Help with Splitting BE/FE PLUS Package Solution

[Victor]

Hi,

This is what I'm trying to do:
1. I have a database that different people will be getting. They won't be
sharing it, each person is a seperate company.
2. I have been using the Package Solution to create the installation (the
user gets no menus, ribbons or anything else besides my forms to see/use.
3. If I need to update the forms (add/correct/edit) and have to send the
updates to people, they have to uninstall then reinstall, but they will
loose their data they already input.
4. Splitting seemed to be the way, BUT, it will be a mix of XP/Vista/7
computers, so I don't know where the program will be installed, so when I
split the FE/BE, I'd like to put in in the same place as the program.
5. When I create the split, since the package isn't installed on my PC yet,
the directory it will be in doesn't exist.
6. What is the best way to do this? Or is there another way I can update
forms/reports/macros without losing table data when it is installed with
the Package Solution.

I know this is probably confusing and convoluted, so if you have any
questions, let me know.

Thanks,
Victor

 

[Gloops]

Victor wrote, on Oct. 02nd 2012 05:00 :

4. Splitting seemed to be the way, BUT, it will be a mix of XP/Vista/7
computers, so I don't know where the program will be installed, so when I
split the FE/BE, I'd like to put in in the same place as the program.

Hello,

Generally speaking, you are supposed to propose a GetOpenFilename dialog
box to the user, so that he/she selects the back database. He generally
always selects the same name in the same directory (after a proper
download that you will have to conceptualize properly), but it is a good
thing to allow him/her to go back to a backup.

http://access.mvps.org/access/api/api0001.htm

That dialog box is supposed to start with the good default folder :

http://access.mvps.org/access/api/api0054.htm

After that, you loop through all tables that have to be linked, and you
correct the link.

http://access.mvps.org/access/tables/tbl0009.htm

Remember that your tables names are supposed to begin with a prefix that
tells they are tables, generally "tab". Supposing they do not all link
to the same source, you can use another prefix for another source, for
instance "tbl".

And then :

For Each Tb in CurrentDb().TableDefs
If Left$(Tb.Name, 3) = "tab" Then
RefreshLink Tb, DB 'Please adapt
End If
Next

Anyway, always exclude the system tables of the database from that
treatment. Their names begin with Sys, if I remember properly.

5. When I create the split, since the package isn't installed on my PC yet,
the directory it will be in doesn't exist.

Hum, with the selection by the user, with default folder proposed on the
good special folder, I imagine you should not have that problem.

 

[Gloops]

Gloops wrote, on Oct. 02nd 2012 14:34 :

Hum, with the selection by the user, with default folder proposed on the
good special folder, I imagine you should not have that problem.

Official numbers are attributed to the special folders, but you have to
anticipate that some machines do not have their special folders mapped
to the correct number, and you cannot fully trust that norm.

So, you still can propose the user's documents folder by its map to the
documented code, but in case that number is not correct on the user's
machine, you must propose another button somewhere on the form, that
will list the special folders, and ask the user to select his/her
documents folder in the list. Then, you can save the selection in an ini
file, that will stay in place the next time you update the front base.

So, if you find an ini file, you propose the default folder that is
selected in it. Otherwise, you select
Public Const CSIDL_MY_DOCUMENTS As Long = &H5

that I found there :

http://www.cpearson.com/excel/SpecialFolders.aspx

but you should find it somewhere else.

When your code is quite OK and tested on different machines, prepare
well your communication with the users, as this must appear very easy.
Do not forget this will be their first contact with your database.

I should have some further considerations concerning deployment, but it
quite may be premature for the moment being.