| Lesson 5 | Analyze a select Query in Design View |
| Objective | Analyze a select query in Design View to identify its source tables, join condition, and selected fields. |
Analyze a Select Query in Design View
Microsoft Access Query Design View has two main areas: the upper pane (tables and joins) and the lower pane (the query grid). This lesson shows how to read a saved SELECT query so you can identify (1) source tables, (2) join condition, and (3) selected fields.
In Microsoft Access, the Design View of a select query is divided into two main panes: the upper pane (also called the table or relationship pane) and the lower pane (the query design grid or QBE grid). To identify the **source tables** (or queries acting as sources), look at the upper pane where rectangular field list windows display the names of each table or query added to the design—these are the data sources from which the query pulls information. The **join conditions** are visible as lines connecting fields between these tables in the upper pane; by default, these are inner joins (shown as a simple line), but outer joins display an arrowhead indicating directionality, and you can double-click any join line to open the Join Properties dialog for details on the exact fields and join type (e.g., inner, left, or right outer join). In the lower pane's design grid, the **selected fields** appear in the "Field" row across columns, with the corresponding source shown in the "Table" row below each; additionally, check the "Show" checkbox to confirm if a field is included in the output results (unchecked fields may be used only for criteria or sorting). This visual layout allows quick analysis of how the query combines and filters data from multiple sources.
What to look for in Design View
- Source tables: the table windows shown in the upper pane.
- Join condition: the join line between tables (which fields are matched, and whether it is an inner/outer join).
- Selected fields: the Field row in the query grid (and whether Show is enabled).
The image shows an Access query named Project Hours : Select Query built from two tables: Projects and Hours.
Source tables and join condition
- Projects includes fields such as Project ID and Project Description.
- Hours includes fields such as ProjectID, Date, and Hours worked.
-
The join line connects
Projects.Project IDtoHours.ProjectID. This indicates a one-to-many relationship: one project can have many hour entries.
Selected fields in the query grid
| Field | Table | Sort | Show | Criteria | Or |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Project Description | Projects | Yes | |||
| Date | Hours | Yes | |||
| Hours worked | Hours | Yes |
What the query returns
Because there is no Sort or Criteria, the query returns all matching rows: each Hours record is joined to its related Projects row. The output includes the project description, the date of the hours entry, and the hours worked.
In SQL View, the same query typically appears in the following form:
SELECT
Projects.[Project Description],
Hours.[Date],
Hours.[Hours worked]
FROM Projects
INNER JOIN Hours
ON Projects.[Project ID] = Hours.[ProjectID];