Packaging and Deploying an Access ADE file

[srutner via AccessMonster.com]

Hello,

Our product is an Access .ade application. We are in the process of converting to Access 2003 and using the packaging wizard to create a setup.exe file that installs our .ade file along with Access 2003 runtime. This is all works fine.

We have a problem in that when our clients only have Access 2003 runtime installed they are unable to access the Data Link Properties dialog box (File->Connection menu). Previously, our clients were required to have the full version of Access 2000 installed and their IT department would receive our product (an .ade file) and then use this menu to connect to their server and database. Now that this menu option is no longer available we have no way of allowing our clients to connect the front-end to their database.

Am I missing something? This seems like a huge oversight on Microsoft's part. The only viable solution I can think of now is to chain another executable to my current installer (setup.exe) that will read in a server and database name and then programatically open the .ade file and set the connection.

Any thoughts?

Many thanks,
Sara

 

['69 Camaro]

Hi, Sara.

We have a problem in that when our clients only have Access 2003
runtime installed they are unable to access the Data Link Properties
dialog box (File->Connection menu).

Am I missing something?

Yes. This is easily fixed by reading the online documentation that came
with Access and the Access Developer Extensions, though.

This seems like a huge oversight on Microsoft's part.

No. Not at all. The Access runtime version is intended to allow a user to
run your Access database on his computer, even though he doesn't have the
Access retail version installed. The runtime version doesn't allow database
application development (hence, there's no built-in menus and toolbars), but
it allows the user to use your custom forms and algorithms, run queries, and
manipulate the data. The File menu you mention is part of the built-in menu
of the retail version. It's not part of the runtime version because
altering the linked table connections would change the design of the tables,
and design changes require the retail version.

The only viable solution I can think of now is to chain another
executable to my current installer (setup.exe) that will read in a server
and database name and then programatically open the .ade file and
set the connection.

Any thoughts?

Sure. It would be easier and more maintainable from a software lifecycle
standpoint to add a simple custom menu in your database application that
allows the users to link the tables themselves in the runtime version.

HTH.

Gunny

See http://www.QBuilt.com for all your database needs.
See http://www.Access.QBuilt.com for Microsoft Access tips.

(Please remove ZERO_SPAM from my reply E-mail address, so that a message
will be forwarded to me.)

Hello,

Our product is an Access .ade application. We are in the process of

converting to Access 2003 and using the packaging wizard to create a
setup.exe file that installs our .ade file along with Access 2003 runtime.
This is all works fine.

We have a problem in that when our clients only have Access 2003 runtime

installed they are unable to access the Data Link Properties dialog box
(File->Connection menu). Previously, our clients were required to have the
full version of Access 2000 installed and their IT department would receive
our product (an .ade file) and then use this menu to connect to their server
and database. Now that this menu option is no longer available we have no
way of allowing our clients to connect the front-end to their database.

Am I missing something? This seems like a huge oversight on Microsoft's

part. The only viable solution I can think of now is to chain another
executable to my current installer (setup.exe) that will read in a server
and database name and then programatically open the .ade file and set the
connection.

 

[srutner via AccessMonster.com]

Are you saying that there is a way to make the Data Link Properties menu available? I don't see that in documentation.

I've also created a custom menu including this option and if the machine only has Access runtime installed nothing happens when that menu option is selected. It works fine with a full blown version of Acces.

Or were you implying that I would need to create my own version of a Data Link Properties form?

Regards,
Sara

 

['69 Camaro]

Hi, Sara.

Are you saying that there is a way to make the Data Link
Properties menu available? I don't see that in documentation.

The documentation I was referring to is the instructions that explain that
one needs to provide a more robust application and custom menus for users
who will be using the Access Runtime version, not the retail version, and
what areas need to be considered in order to do so. There's additional
online documentation Microsoft provides that explains how to create custom
menus. Please see the following Web page for instructions on creating
custom menu bars:

http://www.microsoft.com/Accessdev/articles/bapp97/chapters/ba01_6.htm

You won't find explicit instructions on how to create the Data Link menu in
this online documentation. This documentation was published for Access 97
(which came out before ADP's were added to Access), but this documentation
can also be used for future versions as well. However, given the very small
audience that will ever use the Data Link menu item in a custom menu built
for the Access Runtime version, it's extremely unlikely that Microsoft will
take the time to publish step-by-step instructions on how to create it.

Or were you implying that I would need to create my own
version of a Data Link Properties form?

Not at all. Every user interface or built-in wizard in Access is available
to the database developer who knows how to call it and manipulate it. Some
methods aren't as obvious as others, though, but that's why the experts get
paid the big bucks. ;-)

HTH.

Gunny

See http://www.QBuilt.com for all your database needs.
See http://www.Access.QBuilt.com for Microsoft Access tips.

(Please remove ZERO_SPAM from my reply E-mail address, so that a message
will be forwarded to me.)

