Is there a tool to tell me where things are used?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Max Moor
  • Start date Start date
M

Max Moor

Hi All,
I have a fairly large database app I built some years back that I'm
digging back into. Unfortunately, I wasn't much of a documentarian back
then. I want to do some clean up, and have found a couple queries and
functions that I'm 99% sure aren't used anywhere. You never know when
something might be buried in a form's property sheet, though.
Is there an application around that will pick an Access database apart,
list things by form, query, function, etc. name, and simply list the other
objects that refer to it?

- Max
 
I may not understand your question completely, but what I do before trashing
what I think are probably junk queries and forms or to remind myself how
things go together, is to look at the Object Dependencies. To get to it,
open the Database Window (the thing you get when you click F11), and then
right-click on any table, query, form, etc. and pick "Object Dependencies."
For each one, it will show you in tree form "objects that depend on me" and
"objects I depend on." It's very useful.

Jack
 
I may not understand your question completely, but what I do before
trashing what I think are probably junk queries and forms or to remind
myself how things go together, is to look at the Object Dependencies.
To get to it, open the Database Window (the thing you get when you click
F11), and then right-click on any table, query, form, etc. and pick
"Object Dependencies." For each one, it will show you in tree form
"objects that depend on me" and "objects I depend on." It's very
useful.

Jack
Click to expand...


Hi Jack,
This sounds like a good tool, but I'm not sure what you mean by
clicking F11. I usually have what I consider the database window open...
various object types are listed on the left bar (e.g., Tables, Queries,
Forms, Reports, etc.), and the objects of that type on the right.
I don't get an "Object Dependencies" choice in the (right-click)
context menu, though. I'm using Access 2002. Is this a newer feature? What
am I missing?

- Max
 
I don't get an "Object Dependencies" choice in the (right-click)
context menu, though. I'm using Access 2002. Is this a newer feature?
What
am I missing?

- Max
Click to expand...


Yes only Access 2003 (currently) has it.

The downside is that to use Object Dependencies you also have to have Track
Name AutoCorrect enabled.

If anyone with Access 2003 wants to use Object Dependencies and has Track
Name AutoCorrect disabled you can make a copy of your MDB and enable
AutoCorrect and run Object Dependencies and then use the information to work
on your "good" MDB.

Track Name AutoCorrect is generally considered to be buggy and can make
Access unstable and _s l o w_, along with Lookup Fields and Subdatasheets
which are all best avoided.
 
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