ntroduction Though Microsoft Access is NOT synonymous with database systems, there are more copies of Microsoft Access in use than any other database system. It therefore behooves computer science students to be at least superficially familiar with MS Access. This tutorial will guide you through some of the basic point-and-click stuff, and will even show you how to issue complex SQL (Structured Query Language) queries. You will open the Northwind Microsoft sample database and query it in various ways. This is a HANDS ON tutorial; it gives you step-by-step directions for carrying out simple tasks in Access. As you read, you should have a copy of the Northwind database open in Microsoft Access 2000/2002, and you should carry out the tasks yourself, exactly as directed.