Upgrading Installed Product

[Guest]

I have users that installed my access db using the package wizard a couple of
months ago. I want to send them an updated version of the program. This
update is only supposed to change and add a few new forms. I want the
properties and data in their tables to remain the same however. How do I go
about this? Thanks in advance.

 

[Rick Brandt]

I have users that installed my access db using the package wizard a
couple of months ago. I want to send them an updated version of the
program. This update is only supposed to change and add a few new
forms. I want the properties and data in their tables to remain the
same however. How do I go about this? Thanks in advance.

You should have distributed a "split" application. One file for tables only and
one for everything else. That way MOST updates that only affect the non-data
file are accomplished by simply replacing that file with a new one. On those
occasions where an update needs to make changes to tables and/or add new ones
the new application file can execute code on first use that programmatically
applies those new structures to the data file.

If you have an "all in one" file then you have a much more difficult update
path. What I would suggest is that you distribute a new application file that
will use the old all-in-one file as if it contained tables only and links to
them. Now you have a proper split app only the data file will contain a lot of
useless interface and code objects that are no longer used.

 

[Allen Browne]

Did you split the application, so the data is in a separate MDB to the
program?

If that's a new idea, see:
Split your MDB file into data and application
at:
http://allenbrowne.com/ser-01.html