[Qgis-user] How to join a DBF table to a vector layer

[rhoskins at u.washington.edu]

I have a DBF of population data. A vector layer of the census tract. A common ID of FIPS.

Please explain in some detail or point me to somewhere that explains this in some detail. The 1.6 manual says ftools has
such a thing, the 1.7 manual ftools description does not indicate such a thing but has a description using the "join" tab in the layer properties which I cannot understand at all. 

Thanks -
Richard 
Anchorage, AK