A type of query that updates or makes changes to multiple records in one operation.

Pages stored on a server that generate different views of the data in response to choices users make on a Web page. A function that groups and performs calculations on multiple fields.

A function that groups and performs calculations on multiple fields.

A query that adds a group of records from one or more tables to the end of one or more tables.

An operator that performs an arithmetic operation: + (addition), - (subtraction), * (multiplication), or / (division).

Acronym for American Standard Code for Information Interchange, a coding scheme for text characters developed in 1968. ASCII files have the extension .asc.

See Active Server Pages (ASP).

A feature that efficiently creates forms using all the available fields and minimal formatting.

The part of a split database that is stored on a server for security reasons, and which usually consists of the tables and other objects that you don’t want people to be able to modify. See also front-end database.

A file coded so that its data can be read by a computer.

A data type that can hold either of two mutually exclusive values, often expressed as yes/no, 1/10, on/off, or true/false.

Linked, as when a form used to view information in a table is linked to that table.

A replication folder that you use to keep files in sync when you work on different computers in different locations.

One of two types of modules in Microsoft Visual Basic for Applications (VBA). A class module is associated with a specific form or report. See also standard module.

VBA programs; also called procedures, referred to in Access as modules. See also class module; standard module.

A control in which you can either select from a drop-down list or type an option.

A data file consisting of fields and records, stored as text, in which the fields are separated from each other by commas.

A control shaped like a button to which you can attach code that runs when the button is clicked.

A note embedded in code that helps people reading the code understand its purpose.

An operator that compares values, such as < (less than), > (greater than), and = (equal to).

A part of a database that is used to store and organize information. Also known as a database object.

A means of compacting information for more efficient means of transportation.

A named item that retains a constant value throughout the execution of a program, as opposed to a variable, whose value can change during execution.

An object such as a label, text box, option button, or check box in a form or report that allows you to view or manipulate information stored in tables or queries.

A setting that determines the appearance of a control, what data it displays, and how that data looks. A control’s properties can be viewed and changed in its Properties dialog box.

The source of a control’s data–the field, table, or query whose data will be displayed in the control.

The specifications you give to Access so that it can find matching fields and records. Criteria can be simple, such as all the records with a postal code of 98052, or complex, such as the phone numbers of all customers who have placed orders for over $500 worth of live plants within the last two weeks and who live in postal codes 98052, 98053, and 98054.

A query that calculates and restructures data for easier analysis. See also select query, parameter query, and action query.

A dynamic Web page that allows users to directly manipulate data in a database via the Internet.

A database or file to which a data access page is connected.

The type of data that can be entered in a field: text, memo, number, date/time, currency, AutoNumber, Boolean (Yes/No), OLE object, and hyperlink. You set the data type by displaying the table in Design view.

A company that serves as a data repository for a variety of data and that may make use of replication to keep each database synchronized when more than one version of the database is updated in more than one remote location.

A database that is refined and made simpler for the user by the sophisticated use of queries, forms, reports, a switchboard, and various other tools.

A program that stores data. Programs range from those that can store one table per file (referred to as a flat database) to those that can store many related tables per file (referred to as a relational database).

The protection of database information from accidental damage, destruction, or theft through the use of encryption, passwords, access permissions, replication, and other security measures.

The window from which all database objects can be manipulated or accessed.

The view in which the information in a table or query can be viewed and manipulated. See also view.

"Unscrambling" a database that has been encrypted for security reasons.

A query that deletes a group of records from one or more tables.

A type of text file format in which each record and each field is separated from the next by a known character called a delimiter.

A character such as a comma (,), semicolon (;), or backslash (), or pairs of characters such as quotation marks (" ") or braces ({}), that are used to separate records and fields in a delimited text file.

The name given to the structure used in Design view to manually construct and modify advanced filters and queries.

In replication, the term for the version of the database from which replicas are made and where changes made to replicas are copied and synchronized.

The view in which the structure of a table or query can be viewed and manipulated. See also view.

See Dynamic Hypertext Markup Language (DHTML).

A form of select query that locates records that have the same information in one or more fields that you specify.

A new version of the standard authoring language, HTML, that includes codes for dynamic Web page elements.

A page whose content is created in response to some action on the part of a user who is viewing the page over the Internet. See also static HTML page.

"Scrambling" data for security reasons.

