Access Switchboards

[Guest]

Since everyone who uses a specific database starts from a shortcut ... is it
easy/possible to start with a different switchboard (different options) for
different people?

Thanks for your help!
Cindy

 

[Joseph Meehan]

Since everyone who uses a specific database starts from a shortcut
... is it easy/possible to start with a different switchboard
(different options) for different people?

Thanks for your help!
Cindy

There are two ways of doing this that I can think of.

You can use startup options that are triggered by the shortcut The cmd
is the more direct method, but you will need to be able to do some Visual
Basic Coding. The Macro will run a macro of choice and that can open the
switchboard of your choice.


/cmd
Specifies that what follows on the command line is the value that will be
returned by the Command function. This option must be the last option on the
command line. You can use a semicolon ( as an alternative to /cmd.
Use this option to specify a command-line argument that can be used in
Visual Basic code.


/x macro
Starts Access and runs the specified macro. Another way to run a macro when
you open a database is to use an AutoExec macro.

HOWEVER, it sounds like you have several people accessing the same
database on a server. It also sounds like you have not split the database.
Access likes to be split and it eliminates your whole question.

A split database system consist of a back end database file that
warehouses all the dynamic data on the server. That's all it does. The
second part is the front end that is located on each user's machine. It has
all the forms, reports queries and static data etc. Each front end can be
different for each user.

This split system will usually result in fewer problems, more
versatility and faster response time.

 

[Guest]

Thanks, Joseph. I think I can easily figure out and use the startup
options....

As for splitting the database, I like that idea. But doesn't having a
front-end loaded on each user's machine get cumbersome when you have an
update that is used by multiple people in multiple locations?

 

[Van T. Dinh]

See Tony Toews' AutoFEUpdater

http://www.granite.ab.ca/access/autofe.htm

 

[Joseph Meehan]

Thanks, Joseph. I think I can easily figure out and use the startup
options....

As for splitting the database, I like that idea. But doesn't having a
front-end loaded on each user's machine get cumbersome when you have
an update that is used by multiple people in multiple locations?

Van posted a great link for one solution to the problem. I have had
applications where changes were rare and just manually took care of the few
updates needed and in other more mission critical, I added a version check
(VBA code) to alert the user of a newer version and how to get it, or at my
option, to give a warning and then shut them out when the update was
critical.

 

[Guest]

Thanks for the link ... but I haven't been able to open that page. Is it
still working for you?

 

[Joseph Meehan]

Thanks for the link ... but I haven't been able to open that page.
Is it still working for you?

Try again, it's working for me. Maybe you can copy and paste it.

 

[Guest]

Not sure what my problem was ... but it's working now. Thanks!

 

[Guest]

::sigh:: Okay, I thought I could easily figure out the startup options ...
but, unfortunately, I haven't been able to make it work. Here's what I'm
using for my shortcut:

C:\B.R.A.C\B.R.A.C..mdb /x "Employees"

I've tried it with and without the quote marks around my macro name ... I've
tried it with and without a "Display Form" switchboard listed in my startup
options ... and I've tried a couple other things that I can't even remember
right now. The "Employees" macro just uses the OpenForm action. In each
case the database starts the way I would expect it to if I hadn't used the
"/x macro" switch. Can you tell from my shortcut what I'm doing wrong?

Thanks for your help!
Cindy

 

[Joan Wild]

::sigh:: Okay, I thought I could easily figure out the startup options
...
but, unfortunately, I haven't been able to make it work. Here's what I'm
using for my shortcut:

C:\B.R.A.C\B.R.A.C..mdb /x "Employees"

You need to include the full path to msaccess.exe at the start of that.