Distributing database revision?

[Cam]

Hello,

I am having a hard time telling the users to use a latest Front End database
version I that created. The BE database resides in a network server. Whenever
I created a new version of the FE, I asked user to delete the older version
and copy the newer version to their desktop, but lots of users are not using
the newer version.
What can I do to enforce the users to use the newest version and make the
older version to not work on their desktop? Even thought, technically the
older version will work also since the data is linked to the same BE. Thanks

 

[Tony Toews [MVP]]

I am having a hard time telling the users to use a latest Front End database
version I that created. The BE database resides in a network server. Whenever
I created a new version of the FE, I asked user to delete the older version
and copy the newer version to their desktop, but lots of users are not using
the newer version.

I specifically created the Auto FE Updater utility so that I could
make changes to the FE MDE as often as I wanted and be quite confident
that the next time someone went to run the app that it would pull in
the latest version. For more info on the errors or the Auto FE
Updater utility see the free Auto FE Updater utility at
http://www.granite.ab.ca/access/autofe.htm at my website to keep the
FE on each PC up to date.

Tony
--
Tony Toews, Microsoft Access MVP
Please respond only in the newsgroups so that others can
read the entire thread of messages.
Microsoft Access Links, Hints, Tips & Accounting Systems at
http://www.granite.ab.ca/accsmstr.htm
Tony's Microsoft Access Blog - http://msmvps.com/blogs/access/

 

[Tom van Stiphout]

On Mon, 14 Apr 2008 14:21:05 -0700, Cam

Tony has a good suggestion. One reason I have not jumped on the
bandwagon is that he is not offering source code afaik. If for
whatever reason you cannot use that tool, here is another way I have
used many times: the BE has a simple table "SystemSettings" with one
row of data, and one of the fields is the RequiredFE_Version. At
startup time your FE checks this version with its own, and bitterly
complains if not in compliance.

-Tom.

 

[Keith Wilby]

Hello,

I am having a hard time telling the users to use a latest Front End
database
version I that created. The BE database resides in a network server.
Whenever
I created a new version of the FE, I asked user to delete the older
version
and copy the newer version to their desktop, but lots of users are not
using
the newer version.
What can I do to enforce the users to use the newest version and make the
older version to not work on their desktop? Even thought, technically the
older version will work also since the data is linked to the same BE.
Thanks

I use a batch file to copy the FE from a read-only location on the server to
the user's profile on the local disc. It also copies a shortcut to their
desktop. The copied files are over-written every time the batch file is
run. I've attached an example for an app called "DSE".

Keith.
www.keithwilby.com

ECHO OFF

DEL "%temp%\DSE\*.*" /Q
RD "%temp%\DSE"
MKDIR "%temp%\DSE"

DEL "%userprofile%\desktop\DSE.lnk"
XCOPY "\\MyServer\MyPath\Download\DSE.lnk" "%userprofile%\desktop"

XCOPY "\\MyServer\MyPath\Download\DSEGUI.mde" "%temp%\DSE" /I
START "DSE" /MAX "C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office11\MSACCESS.EXE"
"%temp%\DSE\DSEGUI.mde" /wrkgrp "\\MyServer\MyPath\\DSE.mdw"

 

[Tony Toews [MVP]]

Tony has a good suggestion. One reason I have not jumped on the
bandwagon is that he is not offering source code afaik.

Correct. I have thoughts of creating a "deluxe" version with
significant enhancements that corps would be willing to pay for.

Tony
--
Tony Toews, Microsoft Access MVP
Please respond only in the newsgroups so that others can
read the entire thread of messages.
Microsoft Access Links, Hints, Tips & Accounting Systems at
http://www.granite.ab.ca/accsmstr.htm
Tony's Microsoft Access Blog - http://msmvps.com/blogs/access/

 

[Tom van Stiphout]

On Thu, 17 Apr 2008 19:52:44 -0600, "Tony Toews [MVP]"

Good luck finding a feature set that works for them. Something less
than SMS which costs only $500 or so, and free utilities like yours
and ours. Actually, we sell it to each client for about $200/site and
have not had any declines yet. But volume not enough to retire to a
tropical island

-Tom.

 

[Tony Toews [MVP]]

Good luck finding a feature set that works for them. Something less
than SMS which costs only $500 or so, and free utilities like yours
and ours.

Yeah, exactly. But I'm too busy working on other systems to do any
substantial work on the Auto FE Updater.

Tony
--
Tony Toews, Microsoft Access MVP
Please respond only in the newsgroups so that others can
read the entire thread of messages.
Microsoft Access Links, Hints, Tips & Accounting Systems at
http://www.granite.ab.ca/accsmstr.htm
Tony's Microsoft Access Blog - http://msmvps.com/blogs/access/