MS-Access / Getting Started

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Using Data Type Parts

You learned about the new feature in Access 2010, called Data Type Parts, which assist you in creating fields in your tables. Similar to Application Parts, Data Type Parts help give you a jump start on creating your application. Data Type Parts create individual fields or groups of fields in existing tables. As you design more web databases, you might find yourself needing to create similar field structures in your tables. For example, you'll probably find yourself needing to have fields in at least one table that track address information such as street address, city, state, and ZIP code. Fortunately, this new feature in Access 2010 can also be used when you are creating web tables. However, you only have the Quick Start options for Data Type Parts available for web tables.

If you've been following along to this point, you should still have your test web database open with the tblEmployees web table, Issues web table, and supporting two forms in the Navigation pane. To create fields using one of the Data Type Parts, you first need to have a table opened in Datasheet view. Select the tblEmployees web table you created earlier in the Navigation pane, open it in Datasheet view, and then put your cursor in the Click To Add empty field to the right of the LastName field. Click the More Fields button in the Add & Delete group on the Fields tab, and Access displays various field types.

Under the Basic Types category, Access displays four field types you can use in your web table-Attachment, Hyperlink, Memo, and Lookup & Relationship. You'll be creating these types of fields later in this tutorial. Beneath the Quick Start category, you can see a list of the nine Data Type Parts-Address, Category, Name, Payment Type, Phone, Priority, Start And End Dates, Status, and Tag. These are the same Data Type Parts you can use in client tables, except in this case, Access creates web fields because you are using a web database.

Click Address under the Quick Start category and Access creates five fields to hold address information ready for you to use in your employees table. You can add additional Data Type Parts to your web table by clicking another option under the Quick Start category. If you want any new Data Type Part fields to appear at the end of your web table (as you saw with the address fields you just created), make sure to set the focus in the Click To Add empty field at the far right. Access always adds new Data Type fields to the left of where the current focus is located in the Datasheet view grid.

Using Data Type Parts can save you time when you're designing your web tables in Access 2010, just like for client tables, by giving you a jump start on creating common field types. Close the Table window now and do not save the changes to this table when Access prompts you to save the changes. You can now close this database to begin the next section.