Runtime

[Bruce]

Currently my employer uses Access 97 in September our Network is going over
top & Office 2003. Problem, I have many Access 97 databases that have to be
converted to Access 2003 & the employer is giving me & a few others the full
Access package. However most of the staff will have a Front End Runtime
access only. As I understand it (and this is where I get confused) I will
first have to convert my programs into Access 2003 then Split the databases
into Front End Back End form and email the users either shortcuts to the
Front End or each individual their own Front End . The Access 97 database
files are currently in a Common Share Drive & I assume they will stay there.
Is my understanding of this correct as we have not been given any training
or advice.

Thanks Bruce

 

[Mr B]

Bruce,

To my knowledge there is no Runtime Version of Access that can be used to
open different database files. The only way that I know of that the Runtime
version works is that the developer of the database application must have the
developers edition of Access or the equivilent Developers Tool Kit.

Then the developer creates an installable version of the application and
distributes that to the users. This does not mean that that installation
will open any other database file.

I do not believe that the situation as you have described it will allow
everyone to have access to the database files.

 

[Bruce]

Thanks for your reply. This must be what my employer is proposing.They have
said that I am getting the developers version of Access 2003, but I was not
sure what I was expected to do after writing the program & how I make it
available to others.

Bruce

 

[Mr B]

Bruce,

I can tell you that there will be much more to it that just creating a
database. You will need to be sure that you have a complete application. By
this I mean that you need to be aware that users of your applications will
not have any capability of changing anything on their own. They will only
have the functionality that you build into the application.

You will need to create a .mde type file and then create the distributable
application files.

These are just a few of the many things you will be facing.

Good luck.

 

[Bruce]

Thanks Mr B

At the moment I create an Access 97 file then distibute shortcuts to about
30 people, they in turn add data via the forms to the main table. However,
recentley because my programs have be adopted accross other servers we have
given theusers permission to a Common folder with the Access files in them,
to make it more efficient we have split the databases, and it works fine.
What concerns me is how after I convert my Access 97 to Access 2003 (which
seems easy) do I send each user a shortcut to the mde/runtime type file or
what.

Bruce

 

[Mr B]

Bruce,

If you simply create the .mde file and distribute it, those users that have
Access will be able to open the .mde file but will not be able to make any
modifications to any forms, queries and or programming.

They would be able to enter data through your form.

Those users who do not have Acces, but only have the runtime version (I am
assuming that they have this because someone has created and distributed an
application developed with the developers edition of Access) will not be able
to open the .mde file.

The only way to have users that do not have Access open and run an Access
application is to create the installation package and distribute that to the
users. One of these would need to be created for each application. They
cannot just run the runtime version of Access and then specify which .mde
they want to open.

 

[Rick Brandt]

Bruce,

If you simply create the .mde file and distribute it, those users that have
Access will be able to open the .mde file but will not be able to make any
modifications to any forms, queries and or programming.

They would be able to enter data through your form.

Those users who do not have Acces, but only have the runtime version (I am
assuming that they have this because someone has created and distributed an
application developed with the developers edition of Access) will not be able
to open the .mde file.

The only way to have users that do not have Access open and run an Access
application is to create the installation package and distribute that to the
users. One of these would need to be created for each application. They
cannot just run the runtime version of Access and then specify which .mde
they want to open.

You're correct that they could not open the runtime by itself and then specify a
file to open, but if they double click an MDE or MDB the runtime will happily
open it for them and it will run just fine (assuming it's the correct version).

A single PC needs to have the runtime installed only once. Not once per
application.

 

[Mr B]

Rick,

Thanks for the clarifiction on this. After thinking about it, I realized
that I had mis-stated.