5.12 Database management

5.12.6 Finding Records

The data form permits the users to find records by stepping through the list one record at a time or by entering criteria to identify specific records. The steps listed below will help you do so:

1.   Click the Find Next button in the data form. Microsoft Excel displays the second record. The numbers in the top right corner show how many records are in the list and which record is currently displayed?

2. Click the Find Prev and Find Next buttons to step back and forth the list.
   When you have finished scanning the list use the scroll bar to the right of the fields or the command buttons to move back to the first record.

5.12.6.1 Using the Criteria button

With alphabetic information:

You will now use the criteria button in the data form to find a specific record or records in the list. Take up the steps listed below to do so.

1.   Click the Criteria button to display the criteria form, which resembles a blank data form.

2.   To find all employees with name MADU, click in the NAME: box and type MADHU.

3.   Click the Find Next button. Microsoft Excel takes you to the data form with the first record in the list that meets the specified criteria.

4.   Click the find Next button again. Microsoft Excel displays the next record that meets the criteria.

5.   You can continue clicking the Find Next button till you reach the end of the list.

6.   Move back through the records by clicking the Find Preview button.

7.   Return to the Criteria form by clicking the Criteria button and then remove the criteria by clicking the Clear button.

8.   Move back to the data form by clicking the Form button. From here all records are now accessible.  

5.12.6.3 With wildcards  

You can specify wildcards using the standard DOS wildcards ‘*’ and ‘?’. For matching text. For example, specifying MA* as the Employee NAME would locate all the records starting with MA. In our case all the records of MADHU, MADHULIKA and MANSI will appear.

5.12.6.4 With numeric information  

You will now use comparison operators to compute criteria. The comparison operators are:

= > < >= <= <>

In the next exercise you will pick up only those records where SALARY is greater than 20000.

1.   Click again on the Criteria button to display the criteria form, which resembles a blank data form.

2.   To find all employees with salary > 20000, click in the SALARY: box and type >20000.

3.   Click the Find Next button.

4.   Microsoft Excel takes you to the data form with the first record in the list that meets the specified criteria.

5.   Click the Find Next button again. Microsoft Excel displays the next record that meets the criteria.

6.   You can continue clicking the Find Next button till you reach the end of the list.

7.   Move back through the records by clicking the Find Prev button.

8.   Return to the Criteria form by clicking the Criteria button and then remove the criteria by clicking the Clear button.

9.   Move back to the data form by clicking the Form button. From here all records are now accessible.  

5.12.7 Adding and Deleting Records

The data form can be used to add and delete records from the list. To understand this, you will first add a new record, find it and later remove it from the list. Take up the steps listed below to do so:

1.        With the data form displayed on your screen, click the New button.
Microsoft Excel clears the fields of the data form so as to allow you to type the information of the new record. New Record is displayed in the top right corner.

2.       Fill in the record with the data listed below. In order to move from field to field, use the TAB key.

            EMP-NO                19832
            NAME                   DEEPTI
            DEPTT                  BANKING
            DESGN                  OFFICER        
            SALARY               17500
            NO:                        13

3.       Click the New button. This adds the new record to the end of the list.

4.       In order to see the record just entered, click the Find Prev button.  

5.    With the new record still displayed, click the Delete button. Microsoft Excel warns you that the record will be permanently deleted.  

6.   Click on the OK button. Microsoft Excel deletes the record and displays the data form for entering another new record.

7.       Click on the Find Prev button again. You will see that the last record is again number 12.

8.       Click on the Close button to remove the data from the screen and return to the worksheet.  

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