When Microsoft Access first appeared in the early 1990's it revolutionized the desktop database market. Most versions have been similar to each other. Now with Access 2007 we see the most radical changes yet introduced by Microsoft. When working your way through an MS Access 2007 tutorial, a hardcore traditional user of MS Access is either going to love or hate these new changes.

So what is different about this new version? The interface is completely different and instead of menus and toolbars there is the Ribbon. The Ribbon is divided into sections and each section holds the relevant commands for designing and running a database.

Creating forms has become easier and there are some new forms to choose from. One example is the split form. The database window has also been replaced with the navigation pane. This offers more features and is not as easy to use as the old database window.

As part of the MS Access 2007 tutorial you should expect to learn about trusted locations. When loading a database you will get a warning that it may not be trusted. You can eliminate this warning by assigning a folder to become trusted. If you store your database in that folder then the warning will no longer show.

Creating tables has also become easier. When creating tables as part of your MS Access 2007 tutorial course, you may use one of the easy creation methods, such as creating columns in datasheet run mode. However, it is better to look at using the design view to create tables as this will give you a better understanding of columns and data types.

The built in wizards will only get you so far. They are great starting points, but if you want to become a master then it is better to try and create the database components manually. By doing this you will learn the intricacies of why things are done. For example, there are reasons why you need to save the ID of a drop down list of data rather than the data itself.

Hunting around the internet for bits and pieces to help you learn is not the way to go. There has to be some structure to the learning and it is better to start from the ground up. There is little point in trying to run before you can walk.

When looking for a good MS Access 2007 tutorial, make sure it covers all you want to learn and you gain a good all round understanding of the important concepts and components to creating a working database.