In a table, data is arranged into columns. Each column stores one data element, such as a first name, one line of an address, a price, or any similar discrete unit of information.
When columns are created in a table, they are given a name that identifies their purpose, such as FirstName or Address1. In most databases, you must also specify additional properties, such as how long the longest entry in the column will be, and what type of data the column will contain - characters, integers, floating-point numbers, dates or times, and so on. Other column properties can include whether the column is the table's primary key, whether users must enter a value into it, and what its default value is.
You can edit the column properties for tables directly in the database diagram. For details about which properties are available in your database, see your database documentation.
| To | See |
| Add new column definitions to the end of a table | Inserting Columns into a Table |
| Copy the column definitions from one table to another table in the same diagram or in different diagrams | Copying Columns from One Table to Another |
| Move the column definitions from one table to another table in the same database diagram or in a different diagram | Moving Columns from One Table to Another |
| Delete columns from a table and from the database | Deleting Columns from a Table |
| Set or edit the column definition (properties) for a database table | Column Properties |