Microsoft AccessBefore you use Microsoft Access to create the tables, forms, and other objects that will make up your database, it is important to take the time to design your database. Good database design is the key to creating a database that does what you want it to do effectively, accurately, and efficiently. The first step in designing a Microsoft Access database is to determine the purpose of the database and how it should be used. You need to know what information you want to see in the database. By training this, you can determine which topics you should store facts about (the tables) and which facts you should store about each topic (the fields in the tables). Talk to the people who will use the database. Think about the questions you would like the database to answer. Sketch out the reports you want it to produce. Gather the forms you currently use to record your data. Look at well-designed databases similar to the one you are designing. Determining tables can be the trickiest part of the database – what reports you want to print, what forms you need to use, what questions you want to answer – don't do it. necessarily provide clues to the structure of the tables that produce them. You don't need to design your tables using Microsoft Access. In fact, it may be best to sketch and rework your design on paper first. A table should not contain duplicate information, and information should not be duplicated between tables. After you've designed the tables, fields, and relationships you need, it's time to review the design and spot any flaws that might remain. It's easier to change your database design now rather than after you've populated the data tables. (see Figure 1-2 on page 4) Use Microsoft Access to create your tables, specify relationships between the tables, and enter a few data records into each table. See if you can use the database to get the answers you want.