Tutorial Blog 3: Access

I chose access for my blog because I was very impressed with all of the different capabilities it offers the user and found it very useful. The part I found the most helpful was the table capabilities and how you can import external data into your database and put it into a table to analyze it. This aspect is useful if you want to import some data from excel ,or another application, to create a table to analyze the data and organize it into a form, query, or report.

I will demonstrate step by step instructions on how to do this below:
 First open up a blank database in access. Once the database is open go to the external data tab on the ribbon, which is at the top.

Gate Way illustration 

Now that you have found the external tab you need to specify what type of file you want to import into access, whether it is a text file, XML file, etc... You will see the buttons on the ribbon that are labeled "text file", "XML file" or "more" which gives you a drop down menu of other file types you are able to import. I will demonstrate how to import a text file since it is the most common. Just click on the type of file you wish to import and you will be directed to a browse window where you can browse for the file on your computer.

Once you have chosen the file you want to import the import text wizard window will appear giving you an option to choose whether your text is delimited or fixed width. If you've never used access your probably not familiar with the text formats so, delimited text is where the fields in the file are separated by characters such as semi-colons or commas. So if you open up your text file in a word document and it is separated by characters then it is probably delimited.
Fixed width text is when the text file's fields are aligned in columns to define specific character regions.

Learn Access Now Illustration

So if you tell access that your text file is delimited it will ask you to choose what kind of character separates your fields and gives you options to choose from such as, comma, semi-colon, tab, and space.

Learn Access Now Illustration

If you tell access that your text file is fixed width it will ask you where your break lines are and give you the option to make your own.

Learn Access Now Illustration

No matter which one you pick, delimited or fixed width, you will be brought to the next step where you can name your fields and define their data types, whether it be text, integer, date/time, etc... Once you have completed these steps you will be asked to name the file and then it will be imported into a new table.

Learn Access Now Illustration

Wallah! You have just imported your external data file and are ready to get started on your table! I hope you understood the steps clearly and were successful importing your file! I hope you find this feature as useful as I did!

Database Project

This project through me for a loop! I had never used access before so as I was watching the lectures this week it was all new to me. Needless to say, I learned a lot! I thought excel was useful, but boy oh boy I can really get some use out of access. I love all the organization it provides the user. I can imagine how useful the tables, reports and forms are for businesses and now that I know how to use access I hope it will help me out one day when I open my own small business. My favorite aspect was probably the report because it lays all of the information out for you in a neat, organized, and easy to read format. I also liked that you could sort your fields so you could read them more easily.

I think my database would have been more functional if I could have figured out how to group my cities together so that way the cities wouldnt have been listed multiple times. I had a difficult time getting them to group together even though I did step by step everything that the lectures said to do. It just didnt work as planned. But overall I thought that the database was pretty functional and would be useful to a gym owner who needs to know this information about his/her members.

Bella Casa Designs-Presentation Project

This project was a hair puller but I have to say that when It was all done and over with and I had the chance to sit back and watch my presentation, I was proud of all my hard work. I learned how to use a whole new program, KeyNote, for the MAC and wrote a hypothetical business plan for an interior design company I hope to build some day. I enjoyed the whole process of creating a story line and filling in the gaps with pictures and little details about my make believe company.  I will definitely use the tools I learned through out this process in the future for work related projects. I hope you guys enjoy watching my presentation!

Here is a direct link to my presentation
Bella Casa Designs presentation

Is there a logical flow and sequence of content? 

I would say that my presentation has a logical flow and makes sense while watching it. 

Does the presenter anticipate questions and answer them in the right place?

I think i did a good job of answering any question a viewer may have when watching my presentation. I explained how our company started, who the employees were, where we are located, what we offer, etc. 

Did the presenter grab your attention in the first 30-60 seconds?

I hope that my presentation will grab the audiences attention within the first 60 seconds; I used alot of visuals to stimulate the viewers attention.

Did the presenter set the context with a concise explanation? 

I made it clear what my presentation was about and explained each slide carefully. 

Did the presenter avoid inconsistencies and errors, typos and unbelievable claims?

I made no spelling errors in my presentation and to my best ability spoke with correct grammar and fluidity. 

How well did the presenter avoid clutter?

Some of my slide may have had alot going on but I dont think the amount of items I had on the slide took away from the readers attention. Everything I said corresponded with the pictures on the slides.

What did the presenter do to ensure readability?

I made sure that the text was big enough to read and was visually pleasing on the slide.

Did the presenter say it, and then show it or did he/she read the slides?

I did read directly off of some slides but most of them had a corresponding explanation to go along with it.