Creating fields in a database

You can create fields for a new table or add to and modify them in an existing one.

"Format table" and "New Table" work in exactly the same way, so follow these steps for each of the fields that is to be created:

  1. Click in the Name box to enter a name for the field. This must be unique for that particular table. See Field names.

Note: It is good practice to use standard field names in your table designs. Since Ability uses field name references when calling data from other applications, standard field names will give you greater freedom to switch Forms, mailing labels and mail merge documents from one table to another. See Creating fields in a database using Table Wizard for more information on standard field names.

  1. Press Tab to move into the Type box. Ability automatically displays the Character field type. If you need to change the field type, click the arrow next to the Type box to display a list of all field types. Select the required type with a single click. For more information, see Field data types.

  2. Once you have set the field type, it becomes possible to format the field. The format properties differ according to the type selected. It is a good idea to set the format properties immediately after setting the type. To format a field, click once on the Format button at the bottom right of the window. The "Format Field" dialog is displayed, in which the various properties can be set, depending on the type. See Field data types for an explanation of the various data types and their associated formatting properties.

  3. Press Tab to move to the Description box. Here you can type an optional description that will help remind you or others what the field is supposed to contain.

  4. Once you have reached the end of the line, that is, defined one field, press Return or Tab to go to the next line and define another field in the same way.

  5. When you have defined all the fields that you will need, you can give the table a general description in the Table Description box.

  6. Next click on the Index button to check (or set up) your indexes. See Indexes and primary keys.

When all is set, click on OK to create a table based on your design.