Errata

Let's get this straight ... FIRST you enter first three and first two, then you have to enter first name and last name ... Isn't that redundant? Why not have Access take the first three and first two AFTER entering the first name and last name?

... that is, if you were going to use that as a primary key, which you shouldn't!

Note from the Author or Editor:
On page 96, after the list and before step 11, please add the following tip:

Tip By the time you finish this book, you will know how to have Access create the CustomerID entry based on the FirstName and LastName entries, so that you don't have to type it.

On the Fields tool tab, in the Field Validation group, click the Validation button. Then click Validation Rule. Notice that the Expression Builder dialog box opens with the FieldTest table selected in the Expression Elements list and its fields displayed in the Expression Categories list.

If you click "Validation Rule" by default meaning the "Field Validation Rule" then the FieldTest table doesn't appear in the "Expression Builder" dialog under "Expression Elements" list.
You should click on "Record Validation Rule" so the table FieldTest appears in the "Expression Builder" dialog under "Expression Elements" list.

Mentionning "Field Validation Rule" or "Record Validation Rule" is missing as the first category "Field" or "Record" is missing in the text.

Note from the Author or Editor:
In Access 2013, the options displayed when you click the Validation button are Field Validation Rule and Validation Rule; in other words, there is no Record Validation Rule option, so the step is correct as is. However, to avoid confusion, please change the second sentence of step 20 on page 181 to the following:

"Then click <b>Validation Rule<\b> (not Field Validation Rule)."

"... Access must understand the relationships ..."

The implication of the first and second paragraphs is that Access can only do queries if you've (pre-)defined relationships. You can use a query to DEFINE the relationship (for the query).

Note from the Author or Editor:
Please replace the paragraph at the top of page 199 with the following:

"Before a query wizard can create a query that uses multiple tables, relationships must exist between the fields in those tables."

The last sentence refers to deleting discontinued products. Why? Won't deleting an item from the [Products] table leave an orphan record in the [OrderDetail] table?!?

Why delete the products at all? DASD's cheap.

Note from the Author or Editor:
Delete queries are indeed dangerous, as I hope the text and exercise make clear. Just in case, please add the following sentence to the "In this exercise" paragraph at the top of page 223.

"You'll also see why you have to be extremely cautious when using delete queries and why you might want to avoid them when working with related tables."

"Ease of data entry is the major consideration when designing a {DATA ENTRY} form..."

Note from the Author or Editor:
On page 227, please change the first sentence of the second paragraph from

"Ease of data entry is the major consideration when designing a form, because the easier this process is, the less likely people are to make mistakes."

to

"When you design a form that will be used to enter data, the major consideration is ease of data entry, because the easier
this process is, the less likely people are to make mistakes."

Because the word "Category" shows up in many places, consider clarifying as follows:

"Click the Category Name label control, double-click the word "Category", then delete it and the following space."

Note from the Author or Editor:
Please change step 15 on page 234 as follows, retaining the bold for Category Name and Category:

15 Click the Category Name label control, double-click the word Category, and then delete the selected word and the following space.

The section describes making a copy of table(s) in another database. It could be a 'teaching moment' to use this section to point out that having the same data in more than one table, and/or in more than one database leads to issues of data integrity. Which copy is correct?

Discuss analyzing the situation to determine if you are migrating ALL data into a (single) new db, or if there are business reasons to have some data in one database (e.g., used by Dept. X) and other data in another (used by Dept. Y), but some 'sharing'. In that case, leave the data where it is and LINK to the other table(s).

Note from the Author or Editor:
On page 281, at the end of the first paragraph of the "importing from other Access databases" section, please add the following sentence:

After importing the information, remember to delete it from the source database so that it exists in only one place.

"In the right pane..."

(it's the left pane...)

Note from the Author or Editor:
In Chapter 13, on page 361, at the beginning of step 17, please change "In the right pane" to "In the left pane."