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  1. #1
    accessmatt is offline Competent Performer
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    Linked Tables verus Query Builder

    I'm a brand new Access and Database User so please excuse this, surely, simplistic question:



    What is the point of linking tables together, through primary and foreign keys, if you could simple build a query in Access to report across multiple tables?

  2. #2
    pbaldy's Avatar
    pbaldy is online now Who is John Galt?
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    If you create relationships, the joins will automatically be created when you start a query (though sometimes it seems Access will recognize fields with the same name and join them anyway). Also, relationships let you set up Referential Integrity.

    That said, I'm not religious about setting up relationships myself (when I don't need RI), and as you say the joins can simply be set up in queries.
    Paul (wino moderator)
    MS Access MVP 2007-2019
    www.BaldyWeb.com

  3. #3
    accessmatt is offline Competent Performer
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    Paul,

    Glad to see that I wasn't totally off base. So then, what is the practical application of linking tables through foreign keys (parent/child relationships).

    I understand the concept in theory (that's all that anyone talks about) but how does it pracitically work when used in Access?

    Thanks

  4. #4
    pbaldy's Avatar
    pbaldy is online now Who is John Galt?
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    If you're asking how to create them, in 2010 it would be the Relationships icon on the Database Tools tab of the ribbon.
    Paul (wino moderator)
    MS Access MVP 2007-2019
    www.BaldyWeb.com

  5. #5
    accessmatt is offline Competent Performer
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    No, not how to create them.

    What do they do for me once they're created?

  6. #6
    pbaldy's Avatar
    pbaldy is online now Who is John Galt?
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    I thought I answered that in post 2. The main benefit is probably Referential Integrity. More here on relationships in general, RI included:

    http://support.microsoft.com/kb/304466
    Paul (wino moderator)
    MS Access MVP 2007-2019
    www.BaldyWeb.com

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