Databases

Unit 1: Introducing the Database

Lesson 3: Entering Data

How do you find a record with a specific field value?

If your database has only a few records in it, you can easily scan the records to find a specific value. When your database grows to hundreds of records a more automated method is required. The Find command allows you to search database records or fields for a specific string of characters. The Find command is available in Datasheet view from the Edit menu or toolbar.

The following animation shows an example:

There are many options on the Find dialog box that will help you zero in on exactly the record or field you want to locate.

• Controls the direction of the search. You can search all records or records before or after the current record.

• You can look for a string of characters within a field, or fields that exactly match the search string.

• When checked, "salinger" would not match "Salinger."

• You may recall that a field has both a value and a view or format. For example, a field formatted as currency may contain the value 1495 but have the format $14.95. If Search Fields As Formatted is checked, your search string must match the formatted view of the field. (Note: This option is only valid when is checked.)

• Check this option to narrow our search to the current field. If unchecked, all fields in the database will be search for a match to your search string.