Faulty Object Export

[Guest]

This has been bugging me for months. I am running an Access app on a LAN. I
am still building it so I add or edit features often. When i have something
right I send it to users via the File, Export command. I get the warning that
the object exists and I am about to overwrite. I say yes, overright, but many
times IT DOESN'T!

The user calls and says "Nothing has changed." and sure enough his form has
NOT changed. Whatever code I added or changed is NOT there on his copy.

How come?!

 

[Guest]

Hi.

Are you trying to export objects from your local copy of the database to the
LAN copy? This is not an ideal way to do updates. It sounds like your
database is not split, but should be. Look here:
http://allenbrowne.com/ser-01.html

-Michael

 

[Guest]

No it IS split, that is why i need to send out updates. The data is in one
file on the server, the user copies are in other *.mdb files named for the
user W/S. Each user copy is slightly diferent, that is why multi copies.

 

[Guest]

So, since there are multiple copies of your front end DB for different users,
you are exporting your changed object from your design DB into each of the
user DBs, right? What is the difference between the various user DBs?

Have you tried creating a new, blank DB on the LAN, importing the object
into it, then changing the object and importing again?

Have you tried opening a user DB and importing the object, rather than
exporting from your design DB?

-Michael

 

[Guest]

User copies r different because of function, different users, different
functions. Some of the changes go to some users but not to others. I can
eventually get the updates there by one or more of the methods u suggested.

What bugs me is that this export feature is so querky, works sometimes not
others.

 

[Guest]

Have you looked into the "Application.SaveAsText" and
"Application.LoadFromText" methods? They will allow you to export an object
to a text file, and import the object from the same text file. This is just
off the top of my head, but you would probably be able to automate the whole
process by doing something like this:
Each time you update an object, export it to the LAN as a text file.
Place an "Imports" table in the back end, containing fields for UserName,
ImportFileName, and LastImportTimeStamp.
For each user, create one record for each object they may have to import.
When the user DB is opened, loop through the objects in the table for that
user.
For each object, if the LastImportTimeStamp in the table is not the same as
the TimeStamp of the file on the LAN, import the object from the text file,
then update the table with the new LastImportTimeStamp.

I have never attempted anything like the above, but I'm reasonably certain
it would work. However, it may be more trouble than it is worth.

As a better solution, you might consider combining the different user DBs
into a single one, implementing Access Security, and utilizing it to design
menus, forms, reports, etc. which will allow users to see only the objects
you allow them to see. Obviously, since I don't know much about your DBs, I
don't know how difficult this would be for you, but it should definitely be
possible. And, once complete, it would probably make DB maintenance a lot
easier.

Unfortunately, I have no other suggestions to offer on the Export problem
itself. Maybe someone else can provide further insight.

-Michael