Distribute Access Database

[Andrih]

Hi,
we plan and develop a distributable solution that requires a small
database. MSDE is to big to distribute over internet and so i thought
that access would meet my needs. In my unterstandings the JET Drivers
to access .mdb Files are installed on each Windows System, no matter
whether Access is installed or not. (I use .net oledb with C#)
Is this right, or are there any restrictions in distributing and using
access databases?
Thanks in advance for your answer.

 

[david epsom dot com dot au]

Apart from the security patch issues, I don't know of any reason
why Jet should be distributed with Windows. Except that the EULA
now describes Jet as an 'Operating System Component' (like IE,WM
and WMP..) But most other MS products use to come with either
Jet or Jet and a redistribution licence, so I am sure that if
your development product does not include a redistribution
licence for Jet, then MS must have moved to distribution with
Windows.

There are no restrictions on users downloading and installing
Jet from MS apart from the EULA. And all Office users will have
Jet.

There are no redistribution restrictions on data files (eg MDB).
They are treated the same as DOC or XLS files.

(david)

 

[Andrih]

Thanks David for your fast reply!
Yes, after what you said its clear that there is really no reason for
distributing jet with outlook.
I forgot to say that our software is a extension for Outlook, so it
should be given that jet is installed. We will create and distribute a
small .mdb file with empty tables that are filled and used by our
software. If I understand you right, there is no problem (licence)
doing this?
The only problem i know actually is that the database increases size
slowly but constantly, althoug if the number of records does not
increase, for example if i delete and add records. I don´t know any
programmable feature for compressing the database, as it is given in
MS Access. I think of workaround routine that copies the data of the
used and big database into a empty database, that is executed every
month or so.
Thanks in advance
André

 

[david epsom dot com dot au]

1) No licence problem.


2) using DAO: DAO.dbEngine.CompactDatabase
using JRO: JRO.JetEngine.CompactDatabase
using Access: Application.dbEngine.CompactDatabase

Your idea of just using a new database from time to time also
works. That is common when you have some action that just
creates a lot of temporary records.

(david)