20 min read
Choosing the Right Data Type for Each Field
Short Text, Number, Currency, Date/Time, Yes/No, AutoNumber, and Lookup Wizard — this one decision affects storage, validation, sorting, and calculations later on.
You will learn: the main Access data types. when to use each type. You will do: set correct types on Members fields. know why Phone is Short Text.
Common Data Types
| Access data types | |
|---|---|
Phone Is Short Text
0771234567 looks like digits. It is not a number you add or multiply.
Number can drop the leading 0. Short Text keeps the phone exactly as typed.
Expected result: Phone shows Short Text in Design View.
Field list
| Field Name | Data Type |
|---|---|
| MemberID | AutoNumber |
| FullName | Short Text |
| City | Short Text |
| Phone | Short Text |
Field Properties — MemberID
- Field Name
- MemberID
- Data Type
- AutoNumber
- Primary Key
- Yes
Click a row in the field list. In Access, the properties pane below updates for that field only.
Set Types on Members
Goal
Set data types on the Members table.
The right type stops bad data and stores values correctly.
Open Members in Design View
Where
Do this
Tables
- Members
Press F11 if this list disappears.
Verification
Check your work
You are correct if all of these are true:
- Each field shows the type from the table above.
- Phone is Short Text, not Number.
If something looks wrong
Fix
| Types you will use on other tables | ||
|---|---|---|
Practice
Swipe or use the arrows to move between questions.
1 / 3
You will learn: what an input mask does. how a lookup value list works. You will do: set a phone input mask. build a City drop-down from a value list.
An input mask guides how digits are typed. A lookup field shows a drop-down list while still storing text in City.
Both are set in Design View. They help data entry — they do not replace validation rules.
Input Mask on Phone
Goal
Format UK mobile numbers as 00000 000000 on Phone.
Staff type digits in a consistent pattern. The mask blocks letters in digit positions.
Open Design View
Where
Do this
Verification
Check your work
You are correct if all of these are true:
- In Datasheet View, typing
0771234567displays 0771234567. - Letters are rejected in digit positions.
If something looks wrong
Fix
Lookup — Value List for City
Goal
Show a drop-down of London, Manchester, Bristol, and Leeds on City.
Picking from a list is faster than typing and reduces spelling errors.
Select City
Where
Do this
Verification
Check your work
You are correct if all of these are true:
- Datasheet View shows a drop-down arrow on City.
- Only the four cities appear.
If something looks wrong
Fix
London;Manchester;Bristol;Leeds. Confirm Display Control is Combo Box.Practice
Swipe or use the arrows to move between questions.
1 / 3
Field Notes: A Data Type for Every Kind of Value
- Short Text — a small amount of text, like a name or a short code, up to 255 characters. - Long Text — a large block of text, like notes or comments, with no practical length limit. - Number — numeric values used in calculations, such as a quantity or an age. - Currency — monetary values, stored and displayed with exact precision, avoiding the tiny rounding errors that can occur with plain Number fields. - Date/Time — calendar dates and clock times, such as an order date or an appointment time. - Yes/No — a simple true-or-false, on-or-off value, shown as a checkbox. - AutoNumber — a unique number Access generates and assigns automatically for every new record, commonly used for ID fields. - Lookup Wizard — not a true data type itself, but a helper that sets up a field to show a friendly dropdown list of choices, often pulled from another table.
More lessons in Microsoft Access · Next: Field Properties and Formatting · Previous: Creating a Table