Work Request Access Database

[Mph]

Hello everybody,

This is my first post and I just wanted to say what great help you guys are,
I was able to learn quite a few things from your forums here. Any who, I was
curious about MS Access and its capabilities. I am working on a request
database and am using an older version of access to do so, I understand I
should start using newer access but it just so happens that I have to use the
older.

Moving on, I know when you have multiple users connected to the database,
the users arent able to view changes to the database simoltenously. What I
mean is if you have two users logged in, while one does a request and writes
to the table, the other one will not be able to see this request on a his
database unless he logs out and logs back in.

Please correct me if I am wrong but, if I am not is there a way to have the
database update while users are logged into it?

Thanks in advance,

Marcin

 

[Brian]

Users do not have to log out/in to see changes. Closing a table, then
re-opening it will display new content. Also, assuming you are using forms
bound to tables as front-end entry points, a form will automatically include
new records each time it is opened. There are also commands that can
specifically refresh the underlying record source. For example, you could
have a Refresh button on a form and have
this code on the click event:

Private Sub ButtonRefresh_Click()
Me.Requery
End Sub

Also, I would recommend staying away from having users input directly into
tables and instead split the database into a front end (forms, code, queries,
reports) and back end (tables only). This does a couple of things:

1. Helps protect the integrity of the data, since users do not have blanket
access to just delete lines from tables, but can use well-designed forms that
allow them access to just the portions they need to see in a well-organized
fashion.
2. Allows you to make program changes that do not involve table structure
changes without having to prevent everyone from making any changes to the
data while you are writing a new report, form, or query in the application
(front end).

 

[Mph]

Thanks Brian,

I guess I must have confused that aspect with changes to the Jet databse
when it comes to option setting. Yes, I do have forms as the front end and
tables as the back end. Queries do the work to retrieve data from tables,
that there should be the obvious relation to my question. I dont know what I
was thinking.

In regards to the refresh click event, I would like to us it to have the
main splash form refresh automatically so that it can trigger an event for
and update to a text box, which notifies the current user of a new request
submition. I would program some sort of a loop to this, so that the current
users main form refreshes to update the screen. Is my thinking headed in the
right direction?

Marcin

 

[Brian]

You could use the form Timer event. Give the fom's TimerInterval a value (how
often to run the code, 1000 = 1 second).

Private Sub Form_Timer()
Me.Requery
End Sub

That is, of coure, vastly over-simplified. This would would requery even if
the user were in the middle of doing something else on another form. I would
probably opt for something more complex, such as requerying after completion
of any record, turning off the timer when the user is doing other things on
the form, and turning it back on when the form is idle.

 

[Mph]

Brian thanks!

I am learning even more.

I will look into it and code something in that regard. I will try to post
the code when I am done and if succesful.

Thanks again,
Marcin