Access Runtime Basic Questions

[Colin Foster]

Hello,

I've been asked to look at developing a database which will be distributed
to a number of users (some of whom may not have access installed). To
complicate matters, as time goes on the database will need to be
amended/updated & a Version 2 (and 3... and 4...) may need to be created and
distributed out to the users. When these new versions are installed, any
existing information will need to be incorporated into the "new" version. For
example data in tables & forms, etc will need to migrate across (either
"automatically" or via an import routine).

As all of the databases that I have produced to date have been for a "stand
alone" situation (albeit with multiple users) any development has been fairly
straightforward; what I'm being asked to do here is (as far as it appears to
me) to be far more complex - hence my posting to seek some advice.

It would appear that I need a Run Time version of Access to allow
distribution as some users may not have Access installed. The questions that
this raises are...

1. What happens if users have Access on their computer but some have 2000,
others XP, others 2003 or 2007? Does the RT version deal with this?

2. Different users may (due to their set up) need to install the files
(including the database) in different locations (e.g. some may be on a local
PC, others on a server with different drive letters & folder names); again
does the run time version handle this?

3. We would want each client to see their own corporate logo on the
database, so I guess that the easiest way to do this is to link the image
placeholder to an image in a folder on the client's computer - is there a way
of ensuring that the image is always placed in the "correct" folder?

4. Does the RT version deal with migration of data within existing databases
if a "version 2" is then installed?

5. If I download the RT version of Access 2007 (which I believe is possible
for free from the MS website) this will, presumably, create an Access 2007
database - what happens if a user has an earlier version of access installed?

Sorry if these appear to be basic questions (& I'm sure that if this project
goes ahead, I'll have more!), but hope that there's someone out there that
can answer them, or at least point me in the right direction.

Cheers
Colin Foster

 

[Klatuu]

Hello,

I've been asked to look at developing a database which will be distributed
to a number of users (some of whom may not have access installed). To
complicate matters, as time goes on the database will need to be
amended/updated & a Version 2 (and 3... and 4...) may need to be created
and
distributed out to the users. When these new versions are installed, any
existing information will need to be incorporated into the "new" version.
For
example data in tables & forms, etc will need to migrate across (either
"automatically" or via an import routine).

As all of the databases that I have produced to date have been for a
"stand
alone" situation (albeit with multiple users) any development has been
fairly
straightforward; what I'm being asked to do here is (as far as it appears
to
me) to be far more complex - hence my posting to seek some advice.

It would appear that I need a Run Time version of Access to allow
distribution as some users may not have Access installed. The questions
that
this raises are...

1. What happens if users have Access on their computer but some have 2000,
others XP, others 2003 or 2007? Does the RT version deal with this?

It is possible to have multiple versions installed. In your installer
routine and files, you should include a shortcut that opens the runtime
version of Access. This way, it will always use the runtime to run your
application.

2. Different users may (due to their set up) need to install the files
(including the database) in different locations (e.g. some may be on a
local
PC, others on a server with different drive letters & folder names); again
does the run time version handle this?

It would not be up to the Access runtime exe to handle that. It would be up
to your application. For installing the application files, that would be a
function of your installation routine. For connecting the front end and
backend databases, you will want to provide the capability for the
application to link to the back end data

3. We would want each client to see their own corporate logo on the
database, so I guess that the easiest way to do this is to link the image
placeholder to an image in a folder on the client's computer - is there a
way
of ensuring that the image is always placed in the "correct" folder?

Again, that would be up to you. You could provide the corporate logo with
your installer using a common name so the application would show the
corporate image using a common name regardless of what logo is presented.

4. Does the RT version deal with migration of data within existing
databases
if a "version 2" is then installed?

The only issue you would have here is if there is a database schema change
with a newer version. This also would be up to you to provide code that
would modify the client's back end database to modify the schema.

5. If I download the RT version of Access 2007 (which I believe is
possible
for free from the MS website) this will, presumably, create an Access 2007
database - what happens if a user has an earlier version of access
installed?

Yes, it can be downloaded free. If you use the technique I described under
#1, it is not an issue.