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Chapter 8: Creating Simple Reports

(This is section 1 of 5 in this chapter)

In the previous chapter, you learned the basics of printing within Access. In this chapter you will build upon that knowledge to create an actual report. In the simplest sense, a report is a formatted output of your data. Using reports, you can select the fields you want Access to print, as well as their formats.

By the time you finish this chapter, you will understand the following key concepts:

What is a Report?

An Access report differs from a simple printout of a table's contents. When you create a report, you also can add headers, footers, subtotals, and other special features that enhance the appearance of your data on the printed page. Using a report, you have complete control over how your information appears.

Many database programs include special report writers that are designed to make the process of creating reports faster and easier. Access is no exception. Access includes a built-in report writer that you can use to design your reports and customize them to your heart's content.

For those times when you have very simple report-writing requirements, you will appreciate the inclusion of the Access Report Wizards. In this chapter, you will learn how to use the Report Wizards. How to use the report writer (the report Design window) is covered fully in Chapter 14, "Creating Complex Reports."

In Access, reports are simply another part of your database. If you look at the Database window, you will see there is a Reports button. Select this tab to display the reports stored with your database. As with any other database object, you can copy, rename, and delete reports very easily. Exactly how you perform these operations was covered in Chapter 3, "Taking a Closer Look."

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