Low-Budget or Free Access DB Interface

[MG10598]

Too many topics to spend time searching so if this had been aske
before, I apologize

I want to create a user interface that can be run over a smal
Microsoft Server network to access an MS Access 2000 database on
server. The version of Access 2000 I have is a single-user, so
can't install it onto the server, and the company has no budget fo
getting developer software to create an interface

If I create a database in Access 2000 and put the database file(s) o
a server, is there a cheap way of making a user interface so tha
everyone on the network can search/query, add, delete, updat
records, print reports, etc. (use the database)? I don't need thi
to be a "secured" database, so I don't need to make a login o
restrict access or anything

The only tools I have available are Microsoft FrontPag
2003 (and IIS on the server), and [b:a29f3f2e89]Flas
MX[/b:a29f3f2e89] (older version). If there is a way of using one o
both of these mediums to accomplish what I want, are there any book
available on the subject? If so, what are they (author, title
publisher) and where can I purchase them

 

[Larry Linson]

Front Page 2003 has a Data Interaction Wizard that you can use to generate
simple user interaction with Access/Jet databases. I'd look in one of the
microsoft.public... newsgroups for FrontPage for recommendations on tutorial
material and help. Front Page MVP Kathleen Anderson has posted some useful
answers on this subject, as have others in those newsgroups. Obviously,
since you already have the necessary software, if this will fill your needs,
it will be one of two least-expensive options.

The other least-expensive alternative would be to look into Access' own Data
Access Pages... provided this is just for your intranet, provided that all
your users use Internet Explorer 5.5 or later, and provided they have or can
install the Office Web Extensions. You might be well advised, in this case,
to upgrade to a newer version of Access... 2002 or 2003. See later in re:
inexpensive copies of Office XP Pro (which includes Access 2002).

And, a third alternative: the online auction sites often have listings for
new, still-in-shrinkwrap copies of non-current versions of Access / Office,
including Developer Editions. You might be able to pick up a copy of Office
XP Developer rather inexpensively. I'd strongly recommend that over a copy
of Office 2000 Developer, even if you apply all the Service Packs to Office
2000.

Larry Linson
Microsoft Access MVP

 

[Guest]

We have a low cost programming solution that might be able to help you.

Please contact us through our website at www.nwarwick.co.uk for more details.

 

[Arvin Meyer]

There are no network versions per se. Office upgrades for Access are as
cheap as $90 at Amazon.com. Depending upon the number of users and the cost
of your time, it should be worth adding Access to each user's machine.
--
Arvin Meyer, MCP, MVP
Microsoft Access
Free Access Downloads
http://www.datastrat.com
http://www.mvps.org/access

 

[SirPoonga]

Another option you might want to look at is using a MySQL server or
some other free SQL database.

Then use ASP.NET to create an intranet interface. See
http://www.asp.net for web matrix, a free asp.net development tool, is
..net sdk debugger for debugging.

ASP.NET is supported in IIS 5.0 (Windows 2000) or newer, so you just
need a computer running IIS 5.0 or newer and install the latest .NET
Framework on that server (and run aspnet_regiis.exe for win2k
machines).

You can also use ASP.NET with Access. Not sure how this works with any
license agreements.