michigan informatics

Select Queries

Our sample tables only have a few records, but most real tables have hundreds - even thousands of records. Searching through large tables for particular information is not efficient. That is where select queries come in. We use select queries to query the database, or ask it to show us information based on particular criteria.

When you run a select query, it produces a subset of the records in the table(s) that your query is based on. Those records still exist in the original table(s). Queries just give you a better way to view all of, or a subset of, the records in your table(s).

Let's say for example that we want to know which participants we have contacted by mail. Back in our database window, click on the query object, and then click New to create a new query.

When the New Query dialogue box appears, choose Design View. As with designing tables, it is best to use Design View for designing queries.