Microsoft Access Before you use Microsoft Access to actually 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 is to be used. You need to know what information you want from the database. This way you can determine which topics you need to store facts about (the tables) and which facts you need to store about each topic (the fields in the tables). Talk to the people who will be using the database. Brainstorm questions you would like the database to answer. Outline the reports you would like it to produce. Collect the forms you currently use to record your data. Examine well-designed databases similar to the one you are designing. Determining the tables can be the trickiest step in the database: the reports you want to print, the forms you should use, the questions you want answered—don't necessarily give you clues about the structure of the tables that produce them. It is not necessary to design the tables using Microsoft Access. In fact, it may be better to sketch and rework the design on paper first. A table should not contain duplicate information, and information should not be duplicated between tables. Once you've designed the necessary tables, fields, and relationships, it's time to study the design and detect any flaws that may remain. It is easier to change the database structure now, rather than after you have filled the tables with data. (see Figure 1-2 on page 4) Use Microsoft Access to create the tables, specify the 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.