can a front-end be auto closed after a period of inactivity?

[Guest]

I have a back-end/front end database. The back end must be periodically
refreshed against outside Oracle tables. My problem is that I cannot refresh
while another user has the linked tables in use. Usually this means that
they left the app open on their desktop. Can I set the front-end desktop app
so that it will automaticlly close after a period of inactivity?

 

[Dirk Goldgar]

I have a back-end/front end database. The back end must be
periodically refreshed against outside Oracle tables. My problem is
that I cannot refresh while another user has the linked tables in
use. Usually this means that they left the app open on their
desktop. Can I set the front-end desktop app so that it will
automaticlly close after a period of inactivity?

It's not perfect, but you could use the technique set forth in this KB
article to detect inactivity:

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/210297
HOW TO: Detect User Idle Time or Inactivity in Access 2000

 

[Guest]

Yep..It looks like it might work. Not the cleanest approach, but way better
than nothing..

 

[Guest]

This approach will not work if the user has minimized the application

 

[Guest]

Hoke,
You could try a different method which allows YOU to set the time at which
all front ends will shut down. This requires that all the users share the
same system time though.
I have a hidden form that opens when the front end opens. The form's
recordsource is a linked table from the back end. The forms timer event fires
every 30 seconds and checks if a field (lets call it [Maint]) is null.
[Maint] is a date/time field which gets filled with the time when the app
needs to close. If the result is not null, then the form evaluates how far
away the time is from the current time and if it's within, lets say 10
minutes, then users are warned that the app will close at the given time.
They're warned every 30 seconds until a) they shut out or b) the app shuts
itself out at the given time. To make it a little cleaner, I have the form
check [Maint] when someone logs in. If they try to log in within 5 minutes of
the time in [Maint], then they're politely told that the system is under
maintenance and closes them out.
Once maintenance is finished, I remove the time in [Maint] so that it's null
and everyone can return to work.
Hope that helps a little.
Dave