Making a read-only application

[Guest]

I have a database which has been split to the database backend and
application frontend. We have a user who needs to be able to view the
application etc but not make any amendments/deletions. Therefore, I need to
make a local copy of the app to be read-only. I guess I'm being daft but
can't see a way to do this easily. Any suggestions?

Many thanks

 

[Rick Brandt]

I have a database which has been split to the database backend and
application frontend. We have a user who needs to be able to view the
application etc but not make any amendments/deletions. Therefore, I need to
make a local copy of the app to be read-only. I guess I'm being daft but
can't see a way to do this easily. Any suggestions?

Many thanks

If you give him a local *copy* then why do you care if it is read only? He
won't be able to change the *real* database.

That aside, what you can do is dependent on the requirements. Making a
application read only to avoid accidental changes to data where the user is not
trying to circumvent that goal is trivial. Just set the RecordsetType of all
forms to "Snapshot" and they will not allow edits. Or just set the read only
property of the back end file you give him.

Now...if you want to *prevent* changes to the data in a situation where the user
is not cooperative then it is a lot harder. The strongest way to do that is to
apply User Level Security, but even that can be broken if someone knows how to
use Google and is willing to spend a few bucks. Other, simpler measures can be
used, but they basically rely on the user's ignorance of Access.