General security questions

[CY]

I am about to create a database that will have 3 users. It does not have to
be particularly secure but the client wants to be able to track which of the
3 users makes changes to any record. I figured the easiest thing to do
would be to use the security wizard and then somehow capture the user id
when any changes are made.

Questions:
1) I am using Access 2002, client has Access 2003. Are there any problems
with the security part of this scenario?
2) Should I create the database first and then go to client location to do
the security part?
3) Is there a better/easier way to create log in info and capture it?
4) I have looked at
http://www.geocities.com/jacksonmacd/AJMAccessSecurity.pdf but I don't know
if there is any reason to do it all manually as the guide suggests when
security isn't a huge priority - it's the tracking that's important to the
client.
5) How and where do you capture user id info when changes to records are
made?

I am technical and experienced at designing databases, but these intricacies
are new to me. I've always created databases with only one or two users,
used for tracking and reporting, never anything like this.

Any help (or examples of another help document) would be appreciated.

TIA!

CY

 

[Rick Brandt]

I am about to create a database that will have 3 users. It does not have to be
particularly secure but the client wants to be able to track which of the 3
users makes changes to any record. I figured the easiest thing to do would be
to use the security wizard and then somehow capture the user id when any
changes are made.

No, the easiest thing to do would be to capture theie Windows/login name and use
that. User Level Security is an advanced topic, one that virtually everyone
gets wrong and is way overkill just to identify users.

I recommend the API code at the link below...

http://www.mvps.org/access/api/api0008.htm

 

[CY]

Thank you for that - I am a novice module user, so once I have created this
module, then what do I do? How do I create a report on which changes were
made by which user?

 

[Rick Brandt]

Thank you for that - I am a novice module user, so once I have created this
module, then what do I do? How do I create a report on which changes were
made by which user?

Once you have that code in a module you can use the fOSUserName() function to
return the current user's network name. Then you need to add a field to your
table(s) to hold the name of the last person to change the record. In the
BeforeUpdate event of the form used to make changes you have code...

Me!LastRevisedBy = fOSUserName()

 

[CY]

Wow, it works! Thanks!

Once you have that code in a module you can use the fOSUserName()
function to return the current user's network name. Then you need to add
a field to your table(s) to hold the name of the last person to change the
record. In the BeforeUpdate event of the form used to make changes you
have code...

Me!LastRevisedBy = fOSUserName()