An action performed by a user or by Access, to which a programmed response can be attached. Common user events include Click, Double Click, Mouse Down, Mouse Move, and Mouse Up. You can use macros or VBA modules to determine how Access responds when one of these events occurs.

A setting used when you want to be the only person who currently has a database open. You must open a database for exclusive use when setting or removing a password that limits database access.

The process of creating a file containing the information in a database table in a format that can be used by other programs.

A combination of functions, field values, constants, and operators that yield a result. Expressions can be simple, such as >100, or complex, such as ((ProductPrice*Quantity)*.90)+(Shipping+Handling).

A feature used to create formulas (expressions) used in query criteria, form and report properties, and table validation rules.

A refined language developed for Web documents that describes document structure rather than appearance.

An individual item of the information that is the same type across all records. Represented in Access as a column in a database table. See also record.

A common text file format that is often used to transfer data from older applications. Each record is always the same number of characters long, and the same field within the records is always the same number of characters. In other words, the same field always starts the same number of characters from the beginning of each record, and any characters not occupied by real data are filled with zeros.

A marker that can be set to true or false to indicate the state of an object.

A simple database consisting of one table. See also relational database.

A database object used to enter, edit, and manipulate information in a database table. A form gives you a simple view of some or all of the fields of one record at a time.

The view in which you can enter and modify the information in a record. See also view.

The part of a split database that is distributed to the people who analyze and enter data. The actual data tables are stored on a server for security reasons. See also back-end database.

A named procedure or routine in a program, often used for mathematical or financial calculations.

In VBA, a procedure that is enclosed in Function and End Function statements and returns a value. See also sub procedure.

One of four elements—the other three being object, permission, and user—on which the Access user-level security model is based.

The level by which records are grouped in a report. For example, records might be grouped by state (first level), then by city (second level), and then by postal code (third level).

See Hypertext Markup Language (HTML).

An HTML command that determines how the tagged information looks and acts.

The authoring language used to create Web documents.

The method whereby data is brought into an Access database from a different database or program. See also exporting.

A field property that determines what data can be entered in the field, how the data looks, and the format in which it is stored.

A secure, proprietary Web-based network used within a company or group and accessible only to its members.

A word that is part of the VBA programming language.

An area on a form that contains text that appears on the form in Form view.

See local area network (LAN).

A view of a report that shows you how each element will look but without all the detail of Print Preview.

The process of connecting to data in other applications.

A computer network that connects computers, printers, and other hardware to a server or group of servers.

One of the Boolean operators: AND, OR and NOT.

The wizard in Access that simplifies the creation of a Lookup list.

A set of automated instructions that perform a sequence of simple tasks.

One form that is linked to one or more tables. See also subform.

One report that displays records from one or more tables. See also subreport.

A query that creates a new table from all or part of the data in one or more tables. Make-table queries are helpful for creating a table to export to other Microsoft Access databases.

A relationship formed between two tables that each have a one-to-many relationship with a third table. See also one-to-many relationship; one-to-one relationship.

A drive to which you have assigned a drive letter. Used for quickly accessing files stored in locations that are not likely to change. See also universal naming convention (UNC) path.

A field property that determines what data can be entered in a field, how the data looks, and the format in which it is stored.

A compiled version of a database. Saving a database as an MDE file compiles all modules, removes all editable source code, and compacts the destination database.

A high-level programming language developed for the purpose of creating Windows applications.

See Microsoft Database Executable (MDE).

A VBA program.

A group of cells in an Excel spreadsheet.

The file format an application uses to produce its own files.

One of the buttons found on a form or navigation bar that helps users display specific records.

Technologies to protect your network connections to the Internet or other public networks.

A central computer that stores files and programs and manages system functions for a network.

One of the components of an Access database, such as a table, form, or report.

A relationship formed between two tables in which each record in one table has more than one related record in the other table. See also many-to-many relationship; one-to-one relationship.

A relationship formed between two tables in which each record in one table has only one related record in the other table. See also many-to-many relationship; one-to-many relationship.

See arithmetic operator; comparison operator; logical operator.

Locking a record only for the brief time that Access is saving changes to it.

A control on a form that allows users to select preferred settings.

See data access page.

A query that prompts for the information to be used in the query, such as a range of dates.

In Access, the process of analyzing a document and identifying anything that looks like structured data.

A secret sequence of letters and other symbols needed to log on to a database as an authorized user.

An attribute that specifies how a user can access data or objects in a database.

Locking a record for the entire time it is being edited.

