Multi developer

[Ramzi]

Dear Sir/Madam,

I am using M.S. Access 2007 to develop projects, but I am not yet familiar
with the new interface please help me with the following:



Previous versions of office had problems when opening the same db for
development by more than one user is this issue solved with 2007? Can we
work on the same db at the same time? If not what is the method used if
many developers will work on the same db.



Thanks in advanced

 

[Franck]

I worked alot with Access programming side and it append rarely that 2
peoples need to work on the same database at same time. But there a
way to solve this problem. First remember that access create a lock
file on the database when loaded. The problem is there it'll save
anything anyone change last because if 2 people have access to it mean
it should be on a shared drive somewhere. The things is that when you
open access it load in memory locally on your computer the interface
so even if you changes things unless you save others wont see
difference.
I would explain easier by telling you if access wasn't looking if the
database is still at the path X for example you could delete the file
itself and it would work(the table would not work because they are
real time data)

the first way i founded was to copy the database each time i was going
to work on it and work on the copy and at the end when im finish open
the original and import my modification and save. if someone else work
on it there will be just 2 copy of the file appearing and each of them
use same method.

 

[Albert D. Kallal]

the last 5 versions of ms-access have allowed multiple developers to work at
the same time.

You have to adopt a source control code system to accomplish this.

As a general rule, it assumed you split your database, and you deploy a
"mde" to the end users. If you not been running, and using a split database,
then you not really ready for multiple developers on a project, or able to
manage a group of developers.

So, first, adopt a methodology of splitting your databases. I explain this
concept here:

http://www.members.shaw.ca/AlbertKallal/Articles/split/index.htm


Once you done the above, then you can convert the front ends into a mde, and
deploy that to users.

For your software teams, and allowing them to develop new features and write
code etc, you need to adopt VSS. This is explained here:

Info linik

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/837136/en-us


Download page:
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/...f4-a916-48c5-8f84-44b91fa774bc&displaylang=en

The above links are for a2003, but the process will be the same for a2007. I
don't know if the VSS ad-in is yet avaialbine for a2007, but it should be...


So, if you use VSS, then more then one person can work on forms, reports,
sql etc....

 

[Albert D. Kallal]

I should also add that allowing your team of trained software developers to
work on your application is a considerable different issue then that of
allowing your casual "end" users to modify the apcpation at application at
the same time..

as a general rule, you do not want your causal users to modify, and change
the designs (it way too likely that they can wind up damaging your
application, or causing problems with it).

so, it not clear if you just looking for a solution in which some users can
modify some of the designs you built, or you looking for a solution to allow
a team of professional software developers to work on the application at the
same time.

VSS is for the latter, and assumes you have trained developers that use and
know VSS.

Any serious developer you have likely will have used some type of source
code control, or at the very least be aware of these types of tools.

VSS is NOT designed for casual users to modify the reports etc. On the other
hand, it usually way too much to assume that your end users will be trained
software developers, and allowing them to modify the application your
building will resulting a disaster of a project.

I been developing applications in ms-access for years, and I NEVER had the
need for end users to modify any part of the application.

 

[Larry Linson]

"Ramzi" wrote

I am using M.S. Access 2007 to develop projects,
but I am not yet familiar with the new interface
please help me with the following:

Previous versions of office had problems when
opening the same db for development by more
than one user is this issue solved with 2007? Can
we work on the same db at the same time? If not
what is the method used if many developers will
work on the same db.

That is not an issue; that is a specification of Access 2000 and later. If
you revert to a sufficiently older version (Access 97, 2.0, 1.1, or 1.0),
multiple developers can make design changes to the same database,
concurrently, but at an increased risk of database corruption.

You can use Microsoft Source Safe or other source code control packages that
support Access, or, you can practice good project management and not have
multiple developers working on the same objects... each can have their own
copy and merge their updated objects into the "common" copy of the database
(or have the program librarian do so) according to your organization's
development procedures.

Larry Linson
Microsoft Access MVP