There are different ways you can create a table. This is also because a table can display in different types of views. One of the views is referred to as datasheet.

To create a table in Datasheet View, on the ribbon, you can click Create. Then, in the Tables section, click Table. This would open an empty spreadsheet:

At one time or another, you will need to save and thus name the table.

To save a table you have just created:

• You can click the Office Button and click Save
• You can right-click the Table_X (such as Table1) tab and click Save
• You can press Ctrl + S
• You can start closing the table. You would be prompted to save the change (if its structure has been changed from the structure it had before it was opened)

If a table has not been saved before, you will be asked to provide a name for the table.

Because the table is the primary object of a database, when you create a table and save it by giving it a name, Microsoft Access creates a section in the Navigation Pane and name that section after the table. In the same way, you can have as many sections as the number of tables on the database. Here is an example:

As we will see in the next lesson, some objects created that are based on the table would be listed under the table name in its category. Here is an example of two objects added to the section of a table named Customers:

Each section is expandable and collapsible. To expand a section, click the name of its section. to collapse a section, click the blue header of its section.

Once a table has been created and saved, it is represented in the Navigation Pane with an icon and a name.

The most regular operations you will perform on a table require that you open it first. To open a table, first locate it in the Navigation Pane then:

• You can double-click the table
• You can right-click the table and click Open

Any of these actions causes the table to display in Datasheet View in the central area of the screen. In the same way, you can open as many tables as necessary.

After using a table, you can close it. Before closing a table, first select its tab. Then, to close a table:

• You can click the close button on the right side of the tabs
• You can press Ctrl + Shift + F4

In order to use a table, some operations require that you (or rather the user) first select(s) it:

• To select a table in the Navigation Pane, simply click it
• If you had opened many tables and they are displaying in the main area of the screen, to select one, click its tab or its title bar
• If you have many tables displaying in the main area of the screen, you can press Ctrl + F6 continuously to switch from one table to the next until the desired one displays

We saw that, when or after creating a table, you must save it to make it part of your database. When saving it for the first time, you must give it a name. If the name of a table is not appropriate, you can change it. To rename a table, in the Navigation Pane, you can right-click the name of the table and click Rename.

If you have a table you don't need anymore, you can remove it from your database. Because you cannot delete a table if it is opened, you must first close it.

To remove a table from your database:

• In the Navigation Pane, right-click the table and click Delete
• In the Navigation Pane, click the table to select it. Then, on the ribbon, click Home. In the Record section, click Delete
• In the Navigation Pane, click the table to select it and press Delete

In each case, you will receive a warning to confirm what you want to do. It is important to know that if you delete a table, because it is not a file, it does not go into the Recycle Bin: it is lost, including its records. Therefore, before deleting a table, make sure you really want to get rid of it. When in doubt, do not delete it.

The primary function of the table is to provide a means of storing and arranging information of a database. Nevertheless, you can print data of a table, especially if for example you are in a hurry and do not have access to another object. You can print data on a table whether the table is opened or not.

To print a closed table, locate it in the Navigation Pane and click it to select it, then click the Office Button, position the mouse on Print and select one of the three options. In the same way, if the table is opened in Datasheet View, click its tab to give it focus, then click the Office Button -> Print and select to print or to preview.

The Print menu of the Office Button presents three options:

1. If you click Print, the Print dialog box would be presented to you. It allows you to specify the printer you want to use. Most of the time, the Name combo box will present the default printer; otherwise, you can select one:
    
   
    
   After specifying the printer, if you are ready to print, you can click OK. To customize the printing job, you can click Properties. A dialog box, whose contents depend on the selected printer, would come up. Among the various options you would have is that of specifying the orientation of the paper (Portrait or Landscape). Again, remember that different printers provide different features.
    
   After setting the properties of the printer, you can click OK. Once you are ready to print, you can click OK on the Print dialog box to send the job to the printer
2. If you select Quick Print from the Print menu of the Office Button, the print job would be sent directly to the printer. Microsoft Access would use the default printer that is set in Control Panel and would use the previous settings that were set on that default printer
3. If you select Print Preview, Microsoft Access would draw a print job on the screen for you. This allows you to see what the final job would look like on the paper. The characters on the screen may appear too small for you. To zoom in, you can click the middle of the window. To zoom out, you can click it again. Once you are ready to print, on the ribbon and in the Print section, you can click Print. This would send the print job to the printer