Downloading and using data

To download the compressed file

1. Before you try to down load the compressed file you should ensure that you have WinZip loaded on your machine
2. Click on the compressed file
3. Click on 'Save file'

Opening the data in Microsoft Excel

When Excel opens the data file, it strips the leading zeros from the date fields. The solution is:

• Right-click on the link to download the data file to your hard disk, rather than open it direct in Excel.
• After right clicking, select 'Save Target As...'
• Select appropriate place to save file (hard drive, desktop etc) by clicking on the drop down menu in 'Save In' and highlighting the appropriate choice
• Rename file to something you can easily identify
• Open a new, blank spreadsheet in Excel
• Click on the 'Data' menu in the top tool bar
• Select 'Get External Data'
• Select 'Import Text Files'
• Find and open the file you previously saved to your desktop, hard drive etc. You may need to change the file type setting to "all files" rather than "text".
• A data conversion dialog appears:
  • Step 1 - Choose 'Delimited' (select 'Next')
  • Step 2 - Choose 'Comma' as the delimiter, Text qualifier should be " (double quote mark) (select 'Next')
  • Step 3 - Find and select the first date column. Change the data format from 'General' to 'Date (DMY)'. Repeat for the second date column.
  • Choose 'Finish' and the data should appear in your spreadsheet with correctly formatted dates (If you are asked where you want to put the data, select 'Existing worksheet'.

How to sort data in Microsoft Excel

1. Click on the 'Data' option in the menu bar at the top of the page
2. Click on 'Sort' - the whole spreadsheet should now be highlighted and a dialogue box titled 'Sort' should be displayed.
3. Click on the pull down menu in the 'Sort By' box and select the column you want to use as your main sort criteria
4. Click on 'Ascending' or 'Descending'
5. Repeat steps 3 and 4 for 'Then By' sort boxes, if required
6. Click on 'OK' in the Sort box

WARNING: If you sort the data by highlighting one or two columns only and clicking on the 'A to Z' or 'Z to A' buttons, the highlighted columns only will be sorted - all remaining data will remain unsorted - this will result in scrambled data.

Microsoft Access

 The following instructions are provided as a guide only to loading the data into an Access database. It is recommended that, if help is required, you print these instructions before commencing.

 To load the information into MS Access from a disk

This process requires a higher level of knowledge than downloading. It may be necessary for you to obtain additional assistance from an outside source if you encounter problems.

1. Open Access data base
2. Select 'Blank Database' in the 'Create a New Database Using' dialogue box
3. Click 'OK'
4. Select appropriate Drive in the 'Save In' dialogue box (this should be the drive in which you wish to save the database you are about to create)
5. Enter a name in the 'File name' dialogue box (e.g. UK Aircraft Register)
6. Use the pull down menu in the 'Save as Type' dialogue box and choose 'All Files'
7. Click on 'Create' - you now have a blank database - a dialogue box will come up with the heading you have given (e.g. UK Aircraft Register: Database).
8. Open the 'Tables' option
9. Select 'File' option from the menu bar at the top of the page
10. Hold the mouse over 'Get External Data' - this will bring up another option box
11. Select 'Import'
12. Select the correct directory or drive from the 'Look In' menu box
13. Using the pull down menu select 'Text Files' in the 'Files of type' menu box - you should now have displayed a list of all the files you have down loaded.
14. Highlight the file you wish to import by clicking on it
15. Click on 'Import'
16. Text Import Wizard should now come up to help you load the data base
17. In the first dialogue box select the 'delimited' option. Select 'Next'
18. check ‘First Row Contains Field Names
19. Select 'Comma' as the delimiter that separates the fields. Select 'Next'
20. Select the appropriate table to store your data (e.g. In a New Table). Select 'Next'
21. At this stage you can customise the information to suit your needs (e.g. import only the columns which meet your requirements, change the 'Data Type' on fields containing dates to Date/Time and fields Report & pictures 6 fields in all to Hyperlink). When you've chosen all the appropriate options, select 'Next'
22. If you wish to use the Reg as the primary key select the 'Choose my own Primary Key' option and highlight the column you want . DO NOT select 'Let Access add Primary Key' an additional field will be added to the front of the data base numbering each row from 1 to ???. Select 'Next'
23.  A highlighted field in ‘Import to Table’ will indicate what the table will be called. To import the table, select 'Finish'
24. When the information is correctly imported into your database you will receive message 'Finished importing'.... Select OK.

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