Developing db in MS Access or SQL

[Guest]

I have some experience with Access, and less with SQL. Some friends have want
me to write database programs for them with Access or as a Project. I want to
know what my obligations to Microsoft or other organizations will be if I
write a program that they can use. These are small-scale businesses.

 

[John Vinson]

I have some experience with Access, and less with SQL. Some friends have want
me to write database programs for them with Access or as a Project. I want to
know what my obligations to Microsoft or other organizations will be if I
write a program that they can use. These are small-scale businesses.

Whoever is *using* the program will need a valid license for Microsoft
Access, if that's how you implement the user interface. This can
either be a retail copy of Access, or you can purchase the Visual
Studio Office Developer Tools suite and give them a "runtime" version
of Access, which lets them use a database but not make any design
changes.

The .mdb file or .adp file is yours to do with as you wish; Microsoft
doesn't own it, just the software that's needed to use it.

Of course, if you write a user interface in Visual Basic or some other
compiled code, that program is also your own, in accordance with the
EULA for the tools you're using.

John W. Vinson[MVP]

 

[Guest]

If MS Access and MS SQL 2000 are licensed, then you have no obligation to MS
or other organizations. The concepts that you are using to develop an Access
solution are not copyrighted in anyway; otherwise, Access wouldn't be as
customizable as it is.'

MS offers many 'template' databases which you could use to help build custom
applications with no fear of copyright infringement. Northwind in
particular, is a good database to build from.

 

[Jamie Collins]

Whoever is *using* the program will need a valid license for Microsoft
Access, if that's how you implement the user interface.

Jet is available as a download as part of MDAC 2.5, after which you can
update to the latest version of MDAC and download the latest Jet
service packs. Jet provides a 'relational' view of the data and schema
(tables, VIEWs, PROCEDURES, Query objects, etc) in the .mdb and OLE DB
providers to access the database. MDAC provides ADO to enable you to
build COM-based programs to access the data via the Jet OLE DB
providers. Visual Studio .NET has an OleDb class which can be used to
leverage Jet into the .NET era. Note that MS Access-only features,
including Forms and Reports, are not available via OLE DB.

Jamie.

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