What is a query in Access describe the use of options available in the query design grid?

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The design grid appears at the bottom of the query design below the design canvas.

The design grid is divided into rows and columns. Each column represents a field that will be included in the output. For example, in the following image, the columns that will appear in the output are Asset ID, Asset Description, and Asset Installation Date.

You can adjust the width of the columns for viewing purposes by placing your mouse pointer on the column border and dragging the divider until the column reaches the desired width. Alternatively, you can double-click a column divider to expand the column to the width of the largest row. The column highlighted in yellow represents the currently selected column. As you scroll across the design grid, the first column containing the rows Field, Alias, Table, Sort, and so on remains stationary so that you can always see the row for which values are defined.

For each column, the design grid displays the following rows:

• Field: The name of the family field.

You can add or modify a field by clicking the down arrow and selecting the desired field. Alternatively, you can drag a field from any query source into a field cell of the design grid. You can remove a field by right-clicking it and choosing Delete.

• Alias: The alternate name for a given field. The alias will appear as the column heading in the query output.

• Table: The name of the family to which a field belongs.

• Total: A value that specifies how output will be grouped: Group By, Sum, Avg (average), Min (minimum), Max (maximum), Count, Expression, or Where. You can also create aggregate functions for fields using the Expression Builder.

  Note: This row appears by default for Crosstab queries. To make this row appear for Select queries, on the Query Tasks menu, click Options, and then click Show Totals.

• Crosstab (appears for Crosstab queries only): The cross-tabulation setting for the field, whether the field will be a Row Heading, Column Heading, or Value.

• Sort: The sorting method that will be used for this column in the output: Ascending, Descending, or (not sorted).

• Sort Index: A value that indicates the order in which sort criteria will be applied. For example, the first field to which you apply sort criteria receives a Sort Index of 1; this is the value on which results will be sorted first. The second field is assigned a Sort Index of 2, the third a 3, and so on.

• Include (appears for Select queries only): A flag that specifies whether or not the field will be included in the SQL code. If this check box is selected, the field will be included in the SQL code.

• Display (appears for Select queries only): A flag that specifies whether or not the field will appear in the results. If this check box is selected, the field will appear in the results.

• Hyperlink (appears for Select queries only): The URL that will be used to generate links for this field. If a ,URL has been defined, when you run a query, the content of the column will appear as a hyperlink.

• Criteria: The conditions that will be applied to the query results. Note that criteria for a field must be appropriate for the data type of that field.

• Or: Another set of conditions that will be applied to the query results.

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The query design is a visual representation of the families, fields, and criteria that the query is configured to return. When designing a query, you can customize it to return specific records using specific formatting and criteria. As you design a query, SQL code is generated to store the code that is represented by the visual design.

The query design appears you click the Design View link on the Query Tasks menu while you are viewing query results or SQL code.

When you design a query, you can use the following areas to add sources, fields, and query criteria:

• Design canvas

• Design grid

The following image shows an example of a query design.

What is a query design grid in Access?

What is the use of query design?

Which option is used in design grid of query window?

Where is the query design grid in Access?