Using the Microsoft Access Database

Before we begin
Microsoft Access formats listings as "delimited text files."

What is an Microsoft Access Query?
Query in MS Access is the procedure for creating a file which contains only a selected portion of a larger datafile's records. It is a filter, which excludes all the records you do not want to send, and it does include all the records you do wish to send us.

Making a Query:

  1. Open Access File (upper left of screen):Open Database Double-click on file you want.
  2. Click once on "Queries"
  3. Highlight "Design View"
  4. Click OK On Show Table
  5. Bring "table" tab to the fore
  6. Highlight file you are working from
  7. Click Add
  8. Click Close Table On upper rectangle
  9. Double click on each of the fields you want to select for your file
  10. Confirm that they now each appear in the lower rectangle,
    Don't forget that the first field is author, the second field is title, the last field is price, and that one or more description fields are between title and price
  11. Double click on either "Date entered" or "Date Sold" in the upper rectangle
    This will now appear as the final field in the lower rectangle.
  12. Two options now:
    Add new books - Add "Date entered"
    Create a file of books to be deleted - Add "Date Sold"
  13. Double click in the "show" line in the column of "Date (entered or sold)" this will remove check mark
  14. In the column of "Date (entered or sold)" enter the date in the "criteria" line.

Note: These instructions assume that in setting up your database fields you have created a field to record the date on which you entered a book into the database and a field to record the date on which the book was sold. You will use these fields to create a file containing SOLELY books you have bought since a certain date or sold since a certain date (two separate files are referred to here, you cannot put "add" and "delete" records in a single file).

If the file you want to create has entries from more than one date?
Let's say the file you want to create has entries from December 12 to December 17? Here is how you enter the instruction on the "criteria" line: Between #(date)# And #(date)#

If the database you are using has separate fields for author first name and last name?
You will need to join the two fields into one field Add to the top line ("field") of the first column: author: [authorfirst] & " " & [authorlast] .

  1. Click on Save.
  2. Enter a name that is easy to find, the more unusual the easier to find.
  3. Click on Save/Export Save to an External File.
  4. OK In the Save Query In box
  5. Save wherever you can easily find the file (eg "My Documents etc..")
  6. Save as type - pull down to "text files"
  7. File name should now have a .txt suffix Export Choose delimited.
  8. Choose tab
  9. Make sure pull-down menu on text qualifier reads "none".

Your file is now completed and in the folder into which you put it. You can now send it to Used Book Central.

The next step: Sending your listings to Used Book Central
Once you have successfully formatted your listing in MS Access, you can now upload them to Used Book Central.


Please contact us with any questions or suggestions

       
       
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