Tables organize data into columns (called fields) and rows (called records).

For example, each field in a Products table contains the same type of information for every product, such as the product's name. Each record in that table contains all the information about one product, such as the product's name, supplier ID number, units in stock, and so on.

In table Design view, you can create an entire table from scratch, or add, delete, or customize the fields in an existing table.

If you want to track additional data in a table, add more fields. If an existing field name isn't descriptive enough, you can rename the field.

Setting a field's data type (field data type: A characteristic of a field that determines what kind of data it can store. For example, a field whose data type is Text can store data consisting of either text or number characters, but a Number field can store only numerical data.) defines what kind of values you can enter in a field. For example, if you want a field to store numerical values that you can use in calculations, set its data type to Number or Currency.

You use a unique tag, called a primary key (primary key: One or more fields (columns) whose values uniquely identify each record in a table. A primary key cannot allow Null values and must always have a unique index. A primary key is used to relate a table to foreign keys in other tables.), to identify each record in your table. A table's primary key is used to refer to related records in other tables.

Field properties are a set of characteristics that provide additional control over how the data in a field is stored, entered, or displayed. Which properties are available depends on a field's data type.

A common field relates two tables so that Microsoft Access can bring together the data from the two tables for viewing, editing, or printing. In one table, the field is a primary key (primary key: One or more fields (columns) whose values uniquely identify each record in a table. A primary key cannot allow Null values and must always have a unique index. A primary key is used to relate a table to foreign keys in other tables.) that you set in table Design view (Design view: A window that shows the design of these database objects: tables, queries, forms, reports, macros, and data access pages. In Design view, you can create new database objects and modify the design of existing ones.). That same field also exists in the related table as a foreign key (foreign key: One or more table fields (columns) that refer to the primary key field or fields in another table. A foreign key indicates how the tables are related.).

In the Suppliers table, you enter a supplier ID, company name, and so on for each supplier. SupplierID is the primary key that you set in table Design view.

In the Products table, you include the SupplierID field, so that when you enter a new product, you can identify its supplier by entering that supplier's unique ID number. SupplierID is the foreign key in the Products table.

In a table or query, Datasheet view (Datasheet view: A window that displays data from a table, form, query, view, or stored procedure in a row-and-column format. In Datasheet view, you can edit fields, add and delete data, and search for data.) provides the tools you need to work with data.

Using the Table Datasheet and Query Datasheet toolbars

Working with columns, rows, and subdatasheets

You can find tools for working with columns, rows, and subdatasheets (subdatasheet: A datasheet that is nested within another datasheet and that contains data related or joined to the first datasheet.) in the datasheet itself, or by right-clicking a column selector (column selector: The horizontal bar at the top of a column. You can click a column selector to select an entire column in the query design grid or the filter design grid.).

Use the column selector to move, hide, or rename a column.

Resize columns or rows.

Use subdatasheets to view related data.

Freeze the leftmost column so that it is displayed as you scroll to the right.

Moving through records

You can use the navigation toolbar to move through the records in a datasheet.

Go to the first record.

Go to the previous record.

Type a record number to move to.

Go to the next record.

Go to the last record.

Go to a blank (new) record.