This tutorial is focused on using VBA in Access, some of the key objects that we will be interacting with, and how we interact with them. Using VBA within Access opens up a world of possibilities, allowing you to build some incredibly powerful software applications that can rival expensive 3rd software solutions you’d normally pay for.
Ok, let’s dive in.
What you need for this tutorial
Very little is needed for this tutorial.
- Microsoft Access - Download this Access database
- Basic knowledge of Microsoft Access - we will review some basics on this page
- Tables
- Queries
The first thing you must do is download the sample file for this tutorial. We will be using this simple Access database to run through our VBA examples.
In our sample database, we have a single table that is called “Inventory.” Most database applications will have multiple tables with defined relationships between them. The principles that we will be illustrating do not have much to do with database design, and more to do with how you use VBA to process data within Access. So for our purposes, I’ve made it really simple by using just one table.
Let’s cover some basics about tables and queries.
Tables
Tables are where data is stored. In Access, or any database software, tables will look like what you’re used to seeing in a spreadsheet. They have titles on the top of each column, and each row is filled with data.
Queries
Queries are how we access and retrieve data in the tables to use in reports or other processes. Queries are created in SQL. Within Access, we have a visual GUI to produce simple SQL queries. So you can make queries without knowing how to write any SQL. This tutorial assumes that you have basic knowledge of this, but we will cover it in some lessons of the tutorial.
This concludes this particular part of the tutorial. Let’s get move on to the rest and get to work!
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