Testing and debugging Access mdb

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  • Start date Start date
G

Guest

Hello -

Does anyone know if there are any written procedures for the best way to
completely test an Access database, or is there any software that can help in
doing this?
 
I would be shocked if any such document existed, since no two databases
require the same testing!
 
You can try what I do. After compiling, I make a good rum and coke (okay,
maybe 2 or 3 rum and cokes) and literally sit in front of my computer and
click buttons for hours and hours trying every single combination possible. I
wake up the next day and do it again, and again until I feel relatively
confident that no more errors are generated. Perhaps not the best way, but
you have to mirror every possible action by the user and that takes a lot of
time.
 
Not a chance. Users will always do things that make absolutely no sense.
To wheel out the old quote:

"Make it idiot proof, and they'll just build a better idiot."

(...and I prefer vodka and tonic anyway.)
 
this is pretty much one of those "learn by doing" things; you get (somewhat)
better a testing a db each time you build and test one. document your code
and/or macros well, and make sure you have good error handling in your code
(no way to do that with macros, AFAIK). test it yourself by using it in
pseudo-production mode, of course, but beware - it can be difficult to
thoroughly test your own design, because you already know the "right" way to
do everything, so you tend to not make mistakes that can cause problems,
even when you try to. it's a really good idea to "field-test" your db with
actual users *before* you deploy it for production use - they'll invariably
find errors you never thought of! and just resign yourself to the
probability that no matter how diligent you are, somewhere down the line
somebody is going to do something that causes an unidentified error.

hth
 
Thanks for your response, Tom. I'm going to try the trial version -- it
looks interesting!
 
Thanks All for your replies!

Tom's suggestion looks interesting and I'm going to give it a try, although
the license for purchasing it is $299 - one could buy many rum and cokes or
vodka tonics with that!
 
Hi Sandy,

I have no affiliation with FMS, other than being a customer. My opinion is
that this product is worth every penny, especially if you are routinely
working with many different .mdb files (as I am). Having a product like this
in your arsenal will increase your productivity enough that you'll have lots
of extra time to enjoy those rum and cokes or vodka tonics!


Tom

http://www.access.qbuilt.com/html/expert_contributors.html
http://www.access.qbuilt.com/html/search.html
__________________________________________

:

Thanks All for your replies!

Tom's suggestion looks interesting and I'm going to give it a try, although
the license for purchasing it is $299 - one could buy many rum and cokes or
vodka tonics with that!
 
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