Access offers three ways to create a database table. You can start in Design view and enter the field names yourself, create a table with Access' Table Wizard, or import the data from a table you already created. The Table Wizard can be very helpful when it comes to creating a table, but even if you create a table with the wizard you have to refine it to make it work for your data.
No matter which method you choose for designing a table, you start from the Database window (click the Database Window button or press F11 if you don't see it). Click the Tables button and then the New button. You see the New Table dialog box:
· Datasheet View Choose Data Sheet View and click OK to view a blank datasheet in which you can begin entering data fields and table data.
· Design View Choose Design View and click OK to design the table yourself. "Designing and Refining a Database Table" in Chapter 27 tells what to do next if you go this route.
· Table Wizard Choose Table Wizard and click OK to get Access' help in designing and creating the table. "Creating a Table with the Table Wizard," later in this chapter, explains what to do next.
· Import Table Choose Import Table and click OK to import a table from another Access database; an Excel spreadsheet; a dBASE, FoxPro, or other database; or from a text file. See "Importing Data from Another Table or Program," later in this chapter, to find out what to do next.
· Link Table You can also choose Link Table, which is a variation of Import Table. You don’t bring the data into the database; you create a link, which allows the data to continue to be worked with and updated in the other application.