> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://nolongerset.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Access 101: A Quick Start Guide to Microsoft Access - URL: https://nolongerset.com/access-101/ - Published: 2023-10-06T03:59:00.000Z - Updated: 2026-05-08T12:49:17.000Z - Description: These are my Access best practices. There are many like them, but these are mine. - Author: Mike Wolfe - Tags: Access 101, #todo, #Import 2026-05-20 02:59 Does the world really need another Microsoft Access tutorial? Frankly, no. There are many great resources already, among them: - Allen Browne's website: - Access MVP Richard Rost's [Microsoft Access video courses](https://599cd.com/blog/display-article.asp?ID=1082&) - Access MVP Crystal Long's "Learn Access by Crystal" [YouTube playlist](https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL1B2705CCB40CA4CA) - Plus dozens of books, hundreds of websites, and thousands of online articles So if the world doesn't need another Access tutorial, why am I writing this series? Because *I* need a Microsoft Access tutorial for my interns and future employees. ## How This Series is Different To transmogrify the first line of the [Rifleman's Creed](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rifleman%27s%5FCreed) of the U.S. Marine Corps: > These are my Access best practices. There are many like them, but these are mine. This will be a very opinionated series. To reduce confusion for *my* beginners, there won't be much, *"Well, you could do it *this* way OR you could do it *that* way."* It will simply be, *"This is THE way"* (even if other common approaches may exist in the wider world). Caveat lector. ## Hey, I Don't Read this Blog for Beginner Topics! When I started this blog, I did it in large part because I felt there was a void in advanced Access and VBA topics on-line, especially since the heyday of Access and VB6 in the late 90's and early 00's. Worry not! I fully intend for nolongerset.com to remain the premiere site for advanced Access and VBA content. Here are a few points to reassure you advanced readers out there: 1. While the content of each of these articles will be aimed at beginners, I will also be including a **Further Reading** section with links to more advanced topics related to each article. 2. I won't suddenly start writing nothing but beginner-level articles; I would get bored with that myself. Instead, expect to see these articles **sprinkled in** among the usual advanced topics. 3. As with my existing [beginner articles](https://nolongerset.com/tag/basic/), I will be covering topics that come up regularly on **Access forums**. Rather than typing up similar answers repeatedly, you'll be able to just drop a link to one of these articles. 4. You'll no doubt disagree with some of my "best" practices and can let me know about it in the comments section or on social media. # Curriculum These topics are arranged by category and broken down by skill level. If you are brand new to Access, I recommend reading the articles in skill level order. In other words, read all the form/report/control/VBA articles in the **Intro** skill level, then all the articles in the **Basic** skill level, etc. This is a living list. New topics may be added at any time. Check back often as links to articles will be added as they are written. ## Tables #### Intro - [What is a Table in Access?](https://nolongerset.com/what-is-a-table/) - [Front-End vs. Back-End](https://nolongerset.com/front-end-vs-back-end/) - [Local vs. Linked Tables](https://nolongerset.com/local-vs-linked-tables/) - [Referential Integrity](https://nolongerset.com/referential-integrity/) #### Beginner - "Splitting" an Access Database - Linking to SQL Server Tables - DSN-less Connections ## Queries #### Intro - [What is a Query in Access?](https://nolongerset.com/what-is-a-query/) - [SELECT Query](https://nolongerset.com/select-query/) - [INSERT INTO ("Append") Query](https://nolongerset.com/insert-into-query/) - [UPDATE Query](https://nolongerset.com/update-query/) - [DELETE Query](https://nolongerset.com/delete-query/) - UNION Query #### Beginner - INNER JOIN - LEFT JOIN #### Intermediate - Pass-Through Query - (NOT) IN Clause - (NOT) EXISTS Clause #### Advanced - Non-Equality Joins ## Forms #### Intro - What is an Access Form? - [Bound vs. Unbound Forms](https://nolongerset.com/bound-vs-unbound-forms/) - Single vs. Continuous Forms #### Beginner - Unbound "Get Data" Forms #### Intermediate - Report Preview Form - Form Events #### Advanced - Master Lookup Form - Tabbed Detail Form ## Reports #### Intro - What is an Access Report? - Report Sections - Grouping and Sorting #### Beginner - Report Margins #### Intermediate - Report Events ## Controls #### Intro - What is an Access Control? - Label Control - TextBox Control - ComboBox Control - ListBox Control - Command Button Control - CheckBox Control - Option Group Control - Option Button Control - Tab Control - Toggle Button Control - Subform/Subreport Control ## Macros #### Intro - What is an Access Macro? - Never Use Macros #### Beginner - The AutoExec Macro #### Intermediate - The AutoKeys Macro ## Code (VBA) #### Intro - What is Visual Basic for Applications (VBA)? - Functions and Subs - Variables - Constants #### Beginner - Option Explicit - If ... Then - For Loops - Do Loops - Select ... Case - With ... End With #### Intermediate - Error Handling - Event Handlers #### Advanced - Class Modules - WithEvents - API Calls --- ## Access 101 Update History - 2024-01-31: [DELETE Query](https://nolongerset.com/delete-query/) - 2023-11-30: [UPDATE Query](https://nolongerset.com/update-query/) - 2023-11-17: [INSERT INTO ("Append") Query](https://nolongerset.com/insert-into-query/) - 2023-10-26: [SELECT Query](https://nolongerset.com/select-query/) - 2023-10-24: [Referential Integrity](https://nolongerset.com/referential-integrity/) - 2023-10-17: [Local vs. Linked Tables](https://nolongerset.com/local-vs-linked-tables/) - 2023-10-12: [Front-End vs. Back-End](https://nolongerset.com/front-end-vs-back-end/) - 2023-10-11: [What is a Query?](https://nolongerset.com/what-is-a-query/) - 2023-10-10: [What is a Table?](https://nolongerset.com/what-is-a-table/) - 2023-10-06: [Bound vs. Unbound Forms](https://nolongerset.com/bound-vs-unbound-forms/)