Access Application on Ipad (1 Viewer)

partoba · Apr 12, 2017

Hello everyone, I'd appreciate some help.

I am designing an acccess application that will access a back-end database (access tables) through forms, which are by the way displayed as an executable file (given the access application remains invisible). This is easily done within the windows environment. The thing is, I need it to be displayed on a Ipad, it that even possible?

Or is there a better way to do this that you could suggest? Maybe a customized database, form app from iTunes Store that could be made without previous programming knowledge? As a matter of fact, I did bought the pro version of Tap Forms (iTunes store) and it didn't meet my expectations. I thought it to be too rudimentary.

Tks

isladogs · Apr 12, 2017

Being as Access isn't available as part of Office for Mac, I expect that its impossible

CJ_London · Apr 12, 2017

only way I can think of is you would need to install a virtual machine with windows OS, then you can install access. Windows OS takes quite a bit of space, as does office, but you could just install access runtime since ipad is not really a development machine.

One of my clients is running client based apps on linx 8" tablets - 32gb/win 10. After windows and access runtime is installed there is approx. 3gb left so you would need at least this amount free on your ipad.

Not tried it but you could look at using an access web app which runs through your browser linked to a sharepoint or azure backend, but the web app forms have limited functionality.

Easiest option is to use citrix or terminal server, but comes at a cost.

One thing to be aware of is that access prefers a wired LAN. If you are going wireless to an access back end, be aware that interruptions to the wireless connection (may not even be apparent to the user) can cause corruption in the back end so recommend using sql server/express as a backend which is more robust.

isladogs · Apr 12, 2017

CJ is absolutely right:

One thing to be aware of is that access prefers a wired LAN. If you are going wireless to an access back end, be aware that interruptions to the wireless connection (may not even be apparent to the user) can cause corruption in the back end so recommend using sql server/express as a backend which is more robust.

I started writing an Access web app for PE teachers to complete lesson registers on Windows tablets connected wirelessly to the network. I abandoned the project partly due to the risks of data corruption. Pity as it could have been very useful to many schools

CJ_London · Apr 12, 2017

just a follow on. My clients using Linx are only gathering data (stock take/meter readings and the like) but more importantly there is poor wireless connectivity. So they update a local backend. When a button is clicked, code checks if it can see the network and server and if it can it copies the backend to the server (it's only a small file). Code on the server detects the arrival of a new file and checks it is a valid db. If it is, it then imports the data to the main db but flagged as 'not confirmed'.

As a final check, the main db then extracts the data just loaded to a new db and sends it back. This in turn is detected by the Linx which does its own comparison. If everything is OK, it pings a small 'success' file back to the server which then updates the 'not confirmed' flag to 'success'.

If the comms fail at any point, then it is easy to unwind and try again.

Bit long winded, but only takes a few seconds and everyone is happy the main db is right.

isladogs · Apr 13, 2017

just a follow on. My clients using Linx are only gathering data (stock take/meter readings and the like) but more importantly there is poor wireless connectivity. So they update a local backend. When a button is clicked, code checks if it can see the network and server and if it can it copies the backend to the server (it's only a small file). Code on the server detects the arrival of a new file and checks it is a valid db. If it is, it then imports the data to the main db but flagged as 'not confirmed'.

As a final check, the main db then extracts the data just loaded to a new db and sends it back. This in turn is detected by the Linx which does its own comparison. If everything is OK, it pings a small 'success' file back to the server which then updates the 'not confirmed' flag to 'success'.

If the comms fail at any point, then it is easy to unwind and try again.

Hi CJ (from another CJ)

I got as far as the first paragraph in my version but hadn't thought of the final check in the 2nd para.
Perhaps I'll go back to it after all(?) though the limitations of Access web apps are still a major hassle to deal with.If I did return to it, would you be willing to advise further on the final check part above

Colin J ...

CJ_London · Apr 13, 2017

happy to do that - but I don't use webapps because of their limitations - and the coding is all vba. It works through a LAN

isladogs · Apr 13, 2017

Thanks in advance. I'll let you know
I haven't done any web apps for over 3 years so I'll be back to square 1 if I do.
Tempvars & data macros - ugh!

BTW I made use of your article in the code repository : how to find richtext codes for highlight, underline etc which reminded me how to do just that - again something I hadn't done for a few years

I used it to create a form & report showing highlighted text strings - see attached. Many thanks

The previous time, I had resorted to a web browser control so I could include rich text, hyperlinks & images - but it was a hassle to administer.

Anyway, I sent a reply but its disappeared in the moderated area so just to say that after this section it needs a bit of tweaking

highlighttext: "<div>" & Replace([myfield],"world","<font style='BACKGROUND-COLOR:#FFFF00'>world</font>") & "</div>"

note the use of single quotes

,

After that you need to convert back to double quotes or it won't work correctly. Perhaps instead it could have been """" to represent a " in that code but I didn't try it out

Cheers

CJ_London · Apr 13, 2017

thanks for the heads up about the quotations - your post should now be visible. I've also just added a simple db

Uncle Gizmo · Apr 13, 2017

Not sure what apps are available on the iPad but Android have an app called "Cellica Database" which I used a few years back and found acceptable. I note it still has good reviews.

Sent from my SM-G925F using Tapatalk

seguinsoftware · May 4, 2017

Would you consider having the access app on a RDP server and then the Apple clients could use a RDP session to run the app. This way any tablet or machine could use the app.

Access Application on Ipad (1 Viewer)

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