Efficiency question

[Guest]

Is it more efficient to have a rather complex, single query based on several
tables, or have a fairly simply query that is based on several other simple
queries that are ultimately based on single tables each ?

I'm inheriting a database application that just seems to me to be of a
rather inefficient design. Any thoughts on efficiency and speed would be
appreciated.....by the way, this will become a shared database being run on a
network.

Thanks !

 

[Douglas J Steele]

I'm not sure one is going to be significantly different than the other.

If you're going to share, though, make sure you split the application into a
front-end (containing the queries, forms, reports, macros and modules) and a
back-end (containing just the tables).

Only the back-end should be on the server: each user should have his/her own
copy of the front-end, preferably on their hard drive.

 

[Guest]

Thanks for the comments....I was planning on splitting the application.....on
that note I have another question: what are the ramifications if a
particular user does not have Access installed on his local machine ? I know
I can create an MDE file for him, but just exaclty what does that mean in
relation to the split database and the back-end being on a server ? Can I
still do all that, and will it work, without much degredation in performance ?

Thanks !

 

[Douglas J. Steele]

All users must have Access installed on their machine or they will be unable
to use the application.

This includes MDEs: they're not stand-alone executables.

 

[Guest]

Thanks for the reply...and for clearing up my apparent misunderstanding on
MDEs.