Upgrade from A97 - to ??

[Kahuna]

Hi Folks

I have been developing in A97 for a really long time now. I build specialist
apps that work over a network with a few users (almost always less than 10)
and need to build secure installs.

A97 and DAO has served me well with SageKey scripts and Wise installer, I
get to deliver excellent installation packages - had no DLL HELL challenges
at all since using this set-up package.

My question is, what would be the up and down-sides to upgrading to the
latest version of Access?

Can I still secure my apps and protect the code?

Is there a runtime library for installations?

Can I build an install package within Access (is there a developers
toolkit?)?

Can I use ADO to build links to several different types of back-end?
(currently my apps can connect to MSSQL, Jet and Oracle with little
tweaking).

What's the most radical change I am likely to struggle with in the upgrade?

Appreciate any feedback.

Cheers

 

[Douglas J. Steele]

The current version of Access (Access 2003) has everything you're asking
about.

In general, there aren't too many issues associated with upgrading. (Allen
Browne has a good summary at http://www.allenbrowne.com/ser-48.html) There's
also an Access 2003 Converstion Toolkit that you can download from
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/...76-5D89-450A-B977-980A9841111E&displaylang=en
to analyze your database to see what to expect.

There's no need to convert from DAO to ADO, btw. While it was possible to
use DAO with Access 2000 and 2002, you had to remember to add a reference to
the Microsoft DAO 3.6 Object Library every time you created a new database.
With Access 2003, they came back to their senses, and the reference to DAO
is automatically there.

You need to purchase the following in order to create an Access 2003 runtime
application:

- Microsoft Access 2003
- Visual Studio Tools for Office 2005 (which includes the Access 2003
Developer Extensions)

The ADE is the product that gives you the license to deploy the 2003 runtime
components and you have to have Access 2003 installed in order to install
the ADE.

See http://msdn.microsoft.com/office/understanding/vsto/default.aspx for
more details, or
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/assistance/HA011208861033.aspx

Of course, Access 2007 is in Beta 2 at the moment, and will be coming out
early next year. See http://blogs.msdn.com/access/ and
http://www.microsoft.com/office/preview/programs/access/highlights.mspx for
details (Heck , you can download the beta for yourself)

 

[Kahuna]

Thanks Doug - that's exactly the info I was hoping for.

I have a new extension for an old app I need to build, and I was hoping to
use that development to get into the recent Access - looks like I'll be able
to go ahead and do that.

Think I'll pass on the Office Beta - perhaps when its been in use for a year
or so... I have only just got used to minimal support calls - don't want to
go there again for a while lol.

Just as a BTW - are there any issues (of the sort we always had with A97)
regarding DLL clashes etc on run-time installations? I currently use SageKey
to hive off the DLL and registry entries where they don't clash with older /
newer Office installs.

Cheers

Kahuna

 

[Kahuna]

Doug - just been researching the A2003 security on the web and noticed some
real challenges with delivering secure apps because of the macro protection
in Office 2003. Have you been challenged with that or found a work-around?

Kahuna

 

[Douglas J. Steele]

DLL clashes will still exist (and, of course, there are two different
flavours of them: operating system problems, and Access References
problems). For Access References problems, see what MichKa's got at
http://www.trigeminal.com/usenet/usenet026.asp

As to your macro security question in another post, see what Jeff Conrad has
at
http://home.bendbroadband.com/conradsystems/accessjunkie/macrosecurity.html

 

[Kahuna]

Cheers Doug - is this macro security issue purely on 'MACROS' or is it an
issue with running any code?

Just checked the SageKey page and they seem to have A2003 under control
too - so that's probably the route to go for installs.

Appreciate the help and links.

Kahuna

 

[Douglas J. Steele]

AFAIK, the macro security issue has to do with code in the application.
(i.e.: it's a bit of a misnomer, in terms of what Access calls a Macro)