Are you saying that there is a way to make the Data Link Properties menu

available? I don't see that in documentation.

I've also created a custom menu including this option and if the machine

only has Access runtime installed nothing happens when that menu option is
selected. It works fine with a full blown version of Acces.

 

[Sara Rutner via AccessMonster.com]

Hi,

Thanks for the response but I already know how to create custom menus. I recently added the Connection option to our already existing custom menu bar.

When the app is deployed on a box with retail Access 2003 installed the menu option works fine (data link properties dialog is displayed).

When the app is deployed on a box with Access 2003 runtime installed the menu option does nothing (user selects menu and NO data link properties dialog is displayed).

So, I could create a menu option that opens my own custom form that replicates the functionality of the data link properties dialog but it sounds like you are saying that isn't necessary.

I also already understand how to programatically envoke these built-in menu commands but this doesn't work for the data link properties dialog in the runtime version either. It is like the libraries for that dialog box literally do not get installed with the runtime version.

Regards,
Sara

 

['69 Camaro]

Hi, Sara.

Thanks for the response but I already know how to create
custom menus. I recently added the Connection option to
our already existing custom menu bar.

When the app is deployed on a box with Access 2003 runtime
installed the menu option does nothing (user selects menu
and NO data link properties dialog is displayed).

This sounds like there is no "OnAction" property for this menu item.
Creating a custom menu usually takes more effort than just "dragging and
dropping" items from the "Customize" dialog window.

So, I could create a menu option that opens my own custom
form that replicates the functionality of the data link properties
dialog but it sounds like you are saying that isn't necessary.

This is an option, but it usually takes longer to reinvent the wheel.
However, if you haven't read the documentation in the online MSDN Library
that came with the Access Developer Extensions as I suggested in my first
post, then reinventing the wheel may be the quickest way to achieve your
goal. Sometimes you just have to go with what you know instead of learning
new skills because of tight time constraints.

I also already understand how to programatically envoke these
built-in menu commands but this doesn't work for the data link
properties dialog in the runtime version either.

Code that works in the retail version may not work at all in the runtime
version. Applications that are built for the runtime version must be more
robust than those built for the retail version. It takes longer to build
and package an application for the runtime version, but customers think they
are saving money because they don't have to purchase a license for the
retail version. It's a tradeoff that many developers avoid unless they can
sell at least 15 or 20 licenses for their runtime applications, because
anything less than that means they have to raise the price to recoup the
extra labor costs, which customers will notice and usually aren't willing to
pay.

It is like the libraries for that dialog box literally do not get
installed with the runtime version.

As I mentioned in my first post, any tool that is needed to change the
design of an object is not available in the runtime version. Changing the
data link connection is changing the design. You'll need to customize your
application to get around this constraint.

I think I've made enough suggestions. Perhaps someone else has more
suggestions for you.

HTH.

Gunny

See http://www.QBuilt.com for all your database needs.
See http://www.Access.QBuilt.com for Microsoft Access tips.

(Please remove ZERO_SPAM from my reply E-mail address, so that a message
will be forwarded to me.)

Hi,

Thanks for the response but I already know how to create custom menus. I

recently added the Connection option to our already existing custom menu
bar.

When the app is deployed on a box with retail Access 2003 installed the

menu option works fine (data link properties dialog is displayed).

When the app is deployed on a box with Access 2003 runtime installed the

menu option does nothing (user selects menu and NO data link properties
dialog is displayed).

So, I could create a menu option that opens my own custom form that

replicates the functionality of the data link properties dialog but it
sounds like you are saying that isn't necessary.

I also already understand how to programatically envoke these built-in

menu commands but this doesn't work for the data link properties dialog in
the runtime version either. It is like the libraries for that dialog box
literally do not get installed with the runtime version.

 

['69 Camaro]

Hi, Sara.

You don't know how much trouble it was for me to get to the computer that
had the documentation that I recommended you read in my previous posts.
Here's one example:

1. Set references to the Microsoft ActiveX Data Objects 2.x Library and the
Microsoft OLE DB Service Component 1.0 Type Library.
2. Create a CommandButton on a Form.
3. Copy and paste the following code into the Form's code module:

Dim cn As ADODB.Connection

Private Sub Command1_Click()

Dim MSDASCObj As MSDASC.DataLinks
Set MSDASCObj = New MSDASC.DataLinks

Set cn = New ADODB.Connection
MSDASCObj.PromptEdit cn

cn.Open
MsgBox "Connection opened successfully"
cn.Close

End Sub

Since you already know how to create custom menus and invoke them from code,
you shouldn't have any problem with this example. Make sure that you set
the "Connection..." menu item's "OnAction" property this time, though.

HTH.

Gunny

See http://www.QBuilt.com for all your database needs.
See http://www.Access.QBuilt.com for Microsoft Access tips.

(Please remove ZERO_SPAM from my reply E-mail address, so that a message
will be forwarded to me.)