In Database Tour software, there are several ways of creating a table in the database:

Here, the last way is described.

So, open the needed database, then choose Table | New... menu. There will be three options available:

Create a table using a special tool

Creating the table in a step-by-step mode.

First, you create an array of fields: names, types, sizes, primary key flags etc. Note that some capabilities are not supported for certain table types; in this case, the corresponding columns of the table of fields will be blocked and shown in gray color.

Creating a table in Database Tour

Then, you specify the table name and click Finish.

If no errors are found, then the specified table will be created and you will see it in the table list to the left of main window; otherwise, you may click Back button, correct erroneous field entries and try again. In the case of continuous error messages, you may go back to the first step, select the third way of creating the table (see 3. below), and generate SQL text, correct it manually to avoid the error(s), and create the table by executing the SQL query.

Working with Fields table is very similar to working with database tables in Database Tour. Here are described the hot keys for several most important actions:

Add new entry above current rowCTRL + Insert
Add new entry in the end of tableMove to the last row and press Down Arrow or TAB (if you are in the last column)
Cancel adding new entryEsc
Delete entryCTRL + Delete

Create a table using SQL

Creating the table by SQL query.

After selecting this option and clicking Next/Finish button, you will be moved to SQL Editor, in which CREATE TABLE template will be shown.

Another way of getting the same result is to create a new SQL window, click Templates button right above the SQL editor, and select Create Table template from the drop-down list of SQL templates.

After that, just correct the table and field names in this SQL text and click Execute button. If no errors are found, then the specified table will be created and you will see it in the table list to the left of main window.

Create a table using a tool to produce SQL

Here, you have an opportunity to specify field names and table name for the new table, as you do in the first way (see above). But after clicking the Finish button, the new table will not be created. Instead of this, you will be moved to SQL Editor, in which the SQL text will be generated according to the specified field array and table name. And you will need then to click Execute button by yourself to create the table.

If you have enough experience in SQL, you may check the generated SQL and correct it if needed before executing the query; otherwise this will be a good way to learn SQL for creating tables.

Notes

In some databases (for example, folder based databases, opened by BDE), at the second step you will need also to select a type of table to be created (e.g. dBase, Paradox, ASCII).

For folder based databases, specify table name without full file path. In some cases (for example, databases for Microsoft Text ODBC Driver), you need to add a file extension (.txt, .csv etc.).

Each database type has its own rules for naming fields and tables, their own field types etc. Some of them are constantly changing. To learn these rules, please read the documentation for your database. Here are some basic information and common recommendations:

See also

 How to start

 Duplicating Database Tables