Access is nowhere near that easy to understand, John. learning to use it
effectively takes a considerable investment of time, study, and elbow
grease. if you're willing to make that investment, start by turning off your
computer and studying the basics of relational data modeling. Michael
Hernandez wrote an excellent book on the subject called Database Design For
Mere Mortals. you can also find informative articles about data
normalization at
http://home.bendbroadband.com/conradsystems/accessjunkie/resources.html#DatabaseDesign101
(watch for line-wrap on the preceding link.)
after you've studied relational design principles, and have a reasonably
good grasp of them, the next step is to learn how to use the Access software
product. there are many good books on the market, ranging from beginners'
books to advanced development texts. one good "starting out" book is
Microsoft Access <version> Bibile by Prague and Irwin, which will take you
step by step through learning the basic skill-set you need in using the
software, and provide you with a solid foundation for learning more advanced
development techniques.
btw, these are public newsgroups where users gather to help each other, on a
completely voluntary, unpaid basis. individuals occasionally offer to share
a database they've built, with someone who posts asking for help with a
specific problem. but people who begin a post by requesting that somebody
send them a database, or by asking that somebody "look at" their database
and fix it - those posters rarely get a warm reception, and are often
ignored entirely. just a word to the wise, here.
hth
