Create databases and simple tables - Microsoft Access 2013 - page 79

▪ Field Name column Contains the names you specified when you created the table.
You can edit the names by using regular text-editing techniques. You can add a new
field by entering its name in the first empty cell in this column.
▪ Data Type column Specifies the type of data that the field can contain. By default,
the ID field in a new table is assigned the AutoNumber data type, and if you add a
new field in Design view, it is assigned the Short Text data type. (If you add a new field
in Datasheet view, it is assigned the data type that most closely corresponds with the
kind of data you enter in the field.) With the exception of fields with the OLE Object
and Attachment data types, you can change the type of any field by clicking its Data
Type entry, clicking the arrow that appears, and clicking a new data type in the list.

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Clicking an entry in the Data Type column displays
a list of the available data types.

SEE ALSO For more information about data types, see “Specifying the type of data”
in Chapter 6, “Maintain data integrity.”
▪ Description column Contains an optional description of the field.
The Field Properties area in the bottom part of the table design page displays the proper-
ties of the field selected in the top part. Different properties are associated with different
data types. They determine attributes such as the number of characters allowed in a field,
the value inserted if the user doesn't enter anything, and whether an entry is required.
Properties can also assess whether an entry is valid and can force the user to select from
a list of values rather than entering them manually (with the inherent risk of errors).