To get the most out of this course, you should be comfortable using your computer, that includes opening and closing applications, saving files, moving and sizing windows, and using Windows Explorer to find, open, copy, and move files.

This course is designed for the Windows, Linux, and Mac OS platforms.
In the next lesson, we will take a look at what you need in order to get the most from this course.

A requirement is a specification that informs the developer what should be included or implemented in a database application.
Here are some example Access database requirements:

1. A user driven feature: "The user must be able to include a total of each salesperson's sales."
2. A system property: "There should be a login form and limits as for user rights."
3. A application constraint: "All code must include error trapping."
4. We help you create your Requirements Specificiations with our Database Planning Phase for your project.

This is where the similarities with other database engines end. Access is also an application development platform that you can use to define forms, menus, and reports.With Access, you can design forms to display and update data. Because the form definition is integrally tied to the data schema, the form can easily enforce data integrity. For example, if you define a foreign key relationship between two tables, the form can automatically provide a dropdown list showing the permitted values.
Access provides a facility for designing reports that use tables or queries. Because the report writer is integrated into the database design, you can simplify the report definition. MS Access also allows you to create forms for navigating through the various forms and reports, so you can control the entire user experience. Finally, by using macros and Visual Basic for Applications (VBA), you can automate tasks and provide advanced features.