Access 2003, Managed Code and Windows Vista (Longhorn as was)

[Craig Alexander Morrison]

Can anyone give me an idea what the position will be running an Access 2003
application on Vista with respect to the managed code issue.

I have had a few people say that Office 2003 custom solutions using VB 6.3
will not be supported in Vista. As Vista's main thrust will be all about
security I can hardly expect one to be able to set Macro Security to Low and
forget about it, or can I?

I just don't want to find out in a year or so that the applications that we
are sending out the door now will stop running when Vista is installed. I
would rather know now and start planning the upgrade path with to the
version of Access using VB.NET. (?)

I can't imagine them not working in some fashion or other, but a few .NET
boys seem convinced that there will be a problem.

Even if NDA's are stopping you comment could you ask MS what can be
disclosed about this matter. I mean if they are serious about "managed code"
and security in Vista I can see why it might be the best way to go for
security, even at the expense of backwards compatibility for which they have
been exemplary hitherto.

 

[chris.nebinger]

I think there are two questions there. The first, will Vista support
Office versions of 2003 and earlier? I hope so, for their part. That
would be a huge PR bust, seeing as how there are many people still
using Office 97.

The next is what is the future of Office applications, VBA or .NET? I
don't have an answer on that one, but I dread the upgrades from Access
apps from VBA to .NET. Although, I'm sure alot of money will be spent
upgrading applications that will no longer run on Office 2006.

I guess I see the problem with Office apps. They are so dependent on
the version of Office used. You can still write a VB6 (or VB5 for that
matter) application and distribute it to work on WinXP. I still
remember having to modify one particular database (albeit slightly)
from 97 to 2000. But, once it was in 2000, it pretty much ran smoothly
through XP and 2003. But, if 2006 goes to managed code, those apps
won't run anymore.

I guess time will tell. Oh, and there was no need to post to so many
newsgroups.


Chris Nebinger

 

[Paul Overway]

My 2 cents....it will be at least 2 ~ 3 years before you see anywhere near
widespread adoption of Vista (assuming they even get it out the door on
time)....maybe longer. So, unless your org is an early adopter, the concern
seems a little premature. And moreover, what would you do instead anyway?
Write the entire app using .NET? I suspect that would be a major
undertaking for all but the simplest of apps. Even if Vista did somehow
make your app obsolete (not likely...and pretty stupid of Microsoft if it
does), I'd wager the cost of writing your app in Access 2003 and then
rewriting your app in Access 200X (v12) vs writing in .NET now would still
be less.

It sounds too like your people are suggesting that VBA is going away. That
is doubtful. Is Microsoft going to make VBA obsolete and thereby force of
millions of users to rewrite their macros? Think about it....are end users
going to start writing macros in .NET? Unlikely. I'd expect some type of
continued VBA support in at least the next 2 versions of Office....which I
would assume will run on Vista. Either that or Microsoft is going to need
to provide a very robust VBA to .NET conversion utility....and hope that
users don't scream bloody murder about having to learn .NET.

 

[Tony Toews]

"Craig Alexander Morrison"

I have had a few people say that Office 2003 custom solutions using VB 6.3
will not be supported in Vista.

Absolute rubbish. I have no inside knowledge on this specific topic
but I really can't see MS dropping support for Office 2003 so soon. I
mean you can still run Access 2.0 on Windows XP.

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

 

[Craig Alexander Morrison]

Absolute rubbish.

I hope and expect it is too.

I am just not sure how this and the stated goals in security can be
balanced.

 

[Brendan Reynolds]

The FAQ at the URL below doesn't specifically mention VB or VBA, but it says
that Win32 apps and DOS apps will continue to run under Windows Vista
without modification, and that COM and OLE 'will live on ... although it
won't be extended'.

http://msdn.microsoft.com/windowsvista/support/faq/

 

[Craig Alexander Morrison]

Thanks Brendan,

From what I can see (industrial strength) security will only exist inside
the WinFX zone, as it were.

 

[Tony Toews]

"Craig Alexander Morrison"

I am just not sure how this and the stated goals in security can be
balanced.

I was hoping you wouldn't notice how I ignored that part of your
question. <smile>

One thing I'm pretty sure you can do is create your own certificates
on a server and install them on the client systems. Now your
developers can sign the code before they ship code or MDBs. So that
would work around this security problem.

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

 

[Dave Patrick]

This article is worth looking at as well.

http://www.ftponline.com/vsm/2002_08/magazine/departments/guestop/default.aspx

--
Regards,

Dave Patrick ....Please no email replies - reply in newsgroup.
Microsoft Certified Professional
Microsoft MVP [Windows]
http://www.microsoft.com/protect

:
| Thanks Brendan,
|
| From what I can see (industrial strength) security will only exist inside
| the WinFX zone, as it were.
|
| --
| Slainte
|
| Craig Alexander Morrison
| Crawbridge Data (Scotland) Limited

 

[Craig Alexander Morrison]

Didn't see your message...probably not posted to the right group(s). wry (g)

--
Slainte

Craig Alexander Morrison
Crawbridge Data (Scotland) Limited
Oh, and there was no need to post to so many

 

[Craig Alexander Morrison]

Thanks, the article discusses the sort of what I was wondering too. Thanks
again.