Any easy way to make database / external form more portable?

[Mick]

I have a database that I use to contain data, and another that has a
data entry form in it. I'm building it a my office and deploying it out
to the client. Problem is when I move the databases and open the entry
formit tells me that it can't find \\myserver\database\datafile.mdb . I
can correct this, but I expect to continue to do updates and etc to it
as time goes on, and don't want to have to bother with reconstructing
it each time. Is there an easy way to make it more portable and / or
set the data file location relative to the input form database location
so that as long as they are both in the same folder in either place it
will work or something like that?

Thanks for any input!

Mick

 

[brino]

mick ,

the database should work any where if it is all in one file.
but if you have spit it, ie. "back end" & "front end" then you may need
to restore the links.
go into tools-database utilities-linked table manager
and restore the links.

brino

 

[Albert D. Kallal]

Well, you can train the users to use the linked table manager, but I have to
concur with you, that is a pain.

Virtually all developers tackle this problem by writing code to check the
links at start-up, and if the link is bad, then we pop up the file dialog
browse..and then have the user re-link.

You can even save the path name to the back end in a text file..and on
program start-up, if the link fails, the open the text file (which contains
that last know good back end link)..and re-link. This enables you to easily
send update to your clients.

I use the above, and users thus don't even have to browse to the back end
location when I send a new update.

In fact, here is a series of screen shots as to how I update my users:

http://www.kallal.ca/ridestutorialp/upgrade.html

So, the code to pop up the file dialog is here:

http://www.mvps.org/access/api/api0001.htm

You can use the code here to re-link.

http://www.mvps.org/access/tables/tbl0009.htm


Virtually every developer will use the above two code samples, and with
them, you can cobble together a custom linking solution in a very short time
(the hard part code is already written!!!).

 

[Guest]

You might also want to look at my 'BE Update Utility.mdb' at

http://www.rogersaccesslibrary.com/OtherLibraries.asp#Hibbs,Peter S

which may be useful in your situation.