When you use the Access 2000 Table Wizard, chances are that you will not be able to design the table exactly as you like it. In the census, for example, you may want to include information on ethnicity and income, two fields that are not available from the Table Wizard Sample Fields list.

To modify a table, you must open it in Design view by selecting the table you want to modify from the main window of Access 2000 and then clicking Design, or if the table is already open, click the Design icon in the left corner of the table window.

ADD A FIELD TO A TABLE

1. Open the table in Design view.

2. Click in the first empty row of the Field Name column.

3. Type the field name. Press the DOWN ARROW to move to the next empty row if you want to add another field. A data type will automatically be assigned to the field (which you can change later).

4. If the fields are in the wrong order, you can click to select a field and then drag it to where you want it to appear.

5. When you have finished adding fields, save and close the table.

To delete a field from the table, select the entire row by clicking the leftmost box and then press the DELETE key.

RENAME A FIELD TO YOUR TABLE

1. Open the table in Design view.

2. Select the row containing the field name you want to change by clicking it.

3. Type the new field name in the Caption box under Field Properties.

4. Save and close your table.

With the new AutoCorrect feature, the field name change is automatically updated in all queries, forms, reports, and pages that draw information from the table you have modified.

SETTING A DATA TYPE

The data type determines the kind of data that can be entered into a field. It also formats the value you enter for the data type. For example, when you enter numbers in a field with a currency data type, the dollar and decimal signs will be automatically added to the numbers. Some of the more common data types are:

*Text. Any combination of letters and numbers.

*Currency. Numbers and monetary symbols. You can only add numbers to a field with a currency data type.

*Date/Time. The date and the time in 12- hour and 24- hour formats.

*Yes/No. A single value that indicates yes or no, true or false.

For information on the other data types, ask the Office Assistant.

Each field in an Access 2000 table must be assigned a data type. The fields you select from the Table Wizard already have a data type assigned to them. Text is the default data type for any fields you add to your table.

SET A DATA TYPE

1. Open the table in Design view.

2. Click in the data type column of the field for which you want to set a data type.

3. Click the arrow in the data type text box to see the drop-down list of data types

4. Select the data type you want from the drop-down list.

5. Save and close the table.

SET FIELD PROPERTIES

Each field in a table is defined by a set of properties. These properties determine the size of the field, how it is formatted, and what it is called, among other things. You can view or change field properties in Design view.

1. Open the table in Design view.

2. Select the field for which you want to set properties.

3. Click the General tab in the Field Properties window.

4. Click the property you want to modify and type the appropriate text. Do one or more of the following:

*Type a number in the Field Size box to indicate the maximum number of characters that field can hold.

*Select Y or N in the Required box to indicate whether data must be entered in this field for every record.

*Type the caption you want for a field in the Caption box. This caption appears on the tables and forms. If you do not enter a caption, the field name appears as the caption.

5. After you have set the field properties, save and close your table.