MDE File

[Jeri]

I created a database in Access 2000 that will be used for
placing work orders by five departmental employees. I'm
the only one with Admin permission. Reading up before I
take any security steps, rather than running the Security
Wizard (which is overkill for my situation) I thought that
saving the database as an MDE file would suffice.

My question - If the MDE file is simply a copy of the
database without allowing permission to the design modules
and queries, etc. (I think) does the MDE file update the
original file?

Instructions say that in order to make any edits or
alterations to the database design - the original database
must be used then saved again as an MDE file.

I'm confused?

 

[Rick Brandt]

I created a database in Access 2000 that will be used for
placing work orders by five departmental employees. I'm
the only one with Admin permission. Reading up before I
take any security steps, rather than running the Security
Wizard (which is overkill for my situation) I thought that
saving the database as an MDE file would suffice.

My question - If the MDE file is simply a copy of the
database without allowing permission to the design modules
and queries, etc. (I think) does the MDE file update the
original file?

Instructions say that in order to make any edits or
alterations to the database design - the original database
must be used then saved again as an MDE file.

Creating an MDE creates another copy of your MDB with a different file
extension and which has all source code removed. This new file will not
allow design view or changes to *code-based* objects. That is, forms,
reports, and modules. It does absolutely nothing with regard to tables,
queries, and macros.

Because the code-based objects can no longer be modified, you have to keep
your original MDB file in case you ever need to make additional changes.
Then you would make a new MDE file from the modified MDB and distribute
that to your users. Because of this distribution model, you pretty much
have to have a split application where tables go in one file and the MDE
file has links to it. That way you can replace the MDE without having to
worry about copying or losing data.

 

[Jeri]

-----Original Message-----


Creating an MDE creates another copy of your MDB with a different file
extension and which has all source code removed. This new file will not
allow design view or changes to *code-based* objects. That is, forms,
reports, and modules. It does absolutely nothing with regard to tables,
queries, and macros.

Because the code-based objects can no longer be modified, you have to keep
your original MDB file in case you ever need to make additional changes.
Then you would make a new MDE file from the modified MDB and distribute
that to your users. Because of this distribution model, you pretty much
have to have a split application where tables go in one file and the MDE
file has links to it. That way you can replace the MDE without having to
worry about copying or losing data.


--
I don't check the Email account attached
to this message. Send instead to...
RBrandt at Hunter dot com

Please bear with me --- I just want to make sure my data

is not lost.

As I understand it, when new data is added to the MDE
(copy) and since the MDW (original) file is linked to the
copy, any new data input into either database will exist
in both. The only difference is that I have to go back
into the original to make any design changes to forms,
table, reports and queries.I assume this applies to writing new queries as well or
only new queries that I want to save?

 

[Bruce M. Thompson]

I created a database in Access 2000 that will be used for

placing work orders by five departmental employees. I'm
the only one with Admin permission. Reading up before I
take any security steps, rather than running the Security
Wizard (which is overkill for my situation) I thought that
saving the database as an MDE file would suffice.

First of all, you will need to implement Access security in order to identify
the users (unless you develop a "home-grown" system to log in your users and
manage their access to various objects). If you have neither, every user will be
"Admin".

My question - If the MDE file is simply a copy of the
database without allowing permission to the design modules
and queries, etc. (I think) does the MDE file update the
original file?

When you create an MDE file, and Rick Brandt has already told you this, the
utility creates a new file minus the uncompiled code. This is an independent
file that has no connection to the original file other than the fact that it is
based on that original file. This new file gives no access to the design
features of code-based objects such as forms, reports and modules, but has no
effect on queries, macros or tables.

Instructions say that in order to make any edits or
alterations to the database design - the original database
must be used then saved again as an MDE file.

In order to make design changes to the database, you would make your changes to
the original MDB file, then make a new MDE file, which would *replace* your
existing MDE file. You would keep the original MDB file in a safe place to
protect your ability to make modifications.

 

[Bruce M. Thompson]

Please bear with me --- I just want to make sure my data

is not lost.

As I understand it, when new data is added to the MDE
(copy) and since the MDW (original) file is linked to the
copy, any new data input into either database will exist
in both. The only difference is that I have to go back
into the original to make any design changes to forms,
table, reports and queries.

You should split your application into a front-end/back-end arrangement where
your forms, queries, reports and modules exist in the front-end and only the
data tables exist in the back-end. This way you can make modifications to the
front-end MDE without risking your existing data as you need only replace the
front-end file which is *linked* to the back-end data file. See the following
page at Tony Toews' web site for more information on splitting your application:

Splitting your Microsoft Access MDB into a front end and back end
http://www.granite.ab.ca/access/splitapp.htm

I assume this applies to writing new queries as well or
only new queries that I want to save?

New queries can be created in the MDE file, but if you have made any
modifications to your MDB file and re-generated and distributed an MDE file to
the users, their copy of the MDE file will be overwritten and any queries
created in their MDE file will be lost.

 

[Peter Russell]

As I understand it, when new data is added to the MDE
(copy) and since the MDW (original) file is linked to the
copy, any new data input into either database will exist
in both.

Unless you have split your database into a front-end programs and back-end
data file then you are mistaken. If the tables in the database window
have black arrows against them then the database is split into two files.
If they do not have such arrows then the database is not split.
You can also see if you can open a table in design view. If you get NO
warning that changes cannot be saved then the database is not split.


The only difference is that I have to go back

into the original to make any design changes to forms,
table, reports and queries.

The original file is an mdB file not an mdW file by the way.

Regards

Peter Russell

 

[Rick Brandt]

is not lost.

As I understand it, when new data is added to the MDE
(copy) and since the MDW (original) file is linked to the
copy, any new data input into either database will exist
in both. The only difference is that I have to go back
into the original to make any design changes to forms,
table, reports and queries.

INCORRECT!

Splitting an application into separate files (a data file containing the
tables and a front end file containing everything else) is a completely
different concept that has almost nothing at all to do with creating an
MDE.

I say "almost" because as I stated earlier, using an MDE provides a
stronger impetus to split your app because you can no longer make design
changes to the MDE file. Therefore replacing the front end MDE with a new
one while not touching the linked data file becomes the only practical way
to do upgrades. One can certainly have a split app without using an MDE
and one can create an MDE that is not split.

There is NO relationship between your MDB and any MDE you create from it
other than the MDB served as the template. After the creation of the MDE,
any changes made to either file will NOT be propagated to the other.

 

[Jeri]

RICK - Thanks so much for your reply. Apparently I need
to keep reading to understand this better.

 

[Jeri]

-----Original Message-----

You should split your application into a front-end/back- end arrangement where
your forms, queries, reports and modules exist in the front-end and only the
data tables exist in the back-end. This way you can make modifications to the
front-end MDE without risking your existing data as you need only replace the
front-end file which is *linked* to the back-end data file. See the following
page at Tony Toews' web site for more information on splitting your application:

Splitting your Microsoft Access MDB into a front end and back end
http://www.granite.ab.ca/access/splitapp.htm


New queries can be created in the MDE file, but if you have made any
modifications to your MDB file and re-generated and distributed an MDE file to
the users, their copy of the MDE file will be overwritten and any queries
created in their MDE file will be lost.

--
Bruce M. Thompson, Microsoft Access MVP
(e-mail address removed) (See the Access FAQ at http://www.mvps.org/access)
within the newsgroups so that all might benefit.<<


.
BRUCE - Thanks so much for the info. I will certainly

check out Tony's web site because I want to make sure I
set this up correctly and understand what the heck I'm
doing BEFORE I make a mess of it!