Arkansas Lady said:
Tony, If you use the Developer Edition to install a database on to
another
machine,
would it be possible for that machine to change your forms, code, etc. if
the machine has Acess on it. I guess my question is that if you deplore
it
with the Developer Edition, can it be hacked into.
Well, on that particular machine, no, the user can't change the forms.
However, you are confusing the issue of the runtime. The runtime is simply a
ms-access install. You install the runtime and then any mdb, or mde file you
place on that computer will function.
So, if you deploy a mdb, then users on that machine can't change it, but if
you place the mdb on a machine with the full version of ms-access, then
users can change the forms at will. So, the runtime HAS NOTHING to do with
securing your appcation. the runtime DOES NOT MODIFY or chance your
application. It is still a mdb (or prefer mde) file that you simply copy and
place on the target machine. So, runtime is simply a ms-access-cess
instance, and is a separate issue then that of the mdb, or mde that you
place on that target computer to run.
You can quite well lock up your application. It is assumed that you are a
seasoned developer, and by the time you get around to using the runtime,
then you likely A VERY LONG TIME ago locked up your appcation, and hid the
user interface.
You most certainly can, and should hide all of the ms-access interface. The
options to complete hide and keep people out of the ms-access interface can
easily be done using the tools->start-up options. Using those options allows
you to complete hide the ms-access interface (tool bars, database window
etc). Also, using these options means you do not have to bother setting up
security.
Try downloading and running the 3rd example at my following web site that
shows a hidden ms-access interface, and NO CODE is required to do
this....but just some settings in the start-up.
Check out:
http://www.members.shaw.ca/AlbertKallal/msaccess/DownLoad.htm
After you try the application, you can exit, and then re-load the
application, but hold down the shift key to by-pass the start-up options. If
want, you can even disable the shift key by pass. I have a sample mdb file
that will let you "set" the shift key bypass on any application you want.
You can get this at:
http://www.members.shaw.ca/AlbertKallal/msaccess/msaccess.html
So, right before you deploy (to uses with the full version, or the runtime
version), you will create a mde, disable the shift key by-pass, and
possibility consider setting up security (but, you don't really need the
security part).
You SHOULD START NOW becoming familiar with a split database, and
distributing a mde as a generally practice. If you do this, then when it
comes around to deploying your application to your users, you wall have long
ago locked up the interface, and not allow users to see the ms-access part.
All of this locking up, and hiding of the ms-access interface can (and
should) occur LONG before you sue the runtime. In other words, the runtime
simply allows you to run on your machine, the art and process of hiding the
interface, and keeping uses out of the design parts IS NOT related to the
runtime, and I hide, and lock out my users, many of which have the full
version of ms-access.
Using a mde DOES not make sense until you split your database. If your not
spitting your database, you are still some steps away from using the runtime
and preferably distributing a mde to your users. You can read about
splitting here:
http://www.members.shaw.ca/AlbertKallal/Articles/split/index.htm