SQL's UNION command allows you to combine the results of two or more database queries that are not necessarily linked through a database relationship. For example, imagine that you have a school database and wish to use it to create a master contact list for all students, faculty and staff. Looking at your database, you discover that the records corresponding to each of these constituencies appears in separate database tables.

Your first instinct might be to export the data from each table into a spreadsheet and combine the information there. However, you can combine these records within your database by writing separate queries for each constituency and combining the results of those queries with the UNION statement.

Read the full article: Combining Query Results with SQL's UNION Statement

After sending out your holiday cards last year, did you make yourself a promise that you would organize your address list to make the process easier next year? Do you have a huge Excel spreadsheet that you can't make heads or tails of? Maybe your address book looks something like the one shown in the file below. Or, perhaps, you keep your address book on (gasp!) scraps of paper.

It's time to make good on that promise to yourself -- organize your contact list into a Microsoft Access database. It's much easier than you may imagine and you'll definitely be pleased with the results. This tutorial will walk you through the entire process step-by-step.

If you're using Access 2007, read: Converting Excel to Access 2007
If you're using Access 2010, read: Converting Excel to Access 2010

Just getting started with databases? Here's a rundown of the top things that I wish I knew before I got started in the field. These facts are guaranteed to make your life easier!

Read the full article: Top Five Things Beginners Need to Know About Databases

In a recent forum message, dgerhert0 asks:

"I am new to databases and I want to increase my knowledge by preparing for vendor certifications. Does it really matter which vendor I choose -- ie IBM. Microsoft, Oracle? After all, at some level, aren't all databases the same?"

Do you have any advice? Interested in pursuing database certifications yourself? Visit the About Databases Forum and join the discussion!