An interactive chart that is linked to a database.

An interactive table that is linked to a database.

To fill a table or other object with data.

One or more fields that determine the uniqueness of each record in a database.

A view of a report that allows users to see exactly how the report will look when printed.

VBA code that performs a specific task or set of tasks.

A setting that determines the content and appearance of the object to which it applies.

A database object that locates information so that the information can be viewed, changed, or analyzed in various ways. The results of a query can be used as the basis for forms, reports, and data access pages.

All the items of information (fields) that pertain to one particular entity, such as a customer, employee, or project. See also field.

The gray bar along the left edge of a table or form.

The place from which information derives between two bound objects, such as a field that pulls information from a table. See also control source.

The system of rules Access uses to ensure that relationships between tables are valid and that data cannot be changed in one table without also being changed in all related tables.

A sophisticated type of database in which data is organized in multiple related tables. Data can be pulled from the tables just as if they were stored in a single table.

An association between common fields in two tables.

A copy of the Design Master of a database.

The process of creating a Design Master so that multiple copies of a database can be sent to multiple locations for editing. The copies can then be synchronized with the Design Master so that it reflects all the changes.

A database object used to display a table or tables in a formatted, easily accessible manner, either on the screen or on paper.

The gray box at the left end of a row in a table that, when clicked, selects all the cells in the row.

The process of telling Access to search the specified table or tables for records that match the criteria you have specified in the query and to display the designated fields from those records in a datasheet (table). See also criteria; query.

The process of storing the current state of a database or database object for later retrieval. In Access, new records and changes to existing records are saved when you move to a different record; you don’t have to do anything to save them. You do have to save new objects and changes to existing objects.

A description of the structure of XML data, as opposed to the content of the data. Applications that export to XML might combine the content and schema in one .xml file or might create an .xml file to hold the content and an .xsd file to hold the schema.

A query that retrieves data matching specified criteria from one or more tables and displays the results in a datasheet.

A small box attached to an object that you click to select the object.

Providing access to a database so more that one person can access it to add or alter its information.

An introductory screen containing useful or entertaining information. Often used to divert the user’s attention while data is loading.

See Structured Query Language (SQL).

A database that supports SQL and that can be accessed simultaneously by several users on a LAN.

A VBA program that contains general procedures that are not associated with any object.

A Web page that provides a snapshot of some portion of the database contents at one point in time.

A series of characters enclosed in quotation marks.

A database sublanguage used in querying, updating, and managing relational databases–the de facto standard for database products.

A series of VBA statements enclosed by Sub and End Sub statements.

A datasheet that is embedded in another datasheet.

A form inserted in a control that is embedded in another form.

A report inserted in a control that is embedded in another report.

A form used to navigate among the objects of a database application so that users don’t have to be familiar with the actual database.

The process of comparing the information in a database replica with the database’s Design Master and merging any changes.

The format that expressions must conform to in order for Access to be able to process them.

Information organized in columns (records) and rows (fields).

The Access tool that helps users construct tables.

Codes in HTML that give instructions for formatting or other actions.

A pane that provides a quick and easy way of initiating common tasks.

A ready-made database application that users can tailor to fit their needs.

A control on a form or report where data from a table can be entered or edited.

The written record of transactions.

Not linked, as when a control is used to calculate values from two or more fields and is therefore not bound to any particular field. See also bound.

See universal naming convention (UNC) path.

A path format that includes the computer name, drive letter, and nested folder names. See also mapped network drive.

A form of select query that locates records in one table that don’t have related records in another table.

A select query that changes the query’s results in some way, such as by changing a field.

A person authorized to access a database but who generally is not involved in establishing its structure.

A field property that tests entries to ensure that only the correct types of information become part of a table.

A name or symbol that stands for a value that can change.

See Microsoft Visual Basic for Applications (VBA).

A VBA program.

The display of information from a specific perspective.

The environment in which VBA code is written.

See Visual Basic Editor.

An application used to view Web pages on the World Wide Web.

See workgroup information file (WIF).

A placeholder for an unknown character or characters in search criteria.

A helpful tool that guides users through the steps for completing a specific task.

A group of users in a multiuser environment who share data and the same workgroup information file. When you install Access, the setup program creates a default workgroup and sets up two groups, Admins and Users, within that workgroup.

The file where information about the objects, permissions, users, and groups that comprise a specific workgroup is stored.

A page in a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet.

See Extensible Markup Language (XML).