other students’ solutions
Notes
Do not jointly work on this assignment.
Never copy another person’s work and submit it as your own.
You must document all help received from all sources, including the instructor and instructor-provided course materials (such as the textbook).

Assignment

Due to length of this assignment, it is broken into the following parts:

  1. Creating a Relational Database
  2. Performing Queries using Query-by-Example
  3. Creating Forms and Reports

Follow the directions in each part, completing them in the order specified.

Submission

Submit your Microsoft Access database using Blackboard. The database file should include all the tables, queries (saved in the same order as the query descriptions), forms, and reports.

Include your documentation statement as part of your Blackboard submission.

Grading

The following grading rubric will be used for this assignment:

Description Points
4 tables (attributes, types, masks, validation rules, and foreign keys) @ 5 points each 20.0
5 queries (attributes, filter, and order) @ 4 points each 20.0
5 forms @ 2.5 points each 12.5
5 reports @ 2.5 points each 12.5