Rick,
Access has been "multi-user" since its introduction, so the answer to your
question is a definite 'Yes'. And, you are on the right track in your
thinking as to how to do it. Generally, the steps are as follows:
1. If you have not already done so, split the application into a Front-End
and a Back-End. The Database Splitter utility found at Tools|Database
Utilities|Database Splitter is one way to do this. The Front-End (FE) will
contain all Queries, Forms, Reports, Modules, Macros and local-use tables.
The Back-End (BE) will contain all tables to be shared among users.
2. The BE will reside in a folder on your server, where full permissions
for each user will be granted (Read, Write, Create, Delete, Execute).
3. In the FE, Link to the tables in the BE. To avoid problems with
changing drive mappings, link to the BE tables using the full UNC, starting
with My Network Places and drilling down through folders until the actual
database name of the BE is found.
4. An individual copy of each FE will reside on each user's computer. For
ease of distributing updates to FEs, see:
http://www.granite.ab.ca/access/autofe.htm which describes an AutoUpdater
for front-ends, developed by Access MVP Tony Toews.
5. Additionally, a copy of the most current FE in use by users should be
kept on the server. You will do your maintenance/update programming on your
own copy of the FE on your own computer. When updates are ready to be
distributed, you'll copy your modified FE to replace the one on the server.
Those are pretty much the high points.
hth,
--
Cheryl Fischer, MVP Microsoft Access
Law/Sys Associates, Houston, TX
