Written by the team who brought you 'Inside Relational Databases'.About the authors:Bill Marklyn, as the Development Manager for the first two major releases of Access, oversaw the entire design and so provides an intimate knowledge of the product.Mark Whitehorn designs and builds databases but is best known for his popular and long running database column in the UK's 'Personal Computer World'."These two authors make a perfect team. Bill Marklyn knows the product inside out and Mark Whitehorn makes the information Accessible." Neil Fawcett, Group Technical Editor, VNU Business Publications"PCW and Amazon.co.uk contributor Mark Whitehorn is that rare combination -- an expert in his field, databases, and a fine writer too, with a talent for honing a complex subject down to its essentials." Tamsin Todd - Computers & Internet Editor, Amazon.co.ukAbout the book:Accessible Access 2000 assumes that you start with no knowledge of Access or databases and takes you to the point where you can create and use a multi-table database. (For more information, see chapter one).It is written in the highly readable style of the authors' previous book; a style that was much appreciated by readers: "'Inside Relational Databases' is excellent. It is clearly and concisely written and full of humorous asides which ease the reader through an otherwise weighty topic. Probably the most engaging technical book I have read."Paul McGowan"As a result of ordering and studying your excellent book, 'Inside Relational Databases', it is now required reading for all my students. This e-mail is simply to say thank you for a superb and understandable publication. I've learned a lot from it, and I'm sure my delegates will too."Ian Wilshaw

The second edition of the best-selling Inside Relational Databases is revised and updated to bring you the most reader-friendly explanation of the relational model and its importance to database designers and builders.Clear explanations make use of examples rather than equations to show you how an understanding of the relational model can make your databases faster, more flexible and thoroughly fit for their purpose.Dr Mark Whitehorn has an extensive understanding of relational database theory and his popular and long running database column in the UK's "Personal Computer World" has already made database theory accessible to thousands.Bill Marklyn has an intimate knowledge of relational databases and was the Development Manager who oversaw the entire design of the first two major releases of Microsoft's highly successful database product, Access.Together they make a great team, illuminating a tricky subject with substance and style.Reviews from the first edition of Inside Relational Databases:"Quite simply - superb. By making relational databases understandable, Mark Whitehorn and Bill Marklyn have achieved far more than most. Making the subject interesting and entertaining as well puts these two authors firmly in a class of their own."- Neil Fawcett, Group Technical Editor, VNU Business Publications"PCW and Amazon.co.uk contributor Mark Whitehorn is that rare combination - an expert in his field, databases, and a fine writer too, with a talent for honing a complex subject down to its essentials."- Tamsin Todd, Computer & Internet Editor, Amazon.co.uk"Inside Relational Databases is excellent. It is clearly and concisely written and full of humorous asides which ease the reader through an otherwise weighty topic. Probably the most engaging technical book I have read."- Paul McGowan

Contents Should we tell you the whole story? Of course, there is an inevitable tension in trying to work like this. For example, in Chapter 16 we talk about referential integrity. There are - sentially six different flavors of referential integrity but Access only s- ports four of them (they are the most important ones however, so you aren't missing out on too much). The problem is this. Should we tell you about the other two? If we do, as an Access user you have every right to be annoyed that we are telling you about a feature you can't use. On the other hand, the six different types that we describe are part of the re- tional world and this book is about that world - we are not trying to teach you how to use Access, we are simply using Access to illustrate the relational model. Ultimately we decided to risk your ire and to describe all of the features of the relational model as we see it, even if Access doesn't support all of them. One advantage of this approach is that if you need to use a different database engine you will almost certainly find the extra information useful. Incidentally, this is not meant to imply that Access is somehow lacking as a relational database engine. The reason we chose it for the first book is that it is such a good example of a relational database tool.

Thisiswherewetrytoconvinceyoutobuythisbook, tellyouwhatittriestodo, define a few terms and generally set the scene - all of which makes this more like an introduction than a first chapter, but no-one reads introductions so we called it a chapter. If you have already bought the book and know what it does, feel free to skip to Chapter 2 where the action starts. Whyshouldyoubuythisbook? TherearemanyAccessbooksonthemarket, whyshouldIbuythisone?Doesithavemore informationthananyotherbook? Errr, no, it actually has less than the big reference books you'll also find on the shelf. So, isitverycheap? Well, it isn't as expensive as some but, no, it isn't particularly cheap either. Tobebrutallyfrank, you'renotdoingagreatjobofsellingthistome. Right, time for the hard sell. Bill worked for Microsoft as the Development Manager for the first three versions of Access. I (Mark) work as a database consultant, teach database theory and practice at two Universities and have written the UK Personal ComputerWorld's database column for more than ten years. We met (at a database conference, not unreasonably, given our interests) in the summer before Access 1. 0 was launched and found that we shared similar views on how databases should be designed and built. Since then we have writtenabooktogetherabouttherelationalmodelthatunderliesAccessandall other relational database systems (see below for the inevitable plug). But why write a book about Access itself when there are already so many around? 3 1 Introduction Well, since Bill was in charge of the product's development, it was fair to assume that we had the technical side reasonably well covered.