Sample database downloads

In helping Access users solve everyday database design tasks we noticed that certain questions are asked particularly frequently. It seems that the easiest way to learn to program your own database is to study how a similar database is programmed. Here we post a few small, free Access databases that may be helpful to you in designing some typical applications.

The sample databases are provided in a .zip format to minimize the download time. We recommend Winrar to open these files, but Winzip will work, too.

Service issues: this example shows one way to handle work orders. The database illustrates only the work order creation ("Issues") but the data structure will illustrate how customer installations of equipment can be handled, including tracking of multiple customer locations, multiple equipment pieces at the same or different locations, inventorying equipment at those locations using serial numbers, tracking installers, tracking service personnel etc. Additionally, you can see how form and subform can be implemented in a complex relationship schema. This file is also available in Access 97 format.

Artificial Autonumber: Frequently, people want a field that increases automatically as new records are added, and they want this increase to be controllable. We show how a simple incrementing field can be created, which can serve as an ID for a document or a serial number. Additionally, the resulting ID is formatted to include year of creation. Another simple example in this database is a form that updates a calculated field based on selections made in an option group.

Invoice total: This example illustrates how to set up an invoice allocation relationship. A payment is allocated to several accounts, while a calculated running total shows next to the payment amount and changes color to red if the allocation exceeds the payment. This sample database is not designed to serve as a piece of a real accounting database, but to merely illustrate calculation of a running total of a subform on the main form.

We welcome your comments and questions at the address "database at ainaco com".