Well, most developers work on the mdb, but distribute a mde. The mde is a
compiled version of your application, and thus no code, or forms, or reports
can be modified by the users.
Further, using a mde ensures that no compile code errors exist in your code.
So, I do setup the start-up menu stuff to COMPLETELY hide the ms-access
interface. You don't need security, or code to do this at all. Often, people
get confused on this issue. Using security is NOT needed to hide the
ms-access interface and keep people out of things (I not saying this is your
case...but I wanted to be clear). And, if you need a sample of such an
application that hides everything with no code or security, you can download
the 3rd example at:
http://www.attcanada.net/~kallal.msn/msaccess/DownLoad.htm
That above sample is NOT a mde, and does not have the shift key turned
off..but ONLY those two additional things need to be done to complete secure
the above sample.
Of course, during testing and development I hold down the shift key to load
my application, and ignore those start-up settings.
After writing and testing some bit code, I will want to test things from the
"end" users perspective. I simply exit my ap;lction (alt - f4 key), usually
at this point the mdb file I was working on in the window is still
highlighted, so then I whack enter key and re-load (no holding shirtkey).
Now I can test, and play in the view that my users will get. If all is well,
and my testing is over, then I exit the again, and re-load using shift key.
At this point, I can create the final mde for the users (you do use a mde
for your users...right!???). It is this mde that you really only need to
turn off the shift key for. To do that, I use my hand dandy shift key
browser code that lets you select the mde (or mdb) of your choice, and set
the shift key. Check it out at:
http://www.attcanada.net/~kallal.msn/msaccess/msaccess.html
So, since you don't every have to turn off shift key code in your
development code, but only your final production code, then the shiftkey
very rarely gets in the way of development. I mean a quick alt-f4 and a
enter whack lets you test the system the way the user will see it...but ONLY
for deployment of the mde should you bother with the shift key setting, not
your development mdb